Commercial Officer

On behalf of The Home Office, we are looking for a Commercial Officer (Inside IR35) for a 6 month contract based remotely.

The first duty of Government is to protect the public. Since 1782, the Home Office has led work to keep the country safe from those who seek to do it harm; in doing so, we make a vital contribution to HM Government's plan for a stronger, fairer, outward-looking and united Britain.

The Home Office covers three systems: Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Borders, Immigration, and Citizenship. These systems work collaboratively to deliver our cross-cutting priorities, whilst providing increasingly efficient and secure services for the public. These are difficult areas that can rapidly change in the global environment we work in - this makes us one of the most exciting and stimulating government departments in which to work.

This role will support the delivery of the end-to-end commercial lifecycle for a wide variety of requirements. This could include supporting the delivery of new Home Office policies and re-procuring existing services; drafting sourcing options and preparing statements of requirements; delivering the procurement process, including using framework agreements; supporting the development of category strategies; and contract and supplier management.

Responsibilities

1. Support procurement activities and support complex and strategic procurements, that conform to the Home Office policies and assurance processes and which comply fully with procurement law.
2. Produce procurement plans for goods and services, working collaboratively with Commercial colleagues and the relevant Home Office business unit.
3. Provide options and opportunities from a commercial perspective looking at aspects such as developing requirements, options analysis for routes to market, risks, benefits and Social Value.
4. Build and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view on the needs of the business and target outcomes.
5. Work with business colleagues and external suppliers to ensure that contracts are closely monitored and all milestones are delivered as required, with funds released as appropriate.
6. Provide commercial guidance to peers or senior colleagues that draws on relevant procurement legislation, policy, information, supply market knowledge, and commercial experience.
7. Ensure that savings are identified, understood, recorded and managed at all stages of the procurement and contract management.
8. Commercially support delivery of a range of high profile and business critical commercial arrangements that support the operational and strategic objectives of the Home Office in line with procurement legislation, current government commercial best practice and procurement law.
9. Support Operational Contract Monitoring teams with the day to day monitoring and management of contracts including identification and implementation of efficiency initiatives through controlled contract variation.
10. Capture and maintain auditable performance information and logs; produce Management Information/reports for key stakeholders to support commercial delivery; ensuring they are stored and managed correctly.
11. Identify and manage commercial risks and maintain contract risk logs, ensuring significant risks are escalated to senior management.
12. Manage general enquiries and provide advice about commercial processes; flexible and willing to support colleagues within commercial and the wider Home Office in relation to, the Public Contract Regulations (2015) and the Procurement Act (2023), contract management strategies and act as the interface with the wider commercial community/legal teams.

Minimum Requirements

Essential:

1. Experience of working in a procurement team or contract management team and a good understanding of commercial best practice.
2. Experience using Jaggaer.
3. Experience of working with third party suppliers, charities or Voluntary Sector organisations to deliver goods or services.
4. Excellent organisational skills in order to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
5. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
6. A level of innovation and drive to deliver opportunities to drive value from Home Office requirements.
7. Active SC clearance.

Desirable:

1. G-Cloud or IT procurement experience.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the Home Office guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Home Office guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs.