Associate Commercial Lead

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) touches the lives of everyone in the UK in some shape or form, delivering services and support to help people find work, assist with a disability or provide support through their retirement. As a key part of DWP, the Commercial Directorate (CD) shapes how services are delivered across their 3rd party contractual arrangements.

What you can expect

If you like to be challenged, you’ll feel at home with us in CD as we’re one of the largest Government Commercial functions, with stretching challenges and opportunities created by using latest innovations to build on our reputation for pushing the Governments agenda in making a difference to the lives of our customers.

Making the Difference

The Estates CategoryCommercial Team within CD supports DWP in the strategic sourcing, procurement and contract management of contracts which find and secure the right buildings for DWP’s operations, including Jobcentre Plus sites and Corporate Centres. Once these buildings are secured, there are other contracts needed to fit out these buildings, furnish them and deliver a range of ongoing services including security and facilities management, to ensure our sites are both a great place to work for colleagues, and for members of the public to visit.

Statement from the Estates Director Category Lead: Jerry Scott
“DWP Estates is a critical and exciting category. We are a team that ensures DWP ’keeps the doors open and the lights on’. Where colleagues develop a deep knowledge of a Government Estates function, increasing your levels of commerciality, operational execution and stakeholder/supplier engagement”.

Job description

Your role will involve supporting the delivery of the entire end-to-end commercial life cycle of essential DWP Estates contracts. You will work as an effective team member to deliver on team objectives, in addition to collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders to instruct works and services with our supply chain delivery partners.

Within the Estates Commercial Category Team, we currently have a strong focus on strategic contract management, supplier performance, commercial assurance and continuous improvement, having recently gone through a series of large procurements, including the c£3bn Workplace Services Programme. You’ll have a key role in shaping commercial outcomes, building effective relationships with stakeholders and suppliers and helping to deliver high-quality public services that make a real difference to our customers and colleagues.

As an Associate Commercial Lead you will provide essential support on a variety of commercial activities for which attention to detail will be key. You will be required to communicate with key stakeholders including regular Supplier led activity to ensure information collected is up to date, accurate allowing senior managers to make informed decisions that affect the category and wider DWP.

You will also support the G7 Commercial Leads in all the necessary commercial activity to enable best value for money solutions are realised, ensuring contact compliance while working closely and in collaboration with stakeholders across DWP.

The Estates Category team pride ourselves on developing the skills of everyone in the team, along with supporting other colleagues, to build a professional commercial community that progresses and supports everyone we work with to grow personal and business capability.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities & Duties

Contract Management

• Ensure that procedures to deal with contract administration, change control, negotiations or variations to the contract are in place and managed, including registered files and e-procurement system Atamis.
• Track and monitor contractual obligations via Atamis and attend stakeholder meetings. Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools – Excel, PowerPoint, Word, SharePoint, Teams.
• Engaging in the commercial governance process and gathering data and evidence to support commercial decision-making.

Other responsibilities for this position include, but are not restricted to:

• Supporting Commercial activity for specific Category initiatives across the full commercial lifecycle (sourcing, contract, performance and relationship management).
• Work as part of a team to provide commercial advice to a wide range of stakeholders to support colleagues with market engagement, sourcing, tendering and a wide range of procurement activities.
• Work as part of a team to manage, engage and communicate with stakeholders at all levels (internal and external) to support the commercial lifecycle, including the development of the ESTATES Business Services strategy for commercial category initiatives.
• Deliver and support the development and collation of commercial reports and responses to Freedom of Information requests and Parliamentary Questions as and when required.
• Work as part of a team to create positive supplier relationships, encouraging innovation, creation of “value add” solutions, and a strong customer service ethic.
• Deliver and support the production and review on governance documents and act as Secretariat for DWP Internal Governance processes as and when required, alongside support to Ministerial, Treasury and Cabinet Office gated submissions.
• Develop and maintain compliant input and records of commercial activity on DWP’s eProcurement solution (which utilises Atamis) within the scope of your daily role.
• Deliver and support the contributions towards supplier cost savings targets, and initiatives that increase efficiency whilst maintaining performance and risk management.
• Drive and support the development, review and execution of contracts including supporting negotiation where required.
• Support stakeholder engagement surrounding more complex contract issues and procurement documents.
• Play an active part in supporting Commercial Directorate values and culture.
• Drive and support the ongoing development of, and continuing delivery of Continuous Improvement across all commercial activities & processes, reporting, governance and ways of working.

Overarching responsibilities

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, Value for Money and commercial outcomes.
• Support the use of data and insight to inform decision-making and measure improvements.
• Share best practice and lessons learned to support continuous development across the team.
• Contribute to the timely delivery of category and CD objectives, ensuring all necessary processes, including formal stakeholder engagement and approvals are completed through appropriate governance.
• Remain flexible to support changing business priorities and wider commercial objectives.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

The application process will involve uploading a tailored CV and personal statement. To be successful you must demonstrate your experience matching ALL of the essential skills listed below in your personal statement. Further information is available under ‘Selection process’.

Stakeholder Management, Engagement & Communication (SMEC)

• Provide evidence of previous experience of working collaboratively and partnering across a range of stakeholders where you ha