Army Commercial – Procurement Officer

Job summary

Army Commercial forms a key part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Commercial Function and sits within one of four Front Line Commands, working directly alongside the British Army to enable operational effectiveness. The team operates at the heart of Army Headquarters, delivering commercial expertise within a fast-paced, high-impact environment where outcomes directly support Defence capability.

The function is responsible for procuring and managing a diverse portfolio of goods and services essential to military operations. This ranges from complex, long-term capability programmes through to lower-value, short-term support contracts. Collectively, Army Commercial places around 200 contracts annually, delivering approximately £240 million in new activity, whilst managing an existing contract portfolio valued at around £5 billion.

For commercially trained professionals this presents a unique opportunity to apply and develop expertise across the full procurement lifecycle from early market engagement and sourcing strategies through to contract award, management, and supplier performance. The role requires sound commercial judgement, the ability to navigate complexity, and strong stakeholder engagement skills, working closely with both military and civilian colleagues to deliver value for money and operationally effective outcomes.

Army Commercial plays a critical role in ensuring that the British Army has access to the equipment, services, and support it needs to operate effectively both in the UK and overseas. Commercial decisions made within the team directly influence operational readiness, capability delivery, and wider Defence priorities, including innovation and collaboration with industry.

The team comprises around 100 qualified Commercial Officers across a range of grades, providing a supportive and professional environment where individuals are encouraged to develop their skills and challenge established ways of working. This makes it particularly attractive to candidates seeking to progress their commercial careers within a purpose driven organisation.

Based primarily in Andover, with opportunities for hybrid working, this role offers both professional challenge and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to national security and Defence delivery. You may also be expected to attend other locations, and travel expenses will be reimbursed for these journeys, but when attending your primary duty station, no travel expenses will be reimbursed.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

An SEO Procurement Officer will be responsible for the procurement of requirements as allocated to them, ensuring the requirements are actively managed from definition to contract award. This includes defining the requirement and route to market, ensuring all approvals are in place, advertising, evaluating, and awarding the contract. This process is in collaboration with the Army customer and building and maintaining good working relationships with the customer team, the supplier, and other key stakeholders and ensuring the contract is managed once live or effectively handed over to the contract management team.

You will build and maintain your effectiveness by ensuring that they keep up to date with procurement, broader commercial and HR policy developments that affect you or the team. You will ensure they keep up to date with the tools and systems used to support procurements and payments including the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) and the Contract, Purchasing and Finance (CP&F) tool.
These roles offer an exciting and challenging opportunity to develop or enhance a professional career in the commercial function within the context of the Army and the MOD.

We are seeking self motivated individuals to join this fast paced and constantly evolving professional environment and form the core of the Army’s commercial professionals. This is a fascinating, challenging role in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Commercial Function, with a direct impact on procuring and purchasing the key items to enable the British military to conduct its various operational functions.

You will initially assume commercial responsibility for the complex procurement to deliver the Services related to the Army Foundation College Harrogate following the expiration of the existing PFI Contract.

The key areas of responsibility include:

• Procure and Manage
  • Lead and coordinate the procurement process for complex projects, ensuring effective planning, execution, and delivery within agreed scope, timeframes, and budget constraints.
  • Build and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with multidisciplinary teams, including colleagues at all levels, senior leadership, and external partners, to support seamless procurement delivery.
  • Manage and develop key customer and stakeholder relationships, proactively identifying opportunities to improve or strategically develop these relationships to meet project objectives.
  • Provide Commercial expertise to support the Project Team in achieving necessary Approvals
  • Operate effectively in a demanding, high-pressure environment, delivering procurement activities at pace while balancing and managing diverse and sometimes competing stakeholder expectations.
  • Apply extensive knowledge of commercial regulations and procurement frameworks to address and resolve complex commercial challenges, ensuring risk is appropriately managed and optimal outcomes are achieved.
  • Support the transfer of commercial and technical knowledge by mentoring and developing both commercial and non-commercial team members, enhancing overall team capability and project delivery.
  • Prepare, draft, and manage contract documentation within delegated authority, including tender documentation, evaluation, and award processes, ensuring compliance with MOD policies and procedures.
  • Chair or support Tender Evaluation Boards and lead negotiations with suppliers within delegated limits to secure value for money and contract terms aligned with project requirements.
  • Utilise MOD procurement systems to manage procurement activities efficiently and ensure compliance with Government Transparency policies.
  • Provide timely, practical commercial advice and solutions to emerging issues and risks, contributing to problem solving and crisis management alongside senior commercial managers and Army customers.
• Management
  • Foster a positive and inclusive team culture that supports wellbeing, engagement, and high morale among Commercial staff.
  • Conduct regular performance reviews and one-to-one meetings to provide constructive feedback, set clear objectives, and identify individual development needs.
  • Identify and facilitate appropriate training and professional development opportunities to build team capability and support career progression.
  • Manage resource allocation within the team to ensure workload is balanced and priorities are met effectively.
  • Lead by example in upholding ethical standards and compliance with MOD policies, promoting a culture of integrity and accountability.
  • Encourage innovation and continuous improvement by supporting staff to identify and implement process enhancements and best practices.
  • Act as a point of escalation for commercial issues within the team, providing guidance and support to resolve challenges promptly.
  • Support succession planning by identifying and nurturing potential future leaders within the Commercial team.

Person specification

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience leading and managing the procurement of complex projects, including planning, execution, and delivery within defined scope, time, and budget constraints.
• Strong ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with multidisciplinary teams, senior leadership, customers, and external partners to support procurement and project objectives.
• Ability to operate effectively in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, managing competing stakeholder expectations and delivering procurement activities at pace.
• Hold Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Level 4.
• Already hold or be willing to obtain a MOD Practitioner Commercial Licence within 6 months in post

Desirable Skills:

• Evidence of providing commercial expertise, including supporting project teams to achieve necessary approvals and providing sound commercial advice throughout the procurement lifecycle.
• Experience of leading and managing a Team

Qualifications

Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply -Level 4

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Section 2.2 Procurement Project Resource Deployment and Utilisation, Competency Areas – Cross functional team working and Project approvals
• Section 2.3 Executing the Sourcing Strategy, Competency Area – Developing the Sourcing Strategy and Developing and issuing the bidder pack.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Pension contribution: 28.97%
• Personal and professional development of skills
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
• Learning and Development

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Learning and Development:
We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference, and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. Successful candidates can discuss their development options with their manager when in post.

£1,500 per annum Commercial Market Skills Allowance (MSA) available to individuals who are eligible once essential criteria for this allowance is met.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Personal Statement:

Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement. (750 Words)

Personal Statement - of no more than 750 words detailing how you meet the essential skills criteria -

• • Proven leadership of complex procurement projects, including planning, execution, risk management and delivery within scope, time, and budget constraints.
  • Evidence of working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team and building strong working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership and external partners.
  • Experience in managing and developing key customer and stakeholder relationships, particularly where relationships required strategic development or improvement to support project objectives.
  • Proven capability in transferring commercial and technical knowledge, mentoring and developing both commercial and non-commercial team members to enhance overall project delivery capability.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and Statement of suitability and the following Behaviour:

• Making Effective Decisions

At interview stage you will be assessed against the following:

• Behaviour - Changing & Improving
• Behaviour - Communicating & Influencing
• Behaviour - Leadership
• Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
• Technical Skills - Commercial Practitioner Level - https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/sites/IntranetCivilianHRPeoplePortal/Documents/Commercial_Skills_and_Competency_Framework.pdf
  • Section 2.2 Procurement Project Resource Deployment and Utilisation, Competency Areas – Cross functional team working and Project approvals
  • Section 2.3 Executing the Sourcing Strategy, Competency Area – Developing the Sourcing Strategy and Developing and issuing the bidder pack.

Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed and will be held in person. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

Please read this document prior to completing your application.

Please note: internal candidates must include their staff number when prompted during the application process.

Should you have any queries relating to the vacancy information or sift and interview process, please contact the recruiting line manager using the contact details listed on the vacancy. Please do not direct vacancy related queries to the recruitment team as they will be unable to advise.

FURTHER INFORMATION

CV’s

Should the selection process require a CV, you will be prompted to complete the required criteria during the application process. CV’s sent directly to the recruiting line manager will be deleted immediately to maintain anonymity.

Civil Servants (all grades)

Applicants should monitor their Civil Service Jobs application centre regularly for updates.

Some of MoD’s Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) changed from 3 February 2014. Those TACOS changes applied to Broader Banded and Skill Zone staff who were new recruits to MoD or who were appointed to a post on substantive promotion, progression or advancement. On the same basis, the TACOS for Departmental Retained Grades changed with effect from 01 September 2014.

Applicants should be aware that any move across the Civil Service on or after 5 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

Please see link below to Civil Service Recruitment Principles http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/201…

Please see the MOD Privacy notice which informs how we will use your personal data, explains your rights and gives you information you are entitled to under Data Protection legislation.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-privacy-…

Non Civil Servants

All employees joining MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period effective from the employment start date.

COMPLAINTS

Please be aware that the selection and interviewing of applicants is the responsibility of the Recruiting Line Manager (RLM) and not the Defence Business Services (DBS) Resourcing team. DBS does not play any part in the selection and interview process itself.

Therefore, if you wish to discuss your feedback, or you are dissatisfied with your markings, you should in the first instance raise this with the Recruiting Line Manager of the vacancy.

If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint. by writing to DBS at the following address:

Defence Business Services

Scanning Hub

Room 6124

Tomlinson House

Norcross Lane

Blackpool

FY5 3WP

FOR EXTERNAL VACANCIES If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address:

Civil Service commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk

Cabinet Office Fraud Checks

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant whose details are found to be held on the IFD will be refused employment

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Faye Mckernan
• Email : Faye.Mckernan438@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCIVPERS-RESOURCINGTEAM3@MOD.GOV.UK

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

Commercial_Skills_and_Competency_Framework Opens in new window (pdf, 1812kB)ARMY Candidate Pack (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 273kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)