AMS PSR

On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a Commercial Officer - (Inside IR35) for a 3- month contract working on a hybrid basis and with an expectation of 2 days per week in the Bristol or London office 

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence, as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.

To do this we have an annual budget of almost £40 billion and a workforce comprising 193,000 people, almost 59,000 of whom are civilians. We currently manage more than £11 billion of spend every year.

Our work really matters; we offer engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services we provide. We employ people in many different roles and in many locations across the UK and abroad. We have jobs in policy, finance, HR, IS/IT, commercial and project management and all the types of jobs you would expect to find in a government department, or indeed in the private sector. We also employ doctors, dentists, teachers, police, fire service, quantity surveyors, and engineers to name a few. There are many opportunities to develop and progress both within MOD and across the wider Civil Service, whether you’re a permanent appointee or an interim.

Are you ready to shape how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is designed and operated, directly enabling the defence of the UK. The MOD is seeking an experienced commercial officer to support one of MOD’s top strategic priorities, Corporate Services Modernisation.

Corporate Services are critically important for the 250,000 people working across Defence to do their day-to-day jobs. For example, every time the department procures military equipment, personnel receive their monthly pay or request their vacation, they are using Corporate Services. As part of the wider government Shared Services Strategy, MOD has established the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) portfolio to drive Human Resources, Commercial and Finance policy, process, organisational, data and systems transformation. (More information on the Shared Services agenda can be found through this link: A Shared Services Strategy for Government - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Our ambition is to revolutionise MOD corporate services to:

Improve the user experience by simplifying our policies and processes, providing easier and better interfaces to systems and self-service and making services more responsive and providing easy access to help.  Deliver better data driven decision making by introducing and fully exploiting the latest Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Human Capital Management (HCM) technology; improving visibility, accuracy and accessibility of management information across Defence; and, using integrated data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inform decision making.  Improve Productivity and Efficiency by automating transactional processes; expanding and improving MOD’s shared service centre operations; and reducing MOD’s overall corporate services spend to maximise our reinvestment into the front-line.

This role sits within the Strategic Commercial Team of CSM which has been established specifically to support the delivery of its commercial strategy working collaboratively with customers and existing commercial teams to optimise value for money and innovating where possible through effective market insight. CSM offers an exciting opportunity to make a difference in supporting the successful delivery of the aims of the Portfolio.

A major aspect of the role is to undertake further development and maintenance of the CSM commercial pipeline (‘as is’ and ‘to be’ contracts) working closely with subject matter experts and other commercial colleagues within MoD. This will require building relationships, accurately updating information on a regular basis, and providing insights. Other aspects of the role include

As a Commercial Officer - (Inside IR35), your main responsibilities will be:

•    Providing commercial support to Strategic Commercial colleagues and Portfolio stakeholders from advice/guidance on routes to market, tendering processes and, where appropriate, contract management.

•    Assisting the development of complex end-to-end procurements ensuring innovation, where possible whilst adhering to commercial policy, processes and category strategies (where they exist).

•    Undertaking supply market analysis to ensure an effective understanding of the market dynamics to inform appropriate commercial strategies.

•    Networking across MOD and OGD’s (Other Government Departments), Crown Commercial Services and externally in accessing current trends and best practice, as well as potential routes to market

•    Actively contributing to the creation of programme plans, procurement and contracting strategies.

•    Providing Contract administration and management suppliers & contracts within area of accountability.

PLEASE NOTE

SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks.  Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance. 

Essential:

•    Public Sector Procurement Expertise: Experience in public sector procurement, including knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023 and CCS Frameworks, with a delivery track record.

•    Tendering & Contract Negotiation Skills: Skilled in developing and delivering complex Invitations to Tender, negotiations, and contracts with bespoke conditions, along with high proficiency in MS Word and Excel.

•    Relationship Building & Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to build positive relationships and influence stakeholders across diverse groups, managing multiple perspectives and building consensus. CIPs or working towards.

Desirable:

•    Experience of working in a secure environment.

•    MCIPS or working towards.

•    A track record of supporting end-to-end sourcing in complex, high-risk programmes.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the MOD guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant 

MOD guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following “this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.