IT Commercial Director (Senior Commercial Specialist) , HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

Job summary

HMRC sits at the heart of the UK economy, collecting more than £900 billion in tax revenues each year to fund vital public services across the UK. Serving millions of customers and operating one of the most complex environments in government, HMRC is undertaking one of the most significant technology transformation programmes in the public sector.

Job description

As IT Commercial Director and Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, you will lead HMRC’s IT Commercial function, providing commercial leadership across major technology transformation programmes and critical operational services. You will shape strategic sourcing decisions, oversee major technology contracts and supplier relationships, and lead a portfolio with annual expenditure exceeding £1 billion.

Person specification

We are seeking an exceptional commercial leader with experience leading large-scale technology and digital transformation programmes, managing major technology procurement portfolios, influencing executive stakeholders, leading complex negotiations, and developing high-performing commercial teams.

This is a full-time, permanent role.

Technical skills

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

• Significant experience leading commercial strategy for large-scale technology and digital transformation programmes within complex organisations, delivering transformation,innovation, operational improvement and sustainable business value.
• A proven track record of developing and executing commercial strategies, demonstrating sound commercial judgement and balanced decisionmaking in complex, high-profile and ambiguous environments (full criterion in the attached pack)
• Extensive experience managing large-scale technology procurement portfolios, including infrastructure, cloud services, enterprise applications, data platforms, contact centre technologies and strategic supplier partnerships
• Exceptional ability to build trusted relationships and influence board-level stakeholders, executive technology leaders and senior supplier executives, driving alignment and successful commercial outcomes.
• Strong experience leading strategic negotiations and managing complex supplier relationships across large-scale technology environments, delivering commercial value, performance improvement and long-term partnership benefits.
• Significant experience leading sizeable commercial, procurement or supplier management teams, with a strong commitment to developing talent, building organisational capability (full criterion in the attached pack)

Benefits

Kindly refer to the following link for the GCF Rewards and benefits page.

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 experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Odgers Executive Search are partnering with HMRC on this campaign. To apply for the role please follow this link odgers.com/96617. You will be asked for some basic information (including diversity information and confirming your right to work in the UK) in order to register your interest in the vacancy.

Your CV should set out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements.

The Statement of Suitability should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role. Please pay specific attention to addressing the Essential Criteria as detailed in this candidate pack. We recommend keeping your Statement of Suitability to a maximum of two pages.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact the recruitment hub on [email removed]

For a conversation in confidence, please contact: Lucy Harding: [email removed] or Anna Dickinson: [email removed]

The closing date for this role is 9 September 2026.

Application sift

All applications will be reviewed by the selection panel who will consider the evidence provided by candidates against the essential criteria for the role.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback for candidates rejected at this stage due to volumes, but all candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application.

Candidates successful at the sift stage will progress to the Assessment and Development Centre Stage.

Virtual Assessment and Development Centre (ADC)

Virtual Assessment and Development Centre (ADC): 6 October 2026 – Please ensure availability as alternative dates cannot be guaranteed.

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 [email removed] 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.

Commercial Assessment and Development Centre (ADC)

Applicants must have achieved an ‘A’ at a Government Commercial Function Assessment and Development Centre (ADC) at the level of the role, or be willing and eligible to attend the ADC.

‘A’ grade candidates will be eligible to be invited to attend a final panel interview subject to short listing decisions which will take into account other information from the candidate’s application.

Candidates who have already attended an ADC and not achieved an A, must be eligible to retake.

Any participant scoring a B (Need for Development) or C (Significant Need for Development):

• Will not be invited to attend a final panel interview for this post.
• May re-sit the Assessment Centre at the same level or higher (for another recruitment campaign) after a minimum period of 6 months and a maximum of once in a 24-month period.
• All candidates may sit the Assessment Centre at a lower specialist level without time restriction.

Please note that if you commit to attend an Assessment Centre and subsequently cancel or fail to attend on three occasions in a 12-month period, you will be unable to attend any further Assessment Centre dates within a 12 month rolling period.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed wh