Assistant Commercial Manager - Metis Business Processing Outsourcing Service

Job summary

The Chief Operating Officer Group works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities. The group is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates and Information and Digital, Data and Technology.

Job description

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK through areas including counterterrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Chief Operating Officer Group supports these priorities by working closely with policy and operational teams. It brings together key professional functions such as Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates, and Digital, Data and Technology.

The Metis Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) service, delivered by SSCL, provides core Commercial, Finance, HR and Payroll services for the Home Office and its Arm’s Length Bodies via Metis, the department’s critical Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

The Synergy Programme is delivering a new ERP system and BPO service for the Synergy Cluster, which includes the Home Office, DWP, DEFRA, MoJ and their ALBs. This forms part of a wider government initiative to transform shared services across major departments. The Metis/Synergy Programme sits within the Home Office Migration, Borders & Technology Portfolio, with the DWP leading the overall cluster programme.

The successful candidate will join a small team of civil servants and contractors providing commercial support across Metis and the Synergy Programme. The role includes supporting the G7 Commercial Lead in procuring and managing gold and silver tier contracts and offering additional commercial support to other MBTP programmes when required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead end‑to‑end procurement activity for complex, strategic, and low–medium value requirements in line with policy and procurement law.
• Manage stakeholders effectively by advising on procurement options, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Conduct early market engagement to assess market capability and inform sourcing strategy and tender design.
• Oversee contract and supplier performance, including KPI reviews, issue resolution, and regular reporting to senior management.
• Manage procurement cases using eSourcing tools such as Jaggaer and CCS Bravo to ensure compliant and efficient processes.
• Ensure high-quality documentation and governance, including fit‑for‑purpose Statements of Work and securing necessary approvals.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience delivering high‑value, strategic procurements across the commercial lifecycle, including contract award and management within digital, data or technology environments.
• Demonstrable experience of running or supporting compliant ITT processes, using e‑sourcing systems and applying the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023.
• Strong commercial risk management capability, including identification, tracking and mitigation of commercial and contractual risks.
• Experience of working with complex service models, such as Business Process Outsourcing and/or Shared Services environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to deadlines in pressured environments.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of managing the end-to-end Procurement / ITT process.

Qualifications

CIPS Level 4 (or above) or equivalent commercial experience.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

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

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Sign-up on our website to receive emails with information about careers at the Home Office.

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, Strengths and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.

After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the followingCivil Service Judgement test.

1. Online Test – by 15th April 2026

If you successfully pass theJudgement test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online test or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the Civil Service test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The online tests are accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.

You cannot complete the tests on a mobile phone or tablet.

Following successful completion of your test, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.

2. Application – by 15th April 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour Delivering at Pace (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

3. Sift – commencing 16th April 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Behaviour Delivering at Pace as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the Lead Behaviour.

Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted (Personal Statement / CV / Lead Behaviour).

Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

4.Interview – week commencing 04th May 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions. All behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place on MS Teams.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

You can select up to twolocations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred locations and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location and profession. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location and profession.

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic. This statement will need to be added in Metis Recruitment.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. The level of Criminal Record Check required for this role is SC. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs

• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamCorporateEnablers@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission

Attachments

2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)candidate_information_v16_January_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)