Commercial Practitioner

Location: Liverpool/Norwich/Newport/Birmingham

Term: Permanent

Hours: Full Time/Compressed/Part Time

Closing Date: 25/09/24

Do you want to progress your career in the UK’s largest public sector procurement organisation? If so, you will have the chance to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join a newly created function within the Commercial Directorate; the New Product Development Team (NPD).

NPD has been established to allow real focus on:

1. Embedding the new portfolio management process, working cross functionally with teams and directorates across CCS to implement the process to ensure the products and services we offer meet our customers' needs both now and in the future.
2. Centrally track and manage the Product and Service opportunities (the commercial pipeline).
3. Conduct portfolio analysis to identify new opportunities.
4. Work with an external delivery partner to develop and drive the strategy for a new, innovative and ambitious Tail solution and other digital capabilities that make accessing catalogues easier for our customers to navigate.
5. Create a capability to focus on innovation, liaising with the supply market to understand what new innovation is emerging so that CCS can be at the forefront of adopting new technologies.

Commercial Directorate overview

Commercial is the largest directorate in CCS and is responsible for the design, development, implementation and management of our commercial agreements, which are used by our customers across the public sector. We have delivered value to the public sector and helped our customers spend more than £34 billion through the agreements we create and enjoy more than £3.5 billion in commercial benefits annually through our agreements.

Category management sits at the heart of CCS. We use our in-depth knowledge and expertise of public sector suppliers to create market and category strategies. These strategies are used within CCS to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector. Our skills are also used in carrying out commercial policy, development of new products and services and supplier relationship management.

Team Summary

Join the team at the start of our journey and get involved in some exciting projects.

The team is currently a small, but expanding team that operates over three distinct areas:

1. Channels - responsible for the development and management of our digital product and service offering.
2. Portfolio Management - responsible for managing our product and service offering to ensure that it is fit for purpose, removes duplication and makes our products and services easier for customers to access.
3. New products and Innovation - responsible for triaging and identifying gaps in the CCS portfolio, as well as working with the supply market to understand new innovations.

Key Accountabilities:

1. An exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of establishing the New Product Development Unit which is the key CCS Commercial hub for development of strategy and delivery of new self-service routes to market, aiding Public Sector customers through utilisation of the supply market.
2. To be the key interface for the Commercial Category teams with the wider CCS organisation to design, implement and direct the future commercial portfolio for products and services that fall below commercial thresholds.
3. Engaging routinely with stakeholders from CCS, across government and supplier organisations to drive the CCS tail Spend strategy going forwards. Attend various governance boards where necessary and design authority groups.
4. Assist the business plan target to increase the delivery of spend related commercial benefits in excess of £3.3b each year.
5. Support the development of (digital first) solutions to help the delivery of portfolio products that don’t meet return on investment thresholds.
6. Develop a deep awareness of how technology can be used to improve customer access to our products and develop strategies to simplify buying.
7. Be involved in the development of market knowledge through user research and collaboration with customers, suppliers and across relevant teams within CCS, applying these learnings to create a deep comprehension of customer requirements.
8. Support creation of business cases for new commercial agreements within the category, ensure effective adherence to governance processes for procurement activity and project delivery.
9. Ensure customers, government policy objectives, commercial strategy and procurement best practice are at the heart of digital solution development.

Essential Criteria (to be assessed on application):

1. Proven experience in a Commercial role handling Contracts and Suppliers.
2. Strong team player – able to work collaboratively within a diverse team in a fast-paced environment to deliver high performance.
3. Problem solving experience. You should have; a keen eye for detail, aiming to achieve solutions to problems and experience of collaborative working on complex projects.
4. Using good communication techniques you actively build, maintain and sustain relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders and oversee stakeholder relationships effectively.
5. You are able to identify and ensure all necessary reports are produced for all meetings and robust meeting minutes recorded.

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

You will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

1. Communicating and Influencing.
2. Working Together.
3. Managing a Quality Service.
4. Delivering at Pace.

What we will offer you, here are some of the benefits you can expect:

1. A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus.
2. Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location.
3. Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays.

Explore fully how we will reward your work.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is.

CCS is a flexible business with a smarter working model where our colleagues benefit from a mix of home and office working. Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed. Our current office attendance approach requires a minimum of 26 days per quarter (approx 2 days per week, which may be subject to change) in CCS office locations or off site meetings with suppliers, customers, partners, networking / industry events. This is pro rata for those who work part time. Our smarter working principles mean that our people have the advantage of both office and offsite based collaboration and learning, as well as working from home. This way of working allows us to honour our commitment to being a responsible business, offer flexibility and better work life balance as well as ensuring we deliver our business with confidence and in accordance with our CCS values.

Selection Process

Candidates who are successful at sift will be contacted as soon as possible following the closing date and advised of the interview process in more detail. The sift and interviews dates and times are to be confirmed. (Subject to change)

To find out more about our recruitment process please click here

Please note: Applicants can make use of artificial intelligence but the information presented at application must be factual.

A reserve list may be held for up to 6 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Complaints procedure

Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk.