Commercial Lead – Gov Digital Services & Cyber UnitSpecific

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) leads the design and delivery of user-centred digital public services across government, while the Government Cyber Unit (GCU) helps strengthen cyber resilience, protect public services and support the government in responding to evolving digital threats. The GDS and GCU Commercial team supports these priorities by securing the technology, digital and specialist services needed to deliver critical programmes, including Modern Digital Government, the AI Opportunities Action Plan, and work to improve the security and resilience of public services.

The wider DSIT Commercial team is recognised for its supportive, forward-thinking environment, offering the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge technology, digital strategy and national security priorities. You will join professionals committed to continuous improvement, excellent public service delivery and challenging conventional procurement methods where this helps deliver better outcomes.

As part of our team, you will collaborate with experts across digital, procurement, cyber, policy and delivery professions. The Commercial team works closely with project managers, digital architects and policy leads to ensure government programmes are delivered smoothly and provide real benefits. This includes supporting new digital platforms, agentic AI solutions, the Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars, the National Cloud Strategy and services that improve the security, resilience and responsiveness of government.

This role provides a gateway to meaningful work with national impact. You will contribute to major initiatives that make public services simpler, safer and more accessible, while helping government use emerging technology responsibly and effectively.

We encourage you to apply if you are motivated by making a difference, eager to work in a collaborative and innovative team, able to challenge conventional procurement processes, and confident operating at both strategic and operational levels in a fast-paced environment. Your expertise will be valued, and you will have the chance to drive change that benefits millions of people.

Job description

The Commercial Lead in the Government Digital Service (GDS) and Government Cyber Unit (GCU) may involve a degree of line management varying depending on ongoing projects and departmental needs, but the role will require strong leadership skills to guide, mentor, and work as part of a multidisciplinary team they work within to deliver high-impact solutions.

Key customers and stakeholders for the Commercial Lead include internal GDS & GCU, senior government officials, external suppliers, and partner organisations across the public sector. The role also interfaces with procurement specialists, legal advisors, and finance teams to ensure best value and compliance in all commercial activities.

In your role you’ll own the end-to-end lifecycle for your projects, drawing support from commercial and other commercial colleagues working as a part functional team. The Commercial Lead will be directly involved in managing contracts for strategic digital transformation projects, including large-scale technology procurement, software licensing agreements, and supplier partnerships through developing and deploying the use of innovative procurement practices.

The role also leads on key procurements that support government-wide digital initiatives and is responsible for ensuring that all programs align with strategic objectives and deliver measurable value.

It is envisaged that the role will sit within the GDS and GCU commercial team, part of DSIT’s central Commercial team, providing vital commercial support and leadership across the department’s most high-impact digital, cyber and technology programmes. Initial remits will focus on the recently expanded Government Digital Service (GDS), including the National Data Library, AI and digital capability, alongside the Government Cyber Unit’s remit to strengthen cross-government cyber resilience, protect public services and support secure digital transformation. These programmes sit at the forefront of public sector transformation and offer an excellent opportunity to work on digital delivery at scale.

You’ll lead commercial activity across the full lifecycle — from planning and sourcing through to contract management and supplier performance. Working closely with digital, policy, delivery and operational teams, you’ll help shape commercial approaches that support delivery outcomes and drive value. Key responsibilities may include:

• Designing and delivering sourcing strategies and commercial solutions, including elements of contract and supplier management
• Managing supplier relationships and applying commercial levers to support delivery
• Embedding commercial insight and thinking within multidisciplinary teams
• Preparing clear commercial advice and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Contributing to continuous improvement of DSIT’s commercial tools, processes and ways of working

As part of a centralised function, you’ll be joining a flexible and collaborative commercial team that supports a broad and evolving portfolio. These roles offer the chance to make a tangible impact on digital services with national reach.

As a key member of the DSIT Commercial team, you’ll lead commercial activity within a defined area of the GDS portfolio and wider DSIT.

You’ll work closely with delivery, policy, digital and operational colleagues to shape and deliver commercial solutions that support outcomes, drive value and manage risk. You’ll be part of a flexible and collaborative commercial function supporting DSIT’s digital transformation goals.

Person specification

• Deliver commercial activity across the full commercial lifecycle
• Develop and implement commercial strategies that support delivery objectives in your area
• Shape commercial approaches in collaboration with delivery teams and subject matter experts
• Manage relationships with suppliers and stakeholders, ensuring alignment with value, risk, and policy priorities
• Provide sound commercial advice on sourcing options, risk and delivery confidence
• Support commercial input into governance and delivery forums, influencing decisions where appropriate
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of DSIT’s commercial capability, processes and tools
• Preparing clear commercial advice and recommendations for senior stakeholders
• Contributing to continuous improvement of DSIT’s commercial tools, processes and ways of working

As part of a centralised function, you’ll be joining a flexible and collaborative commercial team that supports a broad and evolving portfolio. These roles offer the chance to make a tangible impact on digital services with national reach.

As a key member of the DSIT Commercial team, you’ll lead commercial activity within a defined area of the GDS/GCU portfolio and wider DSIT. You’ll work closely with delivery, policy, digital and operational colleagues to shape and deliver commercial solutions that support outcomes, drive value and manage risk.

You’ll be part of a flexible and collaborative commercial function supporting DSIT’s digital transformation goals. In this role, you will:

• Deliver commercial activity across the full commercial lifecycle
• Develop and implement commercial strategies that support delivery objectives in your area and execute said strategies
• Shape commercial approaches in collaboration with delivery teams and subject matter experts
• Manage relationships with suppliers and stakeholders, ensuring alignment with value, risk, and policy priorities
• Provide sound commercial advice on sourcing options, risk and delivery confidence
• Support commercial input into governance and delivery forums, influencing decisions where appropriate
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of DSIT’s commercial capability, processes and tools

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.

Technical skills

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

• Evidence of taking a proactive approach to commercial activity, confidently influencing stakeholders, challenging constructively, and remaining composed under pressure
• Evidence of delivering commercial activity across complex or shifting priorities, collaborating across policy, delivery and digital teams to achieve successful outcomes
• Able to evidence building and maintaining effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders to support collaboration and successful delivery
• Able to evidence the selection and use of appropriate procurement approaches for digital, data and technology services, ensuring alignment with relevant policies and delivery objectives
• Experience applying commercial judgement across the lifecycle, shaping sourcing strategies that reflect delivery needs and drive value, compliance and delivery outcomes

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 Wednesday 18th 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.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 : Sean Kelly
• 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)20261013 CL2685 486148 Candidate Pack - Commercial Lead – Gov Digital Services & Cyber Unit.docx (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 874kB)