Strategic Partnering Manager

We are hiring a Strategic Partnering Manager to lead the work with some of the most important suppliers to government in the Built Environment Sector. The role sits within Markets, Sourcing and Suppliers, one of the most-high profile, dynamic and exciting commercial teams in the Government Commercial Agency. The Government Commercial Agency is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office and part of the Government Commercial Function.

The role holder will ensure government has the most effective relationships possible with its strategic suppliers in the construction and engineering sector, in order to unlock strategic and financial value, to deliver the best value from outsourced contracts, and to align the government's commercial strategy with suppliers and broader market capability. Working across government - both central government departments and the wider public sector - and with Crown Representatives, strategic suppliers themselves and with industry stakeholders, the Strategic Partnering Manager will strengthen relationships at all levels, building a mutual value proposition in key service areas.

The role offers an opportunity to lead the supplier-facing network across government, building an in-depth understanding and knowledge of strategic suppliers business models and public sector portfolios in the built environment sector and using this to drive collaborative continuous improvements to the contracts and services that suppliers deliver.

The successful candidate will be a highly experienced and successful senior leader, with a deep career anchored in commercial disciplines, practiced at senior level. A strong delivery ethic with high levels of resilience, a high level of adaptability and flexibility, and the ability to manage unstructured situations and environments are also required in this role. Additional requirements of the role are:

• Expert practice in business development, in developing and managing value propositions and in delivering strategic partnering plans.
• Expert knowledge in complex commercial relationship management and in the contracting process.
• An in-depth understanding of government structures with the ability to build and contribute to high-quality internal relationships.
• A highly developed strategic thinker and ability to identify and take calculated risks.
• Outstanding relationship-management capabilities, with first-class communication skills and solid track record of negotiations at very senior levels.
• Deep experience in collaboration across teams and separate organisations, and ability to lead without formal authority.
• A diplomatic approach, with deep understanding of the politics within complex organisations.
• A deep sense of commercial and operational value and a commitment to improve design, value and delivery in a variety of service areas and agreements.

Although not a guarantee, the role holder may have line management responsibilities for a small number of more junior colleagues. The main focus of the role will be to coordinate a network, across government and the wider public sector, comprising commercial and delivery professionals, focused on the relationship with several governments construction and engineering strategic suppliers.

The role will sit in the Markets, Sourcing and Suppliers directorate in the Government Commercial Agency which is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office and part of the Government Commercial Function.

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 be accountable for:

• Delivering the government strategy and the Strategic Partnering Programme with specific strategic suppliers and market sectors.
• Developing the mutual value proposition in each key service area, leading to delivery of extraordinary measurable performance.
• Developing the cross-government strategy and plan with the strategic supplier(s).
• Documenting the relationship map from executive to operational levels, leading to unparalleled relationship access and leverage with the supplier(s).
• Setting performance standards and monitoring delivery.
• Providing commercial insight and intervention in key contract negotiations.
• Effective collaboration with cross-government teams relevant to the supplier relationship.

These accountabilities will be exercised in coordination with supplier-facing government departments and other public sector bodies, and with support from the other central teams.

Key measures of success will lie in delivering the core components of the Government Strategic Partnering Programme and developing a truly strategic approach to the strategic suppliers, in order to transform governments risk and value creation profile, as follows:

• Strategic risk management: continuity of mission critical and/or sensitive services; compliance and ethics; financial robustness; capability; contractual performance.
• Strategic opportunity: quality of service; delivering efficiencies and cost savings, optimising taxpayer value for money; implementing an end-to-end integrated supply chain between government & supplier; a one-government approach; creating and delivering innovation and best practice transfer.

The Strategic Partnering Manager develops and coordinates extensive external and internal relationships.

• External with the strategic suppliers - suppliers senior leadership; suppliers senior leaders in charge of the partnership with government; leaders in the suppliers organisations selected on their importance to the overall relationship and delivery performance.
• Internal leadership - Cabinet Office, Government Commercial Agency and departmental leadership, including cross government Commercial Directors.
• A close working relationship will be developed with Crown Representatives, whose role will be to act as a senior strategic advisor and senior relationship manager.
• Internal One Government network and approach - leaders and key operators involved in the relationship and key service area experts. As such, the Strategic Partnering Manager provides strategic insight and direction to around 50+ other part or full-time roles across departments.
• Internal team: a member of the Senior Management Team within Markets Sourcing and Suppliers and a senior member of the Government Commercial Agency; work in tandem with the Strategic Supplier Relationship Management team, the Market Health team and the Commercial Analysis and Financial Analysis Teams.

• 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 MSS and across government.