JOB SUMMARY

Can you proactively engage with stakeholders to understand their needs, provide expert commercial advice, and support governance that ensure compliant and effective contract management?
Do you have the skills to manage commercial risk, maintain accurate contract data, and ensure all activity aligns with public sector obligations and best practice?
Have you developed your leadership capability and are ready to take on broader corporate responsibilities, including team development and managerial duties?
If so, we’d love to hear from you!
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) plays a vital role in keeping Britain’s roads safe and efficient. We are responsible for the registration and licensing of drivers in Great Britain and vehicles across the UK, as well as the collection and enforcement of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Our work ensures that only qualified drivers and correctly taxed vehicles are on the road.
Our key responsibilities include issuing photocard driving licences and vehicle registration certificates, recording driver endorsements and medical conditions, and taking enforcement action against tax evaders. We also register and issue tachograph cards, sell personalised registrations, and support law enforcement by providing crucial data to police and intelligence services. In addition, we offer anonymised data services to authorised users, helping inform public and private sector decision-making.
At DVLA, we are committed to delivering services that are simple, secure, and efficient—making a difference to millions of people every day.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!
Find out more about what it’s like working at DVLA.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As a Commercial Practitioner, you’ll support the Associate Commercial Lead in delivering compliant, effective commercial activity across the Agency. You’ll provide expert advice to business areas, support strong commercial governance, and manage contracts in line with best practice and government policy. You’ll also identify and escalate commercial risks, maintain key management information, and work closely with internal and external stakeholders. This role includes wider corporate responsibilities, including team development and contributing to the Agency’s strategic commercial goals.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• To proactively engage with business areas in order to understand their needs, providing commercial advice and guidance, and to ensure that the contract management activity is undertaken in line with Best Practice.
• To implement commercial strategies with stakeholders, which deliver business requirements in a compliant manner to deliver optimum outcomes.
• To ensure compliance with the Agency’s commercial obligations as a Public Body.
• To identify and escalate perceived and relevant areas of commercial risk for all contracts within scope of the category.
• To provide and maintain accurate management information pertinent to the successful management and delivery of the category portfolio.
• To work with internal and external stakeholders to understand the needs of the business and wider cross-government strategies, providing commercial support across the category portfolio.
• Develop an awareness of own and staff’s strengths, skill gaps and career aspirations and understands how to build capability.
• To undertake corporate managerial responsibilities commensurate with the grade e.g. recruitment, grievance, and disciplinary cases.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.
For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

WORKING HOURS, OFFICE ATTENDANCE AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.
Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.
This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.
The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.
If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• GCF Contract Management Professional Standards A2 – Relationships and Leadership Capability A2 (Foundation)
• GCF Contract Management Professional Standards - B5 Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement (Practitioner)

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)
• 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

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• To proactively engage with business areas in order to understand their needs, providing commercial advice and guidance, and to ensure that the contract management activity is undertaken in line with Best Practice.
• To implement commercial strategies with stakeholders, which deliver business requirements in a compliant manner to deliver optimum outcomes.
• To ensure compliance with the Agency’s commercial obligations as a Public Body.
• To identify and escalate perceived and relevant areas of commercial risk for all contracts within scope of the category.
• To provide and maintain accurate management information pertinent to the successful management and delivery of the category portfolio.
• To work with internal and external stakeholders to understand the needs of the business and wider cross-government strategies, providing commercial support across the category portfolio.
• Develop an awareness of own and staff’s strengths, skill gaps and career aspirations and understands how to build capability.
• To undertake corporate managerial responsibilities commensurate with the grade e.g. recruitment, grievance, and disciplinary cases

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft, review, and refine contractual documents with clarity and precision. You should be confident handling urgent queries professionally via email and telephone, often in time-sensitive or business critical contexts.
• Excellent attention to detail, particularly in reviewing legal and commercial agreements, ensuring accuracy and compliance. A strong customer service ethos is essential to deliver high-quality support and foster positive experiences for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including internal stakeholders, legal teams, and external contacts. You should be comfortable managing competing priorities and maintaining a responsive, solutions-focused approach to complex requests and post-contract queries