Commercial Innovation Assistant

Job summary

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our Inclusive Environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/Jae3B4w7xm

You can also follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dsitcareers/

Job description

The DSIT Commercial and Grants Team are responsible for supporting DSIT Policy and digital colleagues to deliver high profile and exciting initiatives UK Wide, from setting up policies promoting investment to protecting national security, to teams deliver grants and commercial arrangements that enable innovative and exciting policy outcomes.

You will join the Commercial Innovation Hub. The commercial team supports x-Whitehall within and will benefit from a broad portfolio of commercial activity delivering commercial pathfinders.

Sitting within the Commercial and Grants Team, the Commercial Innovation Hub (CIH) was set up in February 2025 and is a dynamic, solutions driven team that helps public sector buyers harness innovative markets, new technologies, and creative commercial models to deliver better public outcomes. Operating at times like a start-up, the CIH brings together commercial specialists, innovation experts and market analysts to design smarter procurement approaches that support the delivery of innovative solutions into the public sector.

This is an exciting time for CIH as it has enjoyed considerable success since being set up, and the team is growing quickly to support significantly increased demand on its resources. Joining CIH gives you the opportunity to work at the forefront of modern commercial practice and technology, using novel approaches to solving knotty public sector problems through engagement with innovative suppliers. Ultimately, we want to help departments turn bold ideas into real world delivery that provides better public services, drives value and has measurable impact.

You should apply for this role to help drive change across government procurement that aligns with key ministerial commitments in this area. Success in this role means you can be part of a team that supports and finds new ways for government (and the broader public sector) to buy innovative solutions that can address significant challenges it faces.

There are extensive opportunities for growth and development within CIH as its portfolio and offering are constantly evolving. In the last year we have worked with colleagues from DBT, DVSA, i.AI, HMT, DESNZE, MHCLG and others to support in their attempts to find new solutions. This is a chance to develop and build a strong network across government, and engage with colleagues at all levels of seniority.

Person specification

The DSIT Commercial and Grants team is a diverse and supportive working environment, category teams include specialists in Innovation, project delivery, commercial, finance, legal, analysis, technology and policy. We have high engagement with ministers and senior stakeholders within government (central and local) and externally with key market vendors in the digital, telecoms and technology sectors.

As one of two SEO Commercial Innovation Assistants within CIH you’ll gain a unique perspective across Government as you provide high quality support to the team in the delivery of the Hub’s objectives. These roles are central to the smooth running of CIH activity and support the Hub’s Commercial Innovation Leads across a range of projects and delivery commitments including:

• Design and development of novel approaches to public sector procurement
  
• Development of L&D materials relating to innovation within public sector procurement i.e. innovation playbooks, training etc
  
• Development and delivery of an Innovation Marketplace
  

This role will give you the opportunity to provide commercial advice and activity across the full commercial life-cycle, delivering departmental objectives on procurement of innovation. You’ll lead the delivery of commercial advice and activity across a range of novel commercial strategies aimed at bringing innovative solutions into government, informed by commercial risks and delivering policy area objectives. To do this you’ll:

• Work collaboratively and build relationships with colleagues and senior stakeholders in internal and cross-departmental policy, finance, project delivery and legal teams
  
• Support the development of bespoke procurement or commercial strategies to deliver on CIH’s programme of procurement of innovation
  
• Mitigate risk by ensuring full compliance with all relevant policies and procedures whilst balancing delivery priorities and intelligent risk management approaches
  
• Support market engagement to test and develop innovative commercial strategies
  
• Support the full commercial life cycle including: sourcing or grant strategy and timeline development, market engagement, bid evaluation, contracting and contract management
  
• Support the commercial management process, including monitoring, performance management, appropriate management of information, variations and extensions
  
• Support the implementation of commercial priorities relating to innovation, realising savings, social value, modern slavery and sustainability
  
• Maintain and ensure accuracy of the commercial information on relevant commercial systems

The CIH has key deliverables that span pan-government in addition to procurement of innovation initiatives. These include, but not limited to, creating an innovation marketplace for the UK public sector, developing innovation risk guidance frameworks with HMT/NAO/PAC, and leading commercial innovation capability building in the GCF. The CIH operates like a start-up with individuals having key deliverables, it is expected that individuals will support complementary workstreams and provide experience and insights into other CIH initiatives to avoid silo working. As the CIH’s work develops there will likely be opportunities to lead on different workstreams.

Essential Criteria

These are unique roles within DSIT Commercial and strong commercial acumen is key, but so is an interest in how government can more easily procure innovation and a willingness to explore and consider different and often novel approaches.

You’ll also need:

• Experience of or being part of a team working in procurement
• Awareness that innovation carries inherent risks and this risk must be proactively managed to ensure the integrity of innovative solutions
  
• An understanding of why delivering innovation in a commercial environment is critical
  
• The ability to prioritise conflicting tasks and requirements
  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to influence and engage a wider range of stakeholders
  
• Capability in managing stakeholders and establishing relationships both internal and external to your organisation
  
• Experience of or being part of a team using public sector frameworks
  
• Experience of using e procurement tools
  
• Evidence of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders, through compelling messaging, collaborative working and effective delivery of commitments.
  
• Ability to operate with autonomy, working flexibly and innovatively with policy colleagues across all of our work areas
  
• Experience of building professional, dynamic relationships across the organisations and with stakeholders (internal and external)
  
• Evidence of your commitment to personal development.
  
• Practical experience of supporting or being part of a team delivering varied procurement operations working in a corporate procurement environment (ideally subject to public procurement law)
  
• Experience or at least interest in research and development / emerging technology in a commercial environment, particularly relating to commercialisation and scale-up of innovative solutions.
  
• Proficient procurement professional who has been part of a team delivering management process development and implementation, category management, strategic sourcing, supplier relationship development and performance management, specification, report and recommendation writing.
  
• Experience of supporting goods and services procurements and contract negotiations

Desirable Criteria

• Manages risk - Awareness that innovation carries inherent risks and this risk must be proactively managed to ensure the integrity of innovative solutions.
  
• Makes effective decisions - Evidence managing multiple priorities and workload to support optimal delivery across the team.
  
• Delivers results and showed resilience - Ability to support multiple, concurrent and complex initiatives; keeping projects on track, briefing on key issues, developments and plans to seniors.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,415, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £11,708 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements and CV.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement (Managing a Quality Service) only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions.

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.

To help you to prepare for your interview, for this campaign behaviour questions will be shared in advance of interview if you are successful at sift stage. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared.

The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared with you in advance, including any follow-up questions, and other elements listed in the job advert, for example, experience, abilities, strengths and technical skills. The panel will be looking for examples of your own work, experience, and ability so do try and avoid using AI written answers without any human oversight.

Sift and interview dates

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland 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.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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 developed vetting (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 : Graeme Jarvie
• Email : graeme.jarvie@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DSIT T&Cs v1.2 Opens in new window (docx, 179kB)