Deputy Director for Commercial Operations (Strategy, Architecture, Standards and Data)

Job summary

As the Deputy Director for Commercial Operations (Strategy, Architecture, Standards and Data), you will be the strategic anchor for the central Commercial Strategy, Standards, and Data team. You will support the Director for the Strategy, Assurance and Standards directorate (SAS) to lead the vision for the Strategy, Assurance, and Standards directorate, acting as an ambassador for the centre during a period of significant organisational change.

You will be responsible for driving the agreed operating model, ensuring that our approach to continuous improvement is systemic rather than transactional.

By providing high-level direction (acting as the intelligent client function) and owning critical decisions, you empower your Grade 6 leads to focus on deep-level delivery within their respective portfolios. You will provide a key ‘filteration’ role, in doing so you will protect the team, provide clarity, manage pressure, and foster trust.

Job description

The DD for Commercial Strategy, Standards and Data will report directly to the Director for the Strategy, Assurance and Standards team (SCS2/Senior Commercial Specialist) and will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

The Commercial Strategy, Standards and Data team comprises 11 FTE.

You will act as the vital conduit between the G6 portfolio leads and the SAS Director, ensuring that our work on Commercial Standards, Strategy and Governance, and Digital and Data innovation is cohesive, aligned with ministerial priorities, and effectively integrated with the evolving Government Commercial Agency (GCA) and Government Commercial and Grants (GC&G) Group landscape.

Furthermore, you will provide strategic leadership and support to the devolved nations, ensuring our commercial standards and frameworks remain robust within the context of HMT RESET, evolving commercial controls, increased delegations, and the implementation of revised controls testing and assurance processes.

You will be responsible for defining and driving the strategic direction of the Government Commercial Function Strategy (2026-29) ensuring its alignment with the vision to ‘Create Value for the Nation’

The role will provide senior leadership in the governance of the function, translating the functional business plan into tangible outcomes across People, Digital, and Growth and ensuring that the Function is working in tandem with the other professions and functions across HMG.

A core requirement of the role is to act as the senior owner of commercial standards (GovS 008) and the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework (CCIAF), driving their adoption across Central Government and Arms Length Bodies.

This ownership integrates the principles of these standards into the Controls reform work, ensuring the commercial function can effectively: build capability, challenge best practice, and rigorously assess organisational performance and functional maturity.

Furthermore, you serve as the ‘Intelligent Client Function’ for commercial data, overseeing the performance metrics and analytical systems that provide a ‘source of truth.’ This enables you to provide authoritative advice to the Government Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO) and hold departments to account for value for money and continuous performance improvement working in conjunction with the GCA on delivery/prioritisation and business case development.

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

• Be amongst the most senior members of the Government Commercial Function and play a role in the broader commercial reform programme led by the Government Chief Commercial Officer;
• Play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong commercial function for the GCF SAS and across government.

Technical skills

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

• Enterprise risk management experience using the 3-lines-of-defence model, with proven knowledge of third-party supply chain and commercial risk practices aligned with the HMT Orange Book.
• Proven "Intelligent Client Function" for commercial data to advise the GCCO. Uses data insights to reduce risks, drive up standards and adoption, and deliver positive outcomes.
• Demonstrates commercial acumen with a track record delivering HMG multi-year strategies, enterprise architecture frameworks, and risk governance. Skilled in PCR2015/Procurement Act 2023 and leading GMPP/MPLA delivery.
• Drives GovS 008 and CCIAF adoption to build maturity while mentoring teams & fostering inclusive culture. Proven leader of high-tempo Private Office units and complex redesigns, maintaining delivery momentum under pressure.
• Proven ability to act as the central voice, effectively communicating team value and positioning strategic vision to senior stakeholders, including Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.
• Proven ability to shape and drive strategic direction for the Government Commercial Function Strategy (2026-29), converting business plans into measurable outcomes across core priority areas

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.

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

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-benefits/

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.

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