Commercial & Grants Assurance Lead

Sarah Hamilton, Deputy Director ICS Commercial:

We are looking for a commercial professional to join Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) Commercial Assurance at a time of real growth and change. This role offers the opportunity to influence high-value, high-profile decisions across complex commercial activity, major investment proposals and grant schemes.

ICS is a shared services organisation that provides expert corporate services across government. Our commercial teams support the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and a range of partner organisations. As demand for our services continues to grow, commercial assurance plays a critical role in helping teams make well-evidenced decisions, manage risk effectively and secure strong outcomes for the public.

Within the Commercial Assurance team, you will work across a varied portfolio that includes strategic programmes, digital delivery, grants and investment decisions. You will provide independent scrutiny, practical advice and constructive challenge, helping to shape stronger business cases, clearer governance and better commercial strategies. The role offers wide exposure, senior stakeholder engagement and the chance to contribute to some of the most important decisions across our partner departments.

If you are motivated by working at pace, dealing with complexity and improving how organisations make commercial decisions, this is an excellent opportunity to make a visible impact on a collaborative and purpose-driven team.

In this role, you will provide assurance for grant and commercial transactions above 10 million, including new grants, contracts and contract changes across the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and partner organisations.

You will work closely with teams developing business cases and commercial strategies, offering advice, challenge and practical support to help them build robust proposals. This is a key role in ensuring that complex commercial and investment decisions are well-governed, evidence-based and deliver value for money.

Reporting to the Head of Commercial Assurance, you will be part of a small specialist team of 4 handling cases with a combined value of more than 3 billion last year. The work is varied and high-profile, with opportunities to contribute across a wide range of programmes, projects and grant activity.

We are looking for someone with strong commercial judgement, experience across the commercial lifecycle, and the confidence to work through complex issues and challenge constructively at senior levels. Experience of grants is helpful, but not essential.

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.

The successful candidate will:

• Work with stakeholders across the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and their partner organisations to provide advice on grant and commercial strategies, business cases and risk management.
• Lead the review of grant and commercial cases, providing clear scrutiny, constructive challenge and practical recommendations to strengthen proposals before decisions are taken.
• Support teams at an early stage to improve delivery models, value for money and the allocation of commercial risk.
• Prepare high-quality briefing materials and advice for assurance and investment discussions, ensuring that issues, conditions and recommendations are set out clearly.
• Support effective assurance governance, including managing case flow, tracking actions and helping assurance forums (Commercial Assurance and Grants Commercial Assurance Boards) run efficiently.
• Build strong working relationships with customers, delivery teams and assurance partners, providing consistent and credible commercial advice.
• Work with central controls and assurance colleagues to ensure cases meet the right standards and are progressed at the right time.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying themes, improving processes and supporting wider capability, policy and sustainability priorities.