Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Manchester M1 2WD, Nottingham, Birmingham, Leeds. Occasional travel to other sites for meetings is required. A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance. About the job Job summary The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the governments office estate. We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for tax payers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our commercial team. Representing the best covenant in the UK His Majestys Government we are leading transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme, and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern, cost-effective real estate service solutions. Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. And were dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service. Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces. Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you will help to shape our future direction. Job description We are looking for a Commercial Policy Lead to join our team who will play a critical role in developing and delivering commercial policy, guidance, a commercial toolkit, upskill and inform and support commercial colleagues on emerging issues and work with our governance structure to ensure compliance. You will work closely with other commercial leads in the team to provide a joined-up approach to commercial performance. The implementation of the Procurement Act 2023 will mean that you will be at the heart of implementation of the new act alongside supporting PCR 2015. You will work closely with Cabinet Office and drive forward improvements that increase compliance with CO Commercial spend Controls and develop a commercial tool kit and policies that bring all of these elements together. Your role will support the delivery of an end-to-end progressive scrutiny model from Business Case review, through the whole procurement lifecycle, as cases progress through internal Governance and onwards through CO Commercial Spend Control approval process. This position provides a unique opportunity to gain insight into a diverse range of procurements, across different categories and complexities, building a strong risk mindset and commercial knowledge. The post holder will become the focal point for driving commercial policy into GPA, providing expert advice and guidance. Important: Applicants must be either CIPS qualified or working towards, willing to work towards to be eligible to remain in this post. You will line manage a commercial support officer. Support the development of the commercial toolkit and supporting policies. Oversee the design, implementation and integration of the commercial toolkit ensuring it integrates with existing systems and processes. Ensure prevailing and new procurement legislation requirements are sufficiently understood across Commercial GPA to be applied. Be responsible for linking up with relevant cross-government commercial policy forums to ensure GPA is aligned and implementing emerging changes. Nurture relationships with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders to benefit the role and wider GPA activity. Identifying key trends or tackling points of concern within your portfolio, for example lessons learned, capability development, and training. Ensure commercial policy, guidance and toolkits can support commercial activity and any reporting needs. Lead initiatives to deliver improvements, including ideas for innovation and bringing your experience to this area. Work with users to ensure delivery and improvements meet not only user needs but align with the commercial lifecycle, compliance reporting, and Cabinet Office Central Digital Platforms. Drive continuous improvement and underpin commercial performance reporting and dashboards for a range of stakeholders including senior management. Act as a commercial policy expert for the commercial team and provide clear direction when possible. Supporting the team on procurements and contractual matters, as they arise, providing guidance and advice to colleagues. Ensure that commercial systems support delivery compliant and effective commercial policy and support of the full commercial lifecycle. Ensure data quality and management information usage across GPA commercial and the wider GPA agency accurately reflects commercial policy and wider compliance requirements. Develop and deliver training and/or guidance to build the agencies and users capabilities and skills. Producing guidance, How-Do-I guides or videos to support understanding and self-service against commercial policy. Provide outstanding leadership, enabling effective delivery and supporting professional and personal development. Contribute to creating a great workplace, championing diversity and inclusive ways of working. This role will be responsible for ensuring commercial policy and toolkits, governance and compliance is adopted and becomes business as usual. The role will also support specific initiatives defined by the Head of COO and Finance Commercial. These could cover contract management, governance, category management, blueprints and new emerging policy direction. In this role, you will be required to act on your own initiative, lead and drive your portfolio of projects and services, and engage and influence key stakeholders within your areas of responsibility. You will be expected to maintain solid relationships and provide advice and guidance on commercial best practices across the Commercial Directorate and wider department. Locations The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace. Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance. This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities. Person specification Key Responsibilities The COO and Finance Commercial Team are at the heart of the commercial function GPA. We are driving transformational change that underpins and supports the GPA-wide Commercial Teams. The GPA commercial activity is growing in confidence and maturity as it develops and strengthens its commercial remit. This team offers the opportunity to drive and make change often implementing processes and systems where they have not previously existed. You will need to be self-motivated, have an enquiring mindset and understand a range of commercial activity to apply that knowledge practically and pragmatically. You will need to be a team player and work with a range of stakeholders both internally and externally to drive change and innovation. The remit of the team is both transformative and operationally critical, providing support to a range of GPA teams including HR, Legal, Marketing & Comms, Strategic Performance and Corporate Security. This strategic position within the GPA Corporate environment provides opportunities to build close relationships with teams and gain insight to the strategic direction of GPA. The successful candidate will: Essential Criteria Able to demonstrate your expertise in developing, designing, and implementing commercial policy, toolkits and guidance. Demonstrable experience in compliance evaluation and experienced in delivering within large-scale transformation. Demonstrable experience in leading change and transformation from a commercial policy perspective. Ability to present, communicate and disseminate new information and data appropriately and with high impact. Experience in selecting the appropriate medium to visualise commercial policy and guidance to engage and bring to live commercial policy, guidance, and toolkits. Strong commercial skills. Have a good understanding of the commercial lifecycle and commercial acumen. Demonstrable experience of stakeholder management and building strong and collaborative relationships cross-functionally. Strong verbal communication skills with the ability to challenge assumptions and explain technical issues to stakeholders without the use of jargon. Experience balancing competing priorities/demands and working to tight deadlines. Experience in leading development of a range of clear and engaging products to support the commercial community. Ability to use judgment to take a considered approach to situations, risks or emerging new information. Most importantly, we are looking for people with the right personal qualities: enthusiasm, energy, proactive, and self-motivation while being flexible and adaptive to a demanding and changing environment. Desirable Criteria Knowledge of Government Commercial Policies. Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Assertive: Can demonstrate strong leadership capability, being able to illustrate how to successfully lead/influence a team who do not directly report to you. Resilient: Resilience in resolving issues. Implements change at all levels, improves the value service offer by working with parties to identify and overcome challenges. Builds confidence in teams, encouraging them to develop & improve. Builds Relationships: Proven experience in influencing Senior Internal and External Stakeholders, also evidencing stakeholder management. Strategy and Policy Development: Secures and involves the right stakeholders & partners in making recommendations or decisions Leverages users to gain insight & support development & strategies & policies for commercial systems. Benefits As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK. For existing Civil Servants: For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack. Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills. Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 1st April 2025 and will require a full day's attendance. If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team at commercialresourcinghubcabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates. Details of schemes available are attached in the advert. For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the explanation provided in the attached candidate pack. Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the essential criteria for the role which are detailed in the attached Candidate Pack. Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role. IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghubcabinetoffice.gov.uk Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. 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) (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Hayley Parfitt Email : commercialresourcinghubcabinetoffice.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : commercialresourcinghubcabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should direct this to the Head of Commercial Resourcing Hub at the following email commercialresourcinghubcabinetoffice.gov.uk quoting the vacancy reference number (if applicable) and the details of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission via the following web page: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/ Attachments 389234 - Candidate Pack - Commercial Policy Lead.docx Opens in new window (pdf, 742kB) Guaranteed Interview Schemes (GIS) Opens in new window (pdf, 70kB) Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn