Assistant Head Commercial – National Armaments Directorate Logistics and Support

Job summary

This role is for a Commercial Lead to provide Commercial Business Partnering to the National Armaments Directorate Logistics and Support Team. National Armaments Directorate Logistics and Support is logistics, engineering and equipment support and lies at the heart of ensuring Defence has the forces and equipment it needs to confront the threats we face. That is, ready when and where you need them, fully fit, armed and provisioned and deployed at a speed of relevance.

The National Armaments Directorate Logistics and Support Team encompasses the people, processes and systems within the MOD that are engaged in Logistics and Support activities to maintain military capability at pre-planned availability, readiness and sustainability, end-to-end from the point of production to the point of consumption.

The National Armaments Directorate Logistics and Support Commercial lead role will be leading Commercial teams to provide guidance and support to a range of customers across the Logistics and Support Function to deliver commercial solutions to Defence requirements; thereby enabling operational Support Capabilities and Support Transformation programs across the MOD.

The Logistics & Support Commercial Lead will play a vital role in supporting Defence by contracting a diverse portfolio of requirements ranging in value and complexity from long-term commitments in specialist capability areas to low-value short-term support contracts from a wide and varied supply-base. The Commercial lead will provide inspiring leadership which includes navigating their team through the implementation of Defence Reform.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to ensure successful Commercial delivery working directly with their end customers and by shaping their Commercial team to deliver unique solutions to their challenges. The breadth of capabilities this role will be providing commercial support will give the successful candidate the opportunity to develop their skills and experience across the entire commercial cycle from Pre-Sourcing right through to Contract Management and Exit.

Job description

This Commercial Lead role is one of two in the team and will be responsible for managing Commercial teams across the logistics and support Portfolio. The logistics and support commercial team is comprised of 22 posts across all grades.

Each customer area within Logistics and Support operates with autonomy across their portfolio of capabilities and key relationships will need to be created and maintained with each key stakeholder group including Senior Commercial leadership, military leaders, Project teams, business management teams and finance. The ability to make risk based Commercial decisions considering both Commercial and customer requirements is paramount.

The contractual landscape for Logistics and Support is currently 60 live contracts with a total Contract Value of £3bn. They are disparate in nature, a significant mix of long-term strategic contracts alongside contracts for transformation support and innovation.

The commercial Lead for Logistics and Support will be accountable for managing Commercial activities across the spectrum of Logistics and Support operations and capabilities.

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

This will include:

• Responsible for all Commercial activity within defined areas for Defence Support acting as one of the Commercial Business Partners.
• Leading and developing the commercial teams to ensure a consistent and value-added approach is adopted in their engagement with their specific customers and stakeholders.
• Understanding how the unique delivery landscape and sensitivities of each strategic program impacts the procurement strategy whilst proactively navigating policy to successfully deliver solutions leveraging strategic Commercial thinking and, where necessary, agility to support the operational and transformational landscape.
• Deliver robust relationship management and effective stakeholder engagement, maximizing your own and your team’s engagement with customers and suppliers.
• Drive solutions for capability requirements unique to the Logistics and Support Commercial team by reviewing current processes and ways of working and identifying opportunities for improvement and sharing of Commercial best practice both intra MOD Commercial and across the Government Commercial Function.
• Manage risk, resources and priorities in the pursuit of efficient solutions. The ability to make risk based Commercial decisions considering both Commercial excellence and customer requirement is paramount.
• Actively contribute to Commercial Leadership including deputizing for the Deputy Head of Commercial.

Technical skills

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

• Maintains a working knowledge of the Market and can Use Commercial experience to challenge assumptions regarding sourcing options based on Market research to deliver value and continuous improvement.
• The ability to challenge senior stakeholder decisions, work under pressure, and deliver multiple projects within agreed timescales. Ability to manage competing priorities and demands in a resource constrained environment.
• Demonstrable stakeholder management skills with proven ability to influence senior operationally focused stakeholders. Can translate technical commercial language and solutions into clear instructions to non-commercial requirement owners.
• Works collaboratively with stakeholders to gain an understanding of a requirement and will challenge assumptions to prove value and the most appropriate procurement route.
• Understanding of the complete range public procurement routes to market for requirements ranging in value, complexity and sensitivity.
• A working knowledge of Contract management principles and an understanding of the importance of managing to timelines.

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 note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Tuesday 17th November 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 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.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 : Marina Dura
• 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 Opens in new window (pdf, 70kB)20261005 CL2656 - Candidate Pack.docx (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 395kB)