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Procure Commercial Lead

Civil Service

Job Description

Job summary

The Royal Navy is an organisation with a long and illustrious past and is in a period where it is modernising our capabilities and transforming the way we do business, while continuing to fulfil a busy tempo of operational commitments. Navy Command Headquarters (NCHQ) is the nerve centre of the Royal Navy, supporting operations around the globe and providing Ships, Aircraft and Equipment to deliver the UKs defence policy. NCHQ supports all the Royal Navys activities including front-line operations to personnel, support and training, finance and governance, safety, equipment, programmes and planning and Defence engagement. Civil Servants and Armed Forces personnel work together in a wealth of interesting and challenging jobs in different specialisms.

As a senior commercial leader you will have real impact across the organisation, and within the Commercial team we are developing changes designed to make our approach to business agile, empowering our staff to reach their full potential.

Comprising approximately 60 individuals, the team manages circa 250 live contracts and a total portfolio nearing 3Bn. This breadth of activity provides a multitude of opportunities for professional development and enables us to work across all industries from digital, global firsts in research and development, cutting edge innovation, through to traditional goods and services.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and supportive, with a high team development and retention rate. At Navy Commercial, we believe in creating a safe, productive environment where everyone can thrive, with a well-defined set of team values that outlines our commitment to collaborative working.

The Navy Commercial team is already an influential, high-performing unit that works closely with our customers. We foster a culture of learning, committed to delivering the best results for operational delivery by embracing innovation, promoting an inclusive cultural environment and pushing the boundaries of commercial practices. The team are at the forefront within Defence of exploring how we can build AI into our working practices to streamline our work and ensure we can have our people focussed on the areas where human input has the greatest impact. By joining us you also gain access to the wider Defence Commercial function, with connections spanning the entire Civil Service commercial function.

We welcome fresh perspectives and ambition. If you're eager to shape the future and make a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Job description

This role will take on a key role in the Navy Commercial Procure function; providing dedicated support to our customers in taking their concepts from early development through to contract supported by our team of dedicated commercial practitioners.

This is an exciting time within Navy Commercial and we are seeking an individual to share their experience to influence a more streamlined and effective approach to acquisition; embracing the opportunities of Procurement Reform and building on the many successes of the team to date. We are involved in procuring a hugely diverse array of services and equipment to support every facet of Navy delivery; items that aid the front line, core back-office delivery, and innovative technological developments that will drive future operations.

The Commercial Lead for Procure will be a member of the Navy Commercial Senior Leadership Team and will work closely with them to deliver the highest standard of Commercial support to the Navy. This post provides an excellent opportunity to build on your existing skill set across a number of commercial disciplines and with the support of the GCO to raise your profile and enable you to grow.

Experience of working in or with the public sector will be an advantage for the successful candidate but is not an essential criterion we are looking for the right person with the right skill set, and the team come from a wide variety of backgrounds which creates a rich and diverse working environment. You will be responsible for a team of commercial leads in addition to working in a matrix approach across the wider Commercial function and with other stakeholders, providing senior leadership and guidance on tendering activities.

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

  • Stakeholder engagement and management - Building influential internal relationships to ensure that commercial objectives are fully understood and embedded;
  • Commercial management - overseeing complex projects by leading the commercial approach, ensuring commercial processes are understood by stakeholders, executing commercial deliverables, taking responsibility for the success of the commercial aspects of the overall project;
  • Leadership - play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong commercial function for the Ministry of Defence and across government. Taking the lead during contract negotiations, understanding the appropriate levers available and able to develop a structured negotiation plan;
  • Collaboration - close working with other category, finance and project leads, within MOD and Government Commercial Function teams, to develop strategic approaches to Defence spend;
  • Supplier relationships - build effective relationships with current and future suppliers. Enabling the market to better understand our requirements and ensuring that we build healthy, mutually beneficial relationships that deliver the right solutions at competitive prices;
  • Risk analysis - proactively anticipating potential commercial risks, mitigating actions and providing expert commercial advice;
  • Line management overseeing teams, acting as a positive and proactive role model, providing coaching and support for individuals and the team including non-commercial staff;
  • Cost-saving initiatives - overseeing such initiatives across your portfolio to identify opportunities to increase the overall value delivered to Defence;
  • Category strategy Supporting the development and implementation of market facing category strategies
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