Senior Commercial Manager Strategic Command - Military Joint Overseas Operations

UK Ministry of Defence; Shrivenham; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The UK Ministry of Defence is recruiting for a leadership role within their Military Joint Overseas Operations commercial team. The position requires exceptional leadership qualities and commercial expertise to manage a dispersed team while ensuring compliance and delivering innovative solutions in a high-pressure environment. Successful candidates will possess experience in public procurement and relevant qualifications, paving the way for a unique opportunity in Defence. Attractive salary and benefits package includes generous pension contributions and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Civil Service pension

25 days annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

Special Paid Leave for volunteering

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience working in a commercial role with public procurement.
• Ability to work in ambiguous environments and lead teams.
• Experience in managing a busy pipeline of activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a dispersed commercial team.
• Support team in drafting and evaluating tenders.
• Ensure compliance with PA23 and manage critical contracts.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem Solving

Commercial Awareness

Organizational Skills

Education

CIPS level 4 (or equivalent)

Job description

This position can be based out of MOD Corsham, SN13 9GB, DefAc Shrivenham, SN6 8LA, MOD Abbey Wood, BS34 8JH, HQ Northwood, HA6 3HP. If Northwood is not selected as the duty station, regular travel there will be required.

Job Summary

Strategic Command is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and is one of 4 Front Line Commands (FLCs) the others being Navy, Air and Army. The Strategic Command Commercial Team are responsible for working closely with their military and civilian colleagues across the UK to deliver innovative commercial solutions to Defence requirements. We play a vital role in supporting Defence by contracting a diverse portfolio of requirements ranging in value and complexity from long term commitments in specialist capability areas to low value short term support contracts from a wide and varied supply-base.

The Strategic Command Commercial Team is comprised of around 100 qualified commercial personnel across several UK and overseas locations who place around 200 contracts a year and manage £4.5bnworth of contracts.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. 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, 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.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

This role is leading the Military Joint Overseas Operations commercial team within UK Strategic Command and offers a unique opportunity to make change and be a Commercial leader in a diverse, interesting, and high tempo military environment. It is a challenging role, managing a dispersed team to support joint military operations. You will play a crucial and pivotal role leading and cultivating the team, displaying significant commercial experience and deputising for AHd Commercial as required.

You will need exceptional leadership qualities knowing how to bring the best out of people, developing and supporting individuals in and outside the team. You will have the opportunity to maintain an inclusive working culture, whilst working with some of the most demanding stakeholders in Defence. This is a hybrid role of leadership and Commercial subject matter expertise giving you an ideal opportunity to build and hone the skills required for progression.

The nature of military operations means you will be working closely with Military and Civilian stakeholders in an ambiguous environment, problem solving and delivering commercial solutions often at pace with competing priorities. You will need excellent communication skills and the ability to refine complex technical advice into a singular, tailored message for multiple audiences, with varying levels of subject matter knowledge. This role is about problem solving, predominately of Cat D requirements, and the ability to think of quick, innovative and compliant mechanisms to deliver the operationally imperative requirement, whilst juggling risk like security, location, funding etc…

This role is leading the Military Joint Overseas Operations commercial team within UK Strategic Command and offers a unique opportunity to make change and be a Commercial leader in a diverse, interesting, and high tempo military environment. It is a challenging role, managing a dispersed team to support joint military operations. You will play a crucial and pivotal role leading and cultivating the team, displaying significant commercial experience and deputising for AHd Commercial as required.

You will need exceptional leadership qualities knowing how to bring the best out of people, developing and supporting individuals in and outside the team. You will have the opportunity to maintain an inclusive working culture, whilst working with some of the most demanding stakeholders in Defence. This is a hybrid role of leadership and Commercial subject matter expertise giving you an ideal opportunity to build and hone the skills required for progression.

The nature of military operations means you will be working closely with Military and Civilian stakeholders in an ambiguous environment, problem solving and delivering commercial solutions often at pace with competing priorities. You will need excellent communication skills and the ability to refine complex technical advice into a singular, tailored message for multiple audiences, with varying levels of subject matter knowledge. This role is about problem solving, predominately of Cat D requirements, and the ability to think of quick, innovative and compliant mechanisms to deliver the operationally imperative requirement, whilst juggling risk like security, location, funding etc…

Person specification

The successful candidate must perform in the position quickly and without the need for significant improvement therefore they must have:

• Experience working Defence or have an understanding of how Defence does its business.
• Experience working in a commercial role with a comprehensive understanding of public procurement routes to market for requirements ranging in value, complexity and sensitivity.
• Exceptional leadership qualities and know how to bring the best out of people, developing and supporting individuals and the team
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to refine complex technical advice into a singular, tailored message for multiple audiences, with varying levels of subject matter knowledge.
• The ability to work in an ambiguous environment, problem solving and delivering commercial solutions often at pace with competing priorities.
• The ability to assess information rapidly, seek clarity or additional information where necessary and articulate needs or processes in a way that is understood by the diverse stakeholder audience
• Line Management Experience
• Excellent organisational skills; being able to record and track data and MI, manage a busy pipeline of activity and ensure commercial compliance via audit trails
  
  

Responsibilities

As part of this role, your key responsibilities will be:

• Lead and develop a dispersed commercial team of 4 HEOs and Graduate to ensure a consistent and value-added approach is adopted in their engagement with customers and stakeholders
• Lead and support the team with your commercial expertise in drafting, issuing, and evaluating tenders whilst working collaboratively with the wider Strategic Command Commercial team on best practice and lessons learned.
• Ensure compliance to PA23 ensuring stakeholders and team understand their responsibilities
• Support in providing a Commercial service to Contract Management and the re-procurement for critical contracts such as Global Interpreters Contract and Operational Support Capability Contract
• Develop an understanding of the customer challenges and how the unique political landscape and sensitivities of each customer location and Host Nation impacts the procurement strategy whilst proactively navigating policy to successfully deliver solutions.
• Develop a network across Defence including other Front Line Commands, Government Departments, Crown Commercial Services and Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office to enable better stakeholder engagement.
• Provide a confident approach to Risk Management. Balancing commercial risk v operational risk v resources v priorities in the pursuit of efficient solutions.
• Ensure accurate Management Information
• Actively seek out and promote ‘Commercial Awareness’ opportunities.
• Act as a role model, mentor and leader for others, developing the team to get the best of out each individual.
  
  

The role will involve regular travel to Northwood and travel overseas.

Essential Criteria

• The successful candidate must provide evidence of CIPS level 4 (or equivalent) or be willing to work towards this by commencing study within one year of appointment.
• The successful candidate must have experience working within Commercial
  
  

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Developing Self and Others
  
  

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

• Communicating and Influencing
  
  

Technical skills

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

• Sourcing – Executing the Sourcing Strategy (Practitioner Level)
  
  

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.

UKStratCom Commercial is passionate about delivering excellent commercial outcomes for our customers but we also understand you will have a life outside of work; we respect your priorities, and our industry leading flexible workings practices will give you real freedom to balance work and life. We employ talented people who challenge and guide each other whilst providing a culture of inclusion and diversity.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year.
• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments.
• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing.
• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
  
  

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. 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, 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.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

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.

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.

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.

Stage 1 – Application

To Apply For This Job, Please Submit

CV – A CV outlining your job history, full qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Personal Statement – A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience meet the role description and responsibilities as per the person specification.

Success Profiles: Behaviours -

Communicating and Influencing

Technical Skills -

Sourcing- executing the sourcing strategy

You should ensure that you read and understand the criteria within the Success Profiles: Behaviours and the Commercial Skills and Competency Framework documents and provide evidence of those criteria using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format.

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected

Stage 2 – Sift

We aim to release sift results to applicants 1 to 2 weeks following the closing date. Depending on the volume of applications, these dates may be subject to change.

Stage 3 – Interviews

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to undertake a single virtual video interview which will be conducted via Microsoft Teams and will take around 60 minutes. During the interview we will be asking questions to assess you against the Civil Service Behaviours and Commercial Technical Skills as referenced below.

Success Profiles: Behaviours -

Communicating and Influencing

Leadership

Making Effective Decisions

Developing self and Others

Delivering and Pace

Technical Skills -

Sourcing- executing the sourcing strategy

Interviews are scheduled to take place 3 to 4 weeks after the job advert has closed. These dates may be subject to change depending on the volume of candidates we have to interview.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

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.

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : Katie Hunter
• 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].