JOB SUMMARY

The Roads Commercial Relationship Management team sits in the Group Commercial Directorate of DfT, consisting of a G6, 2.5 G7 (including this role), an SEO, a HEO and a commercial apprentice. The previous post holder retired at the end of 2024 and we are now recruiting to that role. The team offers end to end commercial and procurement advice to policy colleagues across the Roads and Decarbonisation portfolios. We also offer strategic advice and support to our agencies and Arm’s Length Bodies, particularly in assisting with controls and governance on major capital projects. We manage the DfT relationship with Crown Commercial Services. You will play a key role in leading and developing the team building on our outstanding track record of supporting and enabling more junior colleagues to progress.
You will work on some of the most exciting and important DfT projects. Our most recent projects include assuring the £25bn Roads Investment Strategy; improving traffic resilience in Kent enabling both passengers and freight to travel to and from Europe; the National Travel Survey which informs HMG transport policy; developing a Revenue Certainty Mechanism for sustainable aviation fuel; enabling the £3 bus fare cap; supporting cycling and walking infrastructure; electric vehicle charging infrastructure; autonomous (driverless) vehicles; and zero emission buses. As with most commercial teams we also procure advisers; this could include engineers, technical specialists, researchers and consultants. The pace is fast but the work is interesting with a varied portfolio and you will find the team welcoming and supportive.
You will be encouraged and supported in your own professional and personal development through a personal development plan tailored to you. Team members have for example participated in IPA reviews, fast stream assessment centres and been embedded for short periods in major capital projects. Our team priorities include providing a responsive service to policy colleagues, supporting wider GCO and HMG policies (e.g. introduction of PA23) and ensuring a diverse workplace where all feel valued and confident to bring their whole self to work.
This is a commercial role that offers challenges, variety of portfolio and a real opportunity to enable HMG transport policy, if that sounds like you, we’d love to have a conversation with you.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Recruitment of this role will bring the team to full complement of 7 team members. The role does not currently have direct line management responsibilities but that could change over time. You will however be expected and encouraged to lead in the development of more junior staff. We operate in a flexible manner with the workload shared appropriately. Personal preferences for pieces of work, e.g. procuring the Blue Badge scheme are accommodated as much as possible. Your workload will vary between taking the lead on more strategic projects and procurements to supporting, advising and enabling other team members on more routine work.
Our customers are varied, some projects being led by Directors or Deputy Directors, others being led by more junior staff; all are equally important to us. Involvement with Ministers is usually led by our policy colleagues but you will sometimes find yourself briefing Ministers, Special Advisors and the most senior civil servants. You will also develop relationships with our key suppliers running market engagement sessions, fielding queries and questions and occasionally assisting when contracts are not fully delivering and need commercial support to get back on track.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• Ability to analyse commercial risks and understand margins of error in developing recommendations for Customers and/or key stakeholders
• Experience of having had a leading role in complex commercial activities, with demonstrable experience across the commercial lifecycle
• The ability to challenge senior stakeholder decisions, work under pressure, and deliver multiple projects within agreed timescales. This is particularly important in ensuring there is an appropriate justification for a direct award
• Experience advising on the most appropriate route to market, whether that is via an existing framework or a fully open competitive procedure
• Experience in the development of strategies for high value/risk, critical/complex procurements and playing a leading role in the implementation and end to end delivery of these.

IMPORTANT: IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION WITHIN 2 WORKING DAYS PLEASE CONTACT: COMMERCIALRESOURCINGHUB@CABINETOFFICE.GOV.UK

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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

Commercial