Associate Commercial Practitioner

Office for National Statistics; Hucknall; Hybrid; GBP 28,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office for National Statistics is seeking an Associate Commercial Practitioner to support its Commercial Director in delivering value through effective commercial activities. This role involves collaboration with various stakeholders to drive compliance and efficiency in procurements, while upholding the principles of sustainability and diversity.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension Scheme

Inclusive working environment

Qualifications

• Experience of coordinating and completing activities to agreed timescales.
• Experience of problem solving and dispute resolution.
• Experience working collaboratively to achieve outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliant end-to-end delivery of commercial activities.
• Maintain good relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support the efficiency drive by identifying Value for Money opportunities.

Skills

Problem Solving

Stakeholder Management

Communication

Job description

The ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations working between office and remote throughout the week. The locations for this role are Newport and Titchfield (Fareham).

All colleagues are required to work from their contractually allocated site for at least 40% of their working time.

The induction process for the role will be conducted in person.

Job Summary

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social, and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution, and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime, and migration.

On behalf of ONS, Commercial Services deliver all procurement and contract management activity within the organisation and are looking to appoint an Associate Commercial Practitioner. In this role you will have an opportunity to support the Commercial Director in delivering the Commercial vision of being a key partner in strategic business decision making, adding value through innovation, collaboration, and shared sense of purpose.

You will have responsibility for providing commercial support to ONS stakeholders that enables business goals through market knowledge, effective communication, and teamwork. You will contribute to the aim of delivering value for money through innovation, cost reduction and efficiencies, with fairness, transparency, sustainability, and diversity woven into everything we do. Commercial Services sits in the Finance Planning and Performance (FPP) Directorate.

The Government Commercial Function defines how all government departments should operate commercially to guarantee consistency of commercial behaviours and purchasing across government. Commercial Services uses their standards, benchmarks and training materials for staff involved in procurement and contract management to make sure best practice is followed. The strategic aim is securing optimum value for ONS through delivery of Commercial excellence.

Job Description

Are you looking for a new challenge?

In this role you will work collaboratively with colleagues from within Commercial Services and stakeholders from across the business to ascertain demand and manage and deliver effective commercial activity – in line with the new step-change approach to Commercial activity delivery within ONS. You will be expected to ensure delivery compliance whilst driving the successful application of quality and Value for Money (VfM).

The post holder will also be accountable for ensuring complete end to end Commercial activity from pre-sourcing to contract management and the successful development and ongoing management of a comprehensive Commercial pipeline of work for their area of responsibility.

Role Responsibilities:

• Ensuring compliant end to end delivery of commercial activity including pre-market engagement and route to market analysis, ITT pack development, contract management and contract exit for low complexity procurements.
• Maintaining good relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Supporting the Sourcing team to deliver high volume procurements compliantly for the organisation.
• Maintaining the Commercial Pipeline to ensure consistency and an equal work allocation to the team.
• Supporting the efficiency drive in commercial by identifying Value for Money opportunities and delivering quality procurements.
  
  

Are you looking for a new challenge?

In this role you will work collaboratively with colleagues from within Commercial Services and stakeholders from across the business to ascertain demand and manage and deliver effective commercial activity – in line with the new step-change approach to Commercial activity delivery within ONS. You will be expected to ensure delivery compliance whilst driving the successful application of quality and Value for Money (VfM).

The post holder will also be accountable for ensuring complete end to end Commercial activity from pre-sourcing to contract management and the successful development and ongoing management of a comprehensive Commercial pipeline of work for their area of responsibility.

Role Responsibilities:

• Ensuring compliant end to end delivery of commercial activity including pre-market engagement and route to market analysis, ITT pack development, contract management and contract exit for low complexity procurements.
• Maintaining good relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Supporting the Sourcing team to deliver high volume procurements compliantly for the organisation.
• Maintaining the Commercial Pipeline to ensure consistency and an equal work allocation to the team.
• Supporting the efficiency drive in commercial by identifying Value for Money opportunities and delivering quality procurements.
  
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of coordinating and completing activities to agreed timescales that deliver outcomes.
• Experience of problem solving and dispute resolution.
• Experience of working to a strategy to achieve successful outcomes as part of a team.
• An awareness of actions required to support delivery of Value for Money (VfM) and efficiency.
• Experience of relationship management and working with stakeholders (at all levels) demonstrating effective communication skills (verbal and written).
  
  

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
  
  

Alongside your salary of £27,252, Office for National Statistics contributes £7,894 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our 5400 valued colleagues across the business.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached (bottom of page) will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.

Inclusion & Accessibility

At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

All applicants will have access to (AI) resources, it is therefore important to remember these tools, although helpful in streamlining the writing process, cannot fully understand the organisational context, or requirements for the role you are applying for.

To maintain authenticity and credibility of the application process, should you choose to use generative AI tools, you need to ensure the information you provide in your supporting evidence accurately reflects your skills, knowledge, and experience.

ONS does not advocate relying solely on generative AI to write your application. Doing so may negatively impact your chances of success during the selection process.

If you are invited to interview, please be aware the use of AI tools is prohibited and any suspected use may result in the termination of your interview and subsequent withdrawal from the campaign.

Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.

Application Process:

Number of Stages: 2 stage process

Stage 1: Application

Stage 2: Interview

Stage 1 – Application

The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your work history, skills, experience, CV, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role.

Your personal statement should be no longer than 1250 words. You should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.

In instances where a high number of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted, and candidates will be invited to interview based on merit order, i.e., those with the highest scores.

Stage 2 – Interview

If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert.

Interviews will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

Sift - w/c 14th July 2025

Interviews – w/c 21st July 2025

Dates are subject to change

For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment below.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact :

• Name : Natalie Rogers
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission