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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 working across contracts, suppliers and stakeholders?
If the answer is yes, we want to hear from you!
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.
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.
About the agency
We are a government agency that helps to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors. 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.
About the Team
The Commercial Team provide procurement, contract and supply chain management for the Agency. We are a small team of dedicated and highly skilled commercial professionals, performing at an exceptionally high level and based nationally across the Insolvency estate. The team operates on a flexible working basis, with a hybrid 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 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. Rather then focusing on one aspect of the commercial lifecycle, you will have continued opportunity to apply, enhance and develop your skills across the Commercial lifecycle, you will be a fully rounded commercial professional. 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 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 Corporate Services & Operations Category Team, the team which is responsible for sourcing and contract management of everything across the Corporate Services sector (such as Legal Services, Document Management/Post, Travel and Conferencing), as well as supporting our operational colleagues with their wide ranging and unique requirements. We’re also in the unique position of supporting our Official Receivers in their work, which supports some of the biggest National Interest Cases (such as British Steel, Thomas Cook, and Carillion). We have a unique portfolio of activity and a unique group of stakeholders that require your commercial skill, knowledge and support.
Reporting to the D2 (Grade 7) Head of Category, you will be responsible for leading on a portfolio of commercial activity within Commercial Corporate Services & Operations Category Team in the Insolvency Service’s commercial team. We operate a cross functional relationship model and you’ll build relationships and manage stakeholders across a directorate or the agency, providing them with commercial support for their varying requirements and existing and future contracts.
This role offers a unique opportunity to work across the organisation and support the underpinning strategies to improve our services to the public and the country, by providing commercial insight and expertise.
In this role, you’ll be responsible for the following key areas;
- Lead specific areas of Commercial activity across the category and across the full commercial lifecycle (the entire process, Identification of need & commissioning, market engagement, sourcing strategy development, ITT, evaluation & contract award) as well as supplier performance and relationship management. Your role shall include contract management of your portfolio through to contract termination exit or transition to alternative arrangements.
- Act as the Procurement and Contracts Manager (Commercial Business Partner) for impacting and formalising contractual / service changes that affect the Insolvency Service in your area of responsibility.
- Support sourcing of non-PCR 2015 Requirements for the Official Receiver.
- Risk and Opportunity Management – develop and maintain commercial risk / opportunities log across the contracts you manage, establishing and delivering appropriate risk mitigation working with contract owners across the business.
- Communicating new / changed requirements to the wider Category team and share best practice.
- Support the Head of Category in handling supplier issues, formal challenges / disputes, providing options and making recommendations.
- Developing and sustaining relationships with internal agency and external stakeholders including DBT, Cabinet Office, GCO and CCS as well as suppliers.
- Working collaboratively and flexibly to meet the Agency’s needs in terms of commercial provision, recognising the complexities and dependencies of our contract landscape and the aims of our Agency Five Year Strategy.
- 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”).
- Support in implementing and applying the new procurement regulations.
