DIO - Associate Commercial Lead - Permanent Joint Operational Bases (PJOBs)

Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO); Wyton; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to supporting the Defence Estate, where you will play a crucial role in contract management and procurement for facilities across various overseas locations. This position offers a unique opportunity to enhance your skills while contributing to essential Defence missions. You will work closely with military and civilian colleagues, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services. With a commitment to sustainability and diversity, this role empowers you to make a meaningful impact while enjoying a supportive work environment. Embrace the chance to grow professionally and personally in a dynamic team setting.

Benefits

Free membership for professional qualifications

Access to training courses

Flexible working arrangements

Enhanced parental leave

Sports & Social Clubs

Free car parking

Civil Service Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Become a qualified Commercial Officer within 18 months.
• Manage multiple projects requiring strong communication and organization skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead contract management for Facilities Management across overseas locations.
• Develop procurement strategies and manage supplier relationships.

Skills

Contract Management

Procurement

Project Management

Communication Skills

Problem-Solving

Education

CIPS Level 4

Tools

Digital Tools for Contract Advertising

Job description

Join the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and have a future that matters: Be proud; Be challenged; Be unique.

Andover SP11 8HJ, Glasgow G2 8EX and Wyton PE28 2EA, other DIO locations may be considered to meet the business need.

Where business needs allow, this role may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working, therefore you must consider if any of the above locations are within a reasonable travelling distance. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business (i.e., detached duty) or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

Job Summary

Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and care for the Defence Estate? DIO enables Defence to live, work, train and deploy, all with sustainability in mind. From net carbon zero accommodations to runways for the F35 fighter jets; our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe!

Learn much more about DIO in our Candidate Information Guide attached.

Join the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and have a future that matters: Be proud; Be challenged; Be unique.

To enable this DIO recognises that a diverse workforce is at the heart of different insights, ideas and innovation. A workforce diverse in background and life experience produces trusted public services and better decisions. We want our people to be curious and continuously strive for improvement, collaborative in an inclusive culture, ambitious and resilient and committed to Defence, empowered and able to challenge so you can play a key part in shaping the direction of our organisation.

To enable this DIO commits to offering its employees:

• The ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by DIO
• Free membership for professional qualifications including CIPS
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by DIO
• Opportunity to join 6 networks covering Disability, Faith and Belief, Gender Equality, LGBTQI+, Race, Social Mobility and 3 networks dealing with employee wellbeing and support: Speak Safe Volunteers, Mental Health First Aiders and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisers
• Opportunity to drive and embed sustainable practices and solutions through delivering and managing sustainable procurement for Defence estates
  
  

About DIO

View our YouTube video to see more about our work

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

The DIO overseas Commercial Permanent Joint Overseas Bases (PJOBs) team provides contract management for a combination of Hard Facilities Management (HFM), Soft Facilities Management (SFM) and Total Facilities Management (TFM) services to each of the Permanent Joint Operating Bases (PJOBs) of British Forces in Gibraltar, British Forces Cyprus, British Forces South Atlantic Islands (Falkland Islands and Ascension Island), Germany estate and wider Europe.

The contracts deliver Facilities Management services to customers living and working on the MOD’s overseas estate. Alongside contract management, the team provides wider commercial and procurement advice to MOD partners , including sourcing contracts and operational support.

Why join us?

Our role will provide an opportunity to gain a wide range of experience in line management, contract management from contract amendments, administration, performance management to customer engagement/management. This role provides a great opportunity to gain experience in working with overseas locations, where diplomacy and regulation must be central to contracts delivered.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to travel to overseas locations and work as part of a dynamic team, building strong relationships with overseas suppliers, supply chain and locally employed staff. This provides a great opportunity to develop communication skills whilst widening your cultural awareness and diplomacy skills.

The role contributes to supporting the Military and Civilians living overseas, contributing to NATO support, peacekeeping and the wider critical Defence missions within the UK.

The DIO overseas Commercial Permanent Joint Overseas Bases (PJOBs) team provides contract management for a combination of Hard Facilities Management (HFM), Soft Facilities Management (SFM) and Total Facilities Management (TFM) services to each of the Permanent Joint Operating Bases (PJOBs) of British Forces in Gibraltar, British Forces Cyprus, British Forces South Atlantic Islands (Falkland Islands and Ascension Island), Germany estate and wider Europe.

The contracts deliver Facilities Management services to customers living and working on the MOD’s overseas estate. Alongside contract management, the team provides wider commercial and procurement advice to MOD partners , including sourcing contracts and operational support.

Why join us?

Our role will provide an opportunity to gain a wide range of experience in line management, contract management from contract amendments, administration, performance management to customer engagement/management. This role provides a great opportunity to gain experience in working with overseas locations, where diplomacy and regulation must be central to contracts delivered.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to travel to overseas locations and work as part of a dynamic team, building strong relationships with overseas suppliers, supply chain and locally employed staff. This provides a great opportunity to develop communication skills whilst widening your cultural awareness and diplomacy skills.

The role contributes to supporting the Military and Civilians living overseas, contributing to NATO support, peacekeeping and the wider critical Defence missions within the UK.

Person specification

As an Associate Commercial Lead in PJOBS you will:

• Lead the Commercial team for British Forces in Gibraltar, British Forces South Atlantic Islands (Falkland Islands and Ascension Island) for contract management and sourcing
• Work closely with military and civilian colleagues to deliver facilities management services
• Monitor contractor performance against contractual obligations, align with procurement regulations including overseas agreements, contract amendments and source new contracts when required
• Build strong relationships with contractors, supply chains, military and civilian employees
  
  

Responsibilities

• Lead on Contract Management and sourcing of a wide range of contracts including Facilities Management (Hard & Soft) and construction contracts across a range of overseas locations. To ensure our contracts deliver the required outputs, negotiating contract amendments and pricing when needed
• Overall responsible for Auditing and mentoring of non-commercial staff that hold a non-commercial delegation. Commercial scrutiny of additional work services and validation checks of spreadsheets, analysis of data, bench-marking and provide insight to the senior leadership team for endorsements
• Develop collaborative relationships with suppliers, internal and external customers who may be senior to achieve optimal cost and performance
• Engage with a diverse range of customers in a timely and appropriate manner, providing specialist commercial advice and support to customers
• Develop procurement and commercial strategies on single source or competition routes, advertise contracts using digital tools and develop tender documentation and lead/support in tender activities, including negotiations and provide value for money
• Task Manage a team of commercial officers, including being responsible for staff development, mentoring & support. Ensuring all mandatory and role specific training is undertaken
  
  

Essential Skills

• You must become a qualified Commercial Officer to Practitioner Level within 18 months of joining the organisation. This means you will have to study to achieve CIPS Level 4 and complete the relevant training
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous projects requiring frequent communication, organisation, time management, and problem-solving skills
• Previous experience of working in a commercial / procurement environment
• Ability to work remotely and act independently within the delegation
• Ability and agreement to travel overseas when required in support of contracts (not limited to Gibraltar, Falkland Island and Ascension Island)
  
  

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of DefCon 2000 NEC3 and NEC4 contracts
  
  

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
  
  

Technical skills

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

• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Practitioner Level - Section 3 - Contract Management 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance
• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Practitioner Level - Section 3 - Contract Management 4. Supplier Relationship Management - Relationship Management
• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Practitioner Level - Section 2 - Sourcing 3. Executing the Sourcing Strategy - Developing and issuing the bidder’s pack
  
  

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Practitioner Level - Section 3 - Contract Management 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance
  
  

Alongside your salary of £44,590, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,917 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Highly competitive Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Alternative working practices such as working from home
• Opportunity to join one of our several D&I Networks. We value diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Most sites have free car parking, Sports & Social Clubs, Gym, on site shops and subsidised canteens
  
  

To learn more about our full range of benefits, view our Candidate Information Guide attached.

Allowances

Commercial Market Skills Allowance £1500 (MSA) if eligible and certain conditions met.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Employment Hours

The post advertised is for 37 hours net, however the Ministry of Defence offers a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for employees. Flexible working, Part-time working and Job Share working patterns will be considered.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Selection process details

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

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework and Commercial Skills and Competency Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile and the Commercial Skills and Competency Framework elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Please provide your evidence using the STAR Technique using the attached information on how to apply.

Situation: Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand. Where are you? Who was there with you? What had happened?

Task: The recruitment panel will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in. What was the task that you had to complete and why? What did you have to achieve?

Action: What did you do? The recruitment panel will be looking for information of what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Result: Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures easily understandable. What results did the actions produce? What did you achieve through your actions, and did you meet your goals? Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience? Keep the situation and task parts brief.

Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths. When providing your evidence please ensure that you avoid acronyms and company specific jargon.

At application you will be assessed against the following:

Experience:

• CV - detailing Job History, Previous Skills and Experience
• Personal Statement - As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of 750 words, the purpose for this, is for you to showcase your relevant skills and experience against the role responsibilities. The statement is your opportunity to give examples of how you fit the requirements of the role
  
  

When writing a personal statement, it is important that you:

• Read the job advert so you are clear about the job requirements
• Outline the skills and experience that you have that are relevant to the job and use examples to help demonstrate this
• Keep to the word limit, if your statement is too brief it will not provide the required depth of detail and evidence to be assessed fully
  
  

Technical: Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Practitioner Level

• Section 3 - Contract Management 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance
  
  

We require you to provide evidence and a demonstration of specific skills, knowledge or transferable experience. This will allow you to provide evidence to show a more rounded picture of your suitability for the role.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
  
  

Technical: Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Practitioner Level

• Section 3 - Contract Management 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance
• Section 3 - Contract Management 4. Supplier Relationship Management - Relationship Management
• Section 2 - Sourcing 3. Executing the Sourcing Strategy - Developing and issuing the bidder’s pack
  
  

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn't always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months.

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

To assist with your application please find attached below:

• DIO Candidate Information Guide
• DIO Candidate Information Guide - Accessible Version
• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework
• DBS Candidate Information Guide (June 2024)
  
  

For help and support with your application check out our Civil Service Careers Homepage and the How to apply section

Application sifting is scheduled to take place on week commencing: 12th May 2025 following closure. Interviews are currently taking place remotely through a digital platform, this will be confirmed with the successful candidates who are invited to an interview and will be conducted week commencing: 26th May 2025.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: [e-mail] .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

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

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

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 : BI Resourcing Team
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: [e-mail].