Supply Chain Risk Management Lead

Department for Work and Pensions; Manchester; On-site; GBP 56,000; Full time

Job description

Job summary

The Commercial Directorate provides end-to-end procurement and commercial solutions to deliver DWP business providing robust and proportionate review and assurance of DWP’s third party spend. The Supply Chain Risk Management Lead role sits within the Commercial Compliance Team, which is part of the Commercial Operations and Strategy (COS) function. The high-level aims for COS are to:

1. Support the Directorate by providing a strong corporate centre to keep the department safe through effective management of risk, policy and standards compliance and strong proportionate control and assurance frameworks.
2. Deliver Commercial benefits through influence and challenge, policy, process and insight, building capability and driving continuous improvement.
3. Deliver excellence in supply chain management and improve the identification and treatment of commercial/supplier risk.
4. Build professional commercial teams by attracting and retaining great people, from diverse backgrounds, and supporting them to achieve their full potential whilst protecting their wellbeing.
5. Maximise the opportunities presented by Procurement Reform, Social Value and Technology.
6. Embed CD’s Strategic Change programme by supporting delivery of our strategic change objectives and maintaining alignment and enabling the commercial team to support delivery of DWP, GCF and wider Government priorities and functional standards.
7. Meet central reporting and transparency standards and supporting effective decision making through data driven insight.

The Supply Chain Risk Management Lead is responsible for the proactive identification and management of supply chain risks to the Department. This encompasses a range of risk management considerations, including: monitoring adverse events that may have a direct impact on the delivery of DWP services, monitoring of supplier financial health and providing data driven supplier insights, and embedding best practices and reporting supplier risk profile changes to CD.

It is a key requirement of the Supply Chain Risk Management Lead to build knowledge, understanding and intelligence on the supply base, and to recognise what “good” looks like from suppliers in accordance with DWP’s risk appetite.

Job description

In this role you will also be responsible for:

1. Working with the Commercial Compliance Lead in the development and implementation of a robust supplier risk management programme, that strengthens the DWP’s work with suppliers & their supply chains across commercial spend categories.
2. Provide oversight of supply chain security incidents across CD to support Commercial’s consistent management of incidents and ensure risk mitigation across the supply chain where appropriate.
3. Proactive identification of supply chain risks & development and oversight of mitigation of supply chain risks, including through collaboration on effective solutions for process improvements and system implementations.
4. Supporting the Directorate in improving its supply chain resiliency, including advising on and embedding Commercial contingency processes.
5. Maintain and manage supply chain risk monitoring systems.
6. Triaging (including confirmation of impact with the supplier) and analysing supplier and market intelligence from supply chain risk tools for appropriate escalation to stakeholders and contract managers.
7. Monitor, analyse and draw together trends and insights from critical data to form management reporting and drive risk-based decision making. Working with the Commercial Compliance Lead to report & escalate supplier risks outside of appetite to CCO & SPOR.
8. Develop internal and external networks (including x-gov) that promotes collaboration to deliver efficiencies and effective solutions, supports a strong ability to apply judgement to data and build knowledge for when to bring in experts to add value through additional available risk lenses, and enables the sharing of best practice in running a supply chain risk function.

Person specification

You should have:

• Demonstrably strong commercial acumen and understand value for money and how to deliver it.
• A proactive approach and a focus on continuous improvement of self and service, with an appetite to work with others to simplify processes and improve efficiency.
• Ability to identify risks and concerns and identify realistic improvements to address risks in acceptable timeframes for DWP.
• Excellent communication skills to maintain strong internal and external relationships and ability to be persuasive, engaging, and confident when having 1-2-1 dialogue with supplier personnel or other stakeholders, as well as challenging others’ opinions in a professional way if required.
• Experience in influencing, articulating and driving change to processes.
• Demonstrable track record of working at pace in a methodical manner to meet deadlines while remaining agile to adapt to emerging priorities.
• Proficient with all Microsoft 365 productivity applications and ability to work confidently with data held in various formats and on numerous IT platforms, to draw meaning and conclusions from data and present these clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Commitment to being a strong team player and contributing to a culture of collaboration across teams, sharing lessons, and helping others.
• A willingness to grow commercial and risk management expertise and knowledge through personal development and training opportunities.
• Strong commercial acumen - experience of working in commercial/procurement roles across the whole of the commercial life cycle.
• Solution orientated – motivated to look for new opportunities and find new ways of overcoming problems.

It is also desirable that you have:

• Ability to interpret and communicate financial information that could affect suppliers adversely, which could potentially expose DWP to risks in the supply chain.
• An understanding of commercial assurance and supplier compliance regimes.
• Experience of working with suppliers to hold them to account using knowledge of supply chain ethics and governance good practice.
• Good knowledge of the commercial/contractual life-cycle and how to apply it in a risk setting.
• CIPS membership (or equivalent professional assurance/risk qualifications may be considered).

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,557, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £16,094 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial well-being, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and well-being support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

• Complete a CV setting out your employment history.
• Complete a personal statement (maximum of 1250 words) which should demonstrate how you meet all the essential skills as set out in the job description.