AMS PSR

On behalf of DWP, we are looking for a Senior Commercial Manager - (INSIDE IR35) for a 6 months contract working on a hybrid basis from either Blackpool / Manchester offices with flexibility in the attendance for the right Candidate

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. As such, we operate on a scale that is almost unmatched anywhere in Europe and most people in Britain come into contact with us at some point in their lives.

Working with DWP, you will be helping us to drive our priorities to:

• Help people to move into work and support those already in work to progress, with the aim of increasing overall workforce participation
• Help people to plan and save for later life, while providing a safety net for those who need it now
• Provide effective, efficient, and innovative services to the millions of claimants who rely on us every day, including the most vulnerable in society
• Improve experience of our services while maximising value for money for the taxpayer.

We are looking for a senior commercial manager to work within the DWP’s commercial directorate Digital (Universal Credit, Working Age Services and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Sub-Category team). Your role will be to work closely with colleagues from Digital and Finance to shape how we approach the market for the requirements Digital have, to run effective commercial processes that deliver excellent outcomes, and to ensure the contracts placed are managed effectively to achieve those outcomes.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) touches the lives of everyone in the UK in some shape or form, delivering services and support to help people find work, assist with a disability or provide support through their retirement. As a key part of DWP, the Commercial Directorate (CD) shapes how services are acquired and managed across 3rd party contractual arrangements; DWP Digital’s current contract spend is in the region of £3.2bn with some of the largest industry suppliers and we are integral in ensuring that spend achieves value and makes the right impact.

Making the Difference

CD’s Digital Category procures predominantly digital resource and outcome related services, software and anything further technology-related to support all of the DWP internal and external programmes and services. Working within the UC, WA and AI so you never know

Sub-Category team, your role will be to be responsible for the delivery of several high-profile contracts within the Universal Credit/ Working Age/AI portfolio of the team. The core of UC/WA projects is focused on providing high quality digital resource capability to support existing digital teams in maintenance of existing UC infrastructure, but also multiple projects aimed at moving DWP digital benefit lines from legacy systems onto more modern digital solutions.

We work closely with our Digital colleagues, providing the commercial support and guidance to aid Digital colleagues achieve their outcomes.

As a Senior Commercial Manager - (INSIDE IR35) your main responsibilities will be:

• The individual will provide end-to-end commercial support for procurements and contracts within the one of the sub-categories of Digital, so this role relates to buying Digital goods and services.
• This will include market analysis, requirements gathering, preparation of sourcing strategy, development of tender documents, execution of tender process, contract award and contract management.
• Candidates will also be required to ensure that all relevant DWP and wider government governance and policy is followed, as well as strict compliance to procurement regulations.
• Procurement will be primarily through mini competitions under existing CCS digital frameworks.

The individual will be responsible for:

• Leading the full cycle procurement activity on individual projects (gathering requirements, developing tender and contractual documentation, supplier onboarding and in life contract management activities)
• Ensuring good communication links with relevant digital and financial stakeholders.
• Maintaining an accurate and timely pipeline of procurement activity and awarded contracts (in Microsoft Lists), interacting with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure their needs are represented on the pipeline and commercial activity begins, then progresses, in a timely manner to ensure sensible procurement timescales are followed.
• Bringing market knowledge to bear to support Digital in determining how to approach the relevant market (IT communication and collaboration tools and services and desktop software and services), while continually working to build your own and colleague’s understanding of that market.
• Designing and conducting procurements for required resource, software and services, including helping refine requirement, recommending a sourcing strategy, executing the procurement process, completing relevant governance and assurance and finalising effective, legal and strong value-for-money contracts.
• Providing commercial management of resulting contracts, and through advice and oversight, ensuring that stakeholders are performing appropriate operational management of contracts in addition to commercial management led by yourself.
• Seeking out and delivering savings opportunities and opportunities to add value (social or otherwise); register and plan for the delivery of such savings and report on progress.
• Ensuring all relevant information is stored appropriately and updated, including document retention, eProcurement system updates and pipeline updates.

Essential:

• Experience of buying in the Digital and Digital resource market.
• Experience of using CCS Technology Frameworks (Technology Services, Digital Outcomes, Digital Specialists and Programmes, Technology Products and Services, G-Cloud, etc.)
• Understanding of and ability to apply UK procurement legislation (particularly PCR2015 and PA2023) as it applies to central government departments.
• Good industry knowledge and digital category insights to provide knowledge-based challenges to senior stakeholders
• Contract and supplier management
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Effective management of multiple complex activities at any one time and ability to methodically prioritise
• Strong commercial acumen.
• Negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage a busy workload with competing priorities.

Desirable:

• MCIPS/CIPS or equivalent

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, DWP 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.

Armed Forces Covenant / Commitment

DWP 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 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".