Address
Form of work
SalaryDo you want to take your public sector procurement and contract management skills to the next level?
Do you want more scope in your role, more ownership, accountability and visibility?
Do you enjoy being at the heart of a Commercial function?
If the answer is yes, we want to hear from you!
About the agency
As an executive agency of the Department for Business and Trade, the Insolvency Service helps to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors. We maintain the standards that help make Britain one of the best places in the world to do business. More information can be found here.
About the Directorate
The Finance, Commercial, Sustainability & Property Directorate is responsible for managing both the Insolvency Service’s finances and for all commercial related activities. We are a close-knit directorate, committed to supporting the agency’s operational business and objectives as well as its estates, sustainability and health & safety remit.
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career.
The Commercial Team provide procurement, contract and supply chain management for the Agency. We are a small team of dedicated and highly competent commercial professionals, performing at an exceptionally high level and dispersed nationally across the Insolvency estate. The team works on a flexible working basis, with a mix of remote and office-based working. The Commercial Team is embedded within the Government Commercial Function applying the Government Commercial Operating Standards, working in accordance with the People Standards for the Commercial profession and undertaking the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework. The Senior Commercial Leadership are members of the Government Commercial Organisation.
The Commercial team at INSS is currently expanding to meet the exciting challenges across the Sourcing Pipeline, Contract Management landscape, Transforming Public Procurement and to drive best practice against the Commercial Function Standards. As a result, we’re currently recruiting against a number of C2 Commercial roles. Any candidate who passes the interview but is unsuccessful in being offered this role, may be considered via the Reserve List for one of the other Commercial roles currently being recruited into.
We operate a Category Management approach within our Commercial Team, consisting of 4 Category Teams; Digital & Data category, Technology & Change category, Corporate Services & Operations category and Commercial Governance & Policy category. As such we are responsible for a whole lifecycle approach to commercial activities. This may include leading a requirement from inception, through the Commercial sourcing cycle, mobilisation and contract management, through to Exit and Transition.
Within the Commercial Team at the Insolvency Service, we believe there are huge benefits to working within a small team. We are able to give our Procurement and Contracts Managers (Commercial Business Partners) access to complex and strategic work which enables them to demonstrate their abilities and take on extra responsibility more than other roles. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that our leavers nearly always leave on promotion!
If you’re interested in applying for this role, we’ll be running a meet and greet session so you can get to know more about the role, the Team, the Insolvency Service and to ask any questions you have. We’re keen to meet you and share as much as possible about this fantastic opportunity. We’re planning on hosting this session on Thursday 4th April 2024 via Microsoft Teams at 11am. If you’d like to attend this session, please let us know by emailing Commercial@insolvency.gov.uk and we’ll invite you along. We look forward to meeting you.
Roles and Responsibilities
This role sits within our Commercial Governance & Policy category, the team which is responsible for fostering a high performing best in class Commercial Function for the Insolvency Service through the implementation of Commercial Policies & Processes, continuous improvement and learning & development.
Reporting to the D2 (Grade 7) Head of Category, you will be responsible for leading on a portfolio of commercial activity within Commercial Governance & Policy category in the Insolvency Service’s commercial team. You will specifically be responsible for the Commercial management and delivery of the Commercial commissioning process (our ‘Front Door’) & Commercial Governance Policy/Process. You will also be the key support to the D2 Head of Category for the development and implementation of a new robust but proportional Commercial Governance Policy and Procedure.
This role offers a unique opportunity to work across the organisation and support the underpinning Commercial Strategy, Policy and Processes utilised to deliver best practice and value for money for the Agency. You will influence how the Agency delivers its Commercial activity at a fundamental level, engaging directly with senior leaders across the Agency for existing and future commercial activity (pipeline). You will play a vital role in driving and delivering the exciting changes required to successfully implement Transforming Public Procurement.
In this role, you’ll be responsible for the following key areas;
- Management of the Commercial Front Door, including triaging requests for commercial support, relevant stakeholder engagement, upskilling and management for all new and existing requests.
- Delivery of relevant reporting related to the Commercial Front Door including Monthly Pipeline Reporting, regular engagement with Commercial Category Teams to ensure Front Door data is accurate and creation of FD Pipeline items for existing Contracts.
- Supporting Commercial Capacity planning utilising Front Door data to support Commercial leadership in managing demand placed on the Commercial Function
- Production of Gold Contract/project reporting on a bi-monthly basis for submission to ExCom highlighting risks/issues with these strategic contracts/procurements to the Agency
- Support D2 with Annual Demand Planning by leading planning and forecasting sessions with Directors and producing required Pipelines for reporting into ExCom and across Commercial.
- Development and implementation of the new Commercial Governance Policy, including a new Governance Board within INSS Commercial for contracts/extensions/variations over £2m or novel &/contentious activity.
- Ownership and management of the new Commercial Governance Board.
- Linked to this management of the Commercial Assurance process for ensuring steps and processes are being followed across all of the Commercial Function aligned to CCIAF activities.
- Ownership of Social Value Policy, including support and training across the Agency and regular engagement with Sustainability team in the wider FCSP directorate
- Support ownership of Commercial Hub and Commercial Intranet and Internet pages.
- Support Category Lead with the implementation of Transforming Public Procurement.
- Support the delivery of the Commercial Strategy and Annual Plan, including delivery of all GIAA Audit actions, including implementation of CCIAF Development Plan actions.
- Risk and Opportunity Management – Lead, develop and maintain commercial risk / opportunities log across the Commercial Function, establishing and delivering appropriate risk mitigation.
- Communicating new / changed requirements to the wider Category team and share best practice.
- Line management and performance management of a direct report, a B2 Commercial Apprentice, ensuring their continued development, objective setting and performance reviews.
- Support D2 Category Lead with planning and delivery of skills audits across Commercial and developing a Capability Programme.
- Act as In-Tend (e-sourcing) Super User for the Commercial Function, supporting development and L&D around alongside Policy & Systems CBP within Category.
- Developing and sustaining relationships with internal agency and external stakeholders including DBT, Cabinet Office, GDS, GCO and CCS as well as suppliers.
- Applying robust governance and assurance to meet compliance requirements across the Agency, DBT, Cabinet Office, GDS and HMT and ensuring adherence to Government Commercial Functional Standards (“CCIAF”).
- Although not part of the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, where required to support wider Commercial Function, you will Act as the Procurement and Contracts Manager (Commercial Business Partner) for impacting and actioning contractual / service changes that affect the Insolvency Service in your area of responsibility.
- Support the Head of Category in handling supplier issues, formal challenges / disputes, providing options and making recommendations.
