Director General for Commercial and Growth

Job summary

We are seeking an exceptional leader to take on the role of Director General for Commercial and Growth. This is one of the Department’s most senior advisors, currently reporting into the Permanent Secretary and will have a professional functional reporting line into the Government Chief Commercial Officer. They will be a core member of the new Joint Executive and single Departmental Executive.

Job description

Reporting to the Permanent Secretary the Director General for Commercial and Growth will be a key member of the Departmental Executive Committee, responsible for developing and delivering the commercial and growth strategy for the health and care system and supporting the uptake of safe, ethical and effective innovations and technologies across the health and care system.

You will be responsible for leading the Department’s commercial and growth strategy, overseeing market engagement, investment promotion, and major delivery programmes that unlock economic potential and improve health and care services. You will lead the provision of commercial support, advice, and oversight to the health and care sector. You will also be responsible for core commercial activity undertaken directly by the Department.

Specifically, you will take on all the Departmental functions on medicine and medical care and technology. This includes leading commercial negotiations and ensuring supply chain resilience.

You will have the unique opportunity of shaping the future organisation as the Department of Health and Social Care incorporates the functions previously carried out by NHS England into a new entity. This will include bringing together core commercial functions whilst building new capabilities to deliver ambitious new commercial partners that will pave the way for the rapid adoption of technology and innovation. Throughout your work you will focus on efficiency savings and creating a new operating model that empowers local systems. You will lead the Group through the transition process as NHS England staff move into the Department of Health and Social Care. This will include designing the new end state structure to ensure that it will meet ministerial priorities and deliver the benefits envisaged for our citizens and communities through the organisational redesign.

It is envisaged that in this new department of state, you will manage a group of dedicated and dynamic employees, creating a collaborative, cohesive and highly performing team, based across our two head offices of London and Leeds and a range of regional offices. You will have a wider leadership and managerial role across the whole organisation working closely with and coaching colleagues from across the organisation – breaking down silos to ensure delivery across all our core organisational functions. You will also be accountable for all budgets in this area. You will ensure that the Department meets all obligations to Parliament.

Person specification

Director General for Commercial and Growth will be required to lead transformation at scale and provide commercial and policy acumen across a changing portfolio and emerging landscape. For this challenge, you will need an enterprise mindset to recognise that success in this role lies in removing barriers to collaboration with partners, encouraging investment and a focus on driving better, more cost-effective results through a culture of continuous improvement and innovation whilst constantly striving for operational excellence.

You will need to be comfortable with your role and responsibilities evolving as the new organisation is formed.

You will bring the drive to deliver the right capabilities; driving economic growth; and increasing our productivity and efficiency. We cannot achieve this alone; we must transform how we work with our partners, and reform our commercial and policy model, to achieve the step-change in delivery pace required. Underpinning the changes is the need to have a strong, capable, and dynamic commercial function that can accelerate the journey of improving, simplifying and expediting procurement, to step change in our front-line services.

Whilst we are not expecting candidates to have expertise across the full scope of this role, you will be someone who understands what modern acquisition looks like and who can step into a complex environment that is politically sensitive. You will be supported by a team rich in expertise and will be adept at leading in ways that allow others to bring the full benefits of their expert and professional skills.

As a senior leader in and employed by the Government Commercial Function, the role is accountable to Permanent Secretary Samantha Jones OBE.

Essential Criteria

LEADERSHIP

• Proven leadership of complex and large-scale commercial activities in either the public or private sector, with evidence of having worked effectively as part of a wider leadership group. Ideally you will hold a fellow membership of a professional body, such as CIPS or the Chartered Institute of Directors.

COLLABORATION

• Experience of operating at Board or Executive level, possessing the impact and gravitas to influence effectively at the most senior levels of an organisation and with a complex network of stakeholders and industry leaders. Proven leadership abilities in building effective relationships with industry to deliver innovation and resilience.

DELIVERY

• Experience of managing the delivery of large portfolios of major capital projects, programmes and policies which may range in value from millions to hundreds of millions (ideally over a £1 billion).

STRATEGIC

• A proven track record of developing commercial strategies and policies for significant, complex procurement challenges that have delivered game-changing solutions.

CHANGE

• The successful delivery of large-scale and complex transformation, efficiency, or business improvement, with the capability of leading an organisation through complex change.

VISION

• The credibility and ability to lead a broad and diverse system and to develop strategies, policies, investment and capabilities that convert into effective implementation based on evidence. Proven experience of leading the development of policy in collaboration with commercial and industry networks in a way that takes account of complex commercial, policy, financial and implementation challenges.

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience in, or working closely with, central government or the NHS.
  
  
• Understanding of the regulatory environments and familiarity with the life sciences, health and medical technology, or medical manufacturing sectors.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and