Assistant Commercial Director – Pre-Award (Corporate Services)

Job summary

The vacancy has arisen as a result of the current role holder securing a SCS1 promotion, an indicator of the development opportunities that we have exposure to at HMRC Commercial.

The Commercial Corporate Services provides specialist support to HMRC business areas through delivery of commercial strategies and plans that underpin programmes, project and BAU strategies for the delivery of HMRC services. Working collaboratively with the business customer, as a business partner and with our colleagues in Commercial Contract Management we provide a seamless strategic commercial service that includes analysis to support make or buy decisions, market engagement/ development and delivery of the competitive processes used to select/ appoint suppliers and award contracts for all goods and services.

Job description

Reporting to a Commercial Deputy Director for Corporate Services and Property FM (Pre-Award) pillar and alongside three Grade 6 peers within the pillar, the role holder will lead a team of category and sourcing specialists and be accountable for the overall category strategy ensuring that it delivers innovative, competitive and compliant commercial outcomes that are aligned to HMRC objectives and maximise value for money.

The role holder will also develop highly effective and trusted relationships with key senior internal and external stakeholders. As part of the Extended Senior Leadership Team, you will be responsible for providing leadership to your Category Team and wider Commercial Directorate, whilst taking a proactive approach in talent development within your area of responsibility and beyond.

Locations:
The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace.

Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance.

This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities.

Person specification

Responsibilities include:

• Lead and provide direction for an overall category plan and future requirements, in conjunction with key stakeholders across all functions, overseeing the procurement process across the category scope.
• Develop and maintain strategic stakeholder relationships across relevant business areas providing focused commercial and category advice.
• Using commercial acumen and extensive category knowledge, influence business needs, organisational objectives and policy, ensuring market and sector intelligence is maximised and emerging and/or innovative solutions and suppliers are considered for all commercial activities.
• Using and well-established pipeline, proactively identify opportunities across micro and macro environments, which are then to drive improved value through innovative solutions.

Person Specifications include:

• Driving and leading delivery of the Category Strategy, you will have end-to-end multiple category lifecycle experience within complex business environments.
• Develop specialist category knowledge of market, suppliers, commercial models and value levers as well as responsibility for ensuring procurements comply with HMG & HMRC policies and regulations.
• Demonstrate strong team leadership, stakeholder relationship management, risk management and planning skills.
• Responsible for overseeing the procurement process in relation to the category including Category specific pre-market engagement.

Technical skills

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

• Lead by example, setting clear standards and fostering team development. Proactively engage stakeholders using a calm, problem solving approach. Actively champion diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, valuing diverse experiences.
• Demonstrate strong commercial acumen by analysing complex financial models to guide stakeholders. Clearly explain commercial options, risks, and issues to diverse audiences, ensuring team projects deliver value for money and strong ROI.
• Lead complex commercial activities throughout the lifecycle. Demonstrate expertise in creating high-profile category strategies, managing high-value, high-risk procurements, and delivering end-to-end implementation for critical projects.
• The ability to challenge senior stakeholder decisions, work under pressure, and deliver multiple projects within agreed timescales.

Benefits

As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK.

For existing Civil Servants: For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack. Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers.

Kindly refer to the following link for the GCF Rewards and benefits page.

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-benefits/

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 Experience and Technical skills.

Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on the 17th of September 2026 and will require a full day's attendance.

If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team on commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.

For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the attached candidate pack.

Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the Technical Skills (essential criteria) and your Job History (CV) that you will be asked to provide during the application process. Further help and advice on our application and selection process can be found at this web address https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-how-to-apply/

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-re…

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Thomas McDonald
• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should direct this to the Head of Commercial Resourcing Hub at the following email commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk quoting the vacancy reference number (if applicable) and the details of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission via the following web page: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

Attachments

Guaranteed Interview Schemes (GIS) Opens in new window (pdf, 70kB)20260807 OFFSEN 475570 - Assistant Commercial Director – Pre-Award (Corporate Services) - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 703kB)