Commercial Lead - Technology Category - multiple roles

Job summary

Commercial is the largest directorate at Crown Commercial Service (CCS), where we empower public sector organisations to achieve the best value through the design, development, implementation, and management of our commercial agreements.

At the core of CCS is Category Management. You will leverage your deep knowledge and expertise of the supply market to deliver cutting-edge category strategies and create market-leading commercial agreements. Your skills will directly contribute to shaping commercial policy, developing new products and services, fostering strong supplier relationships with a focus on delivering value for the nation.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic Technology Category team, where you will be instrumental in supporting significant digital transformation across the public sector. You will be joining a supportive team of highly-experienced procurement and category management professionals, working on high-impact initiatives that truly matter.

Job description

Ready to make a tangible impact on the nation?

We are seeking commercially astute Technology professionals to develop and lead strategic agreements, driving best-value commercial outcomes for public sector organisations. These are leadership positions where your deep expertise in Technology Category Management will be essential. You will be instrumental in securing senior-level buy-in and collaboration with Commercial and Technology leaders across all sectors of the public sector, providing support and ensuring the successful delivery of key procurement projects.

Step into these critical roles to provide expert commercial support and advice, directly enabling the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to respond effectively to the vital requirements of public sector organisations.

We have several Commercial Lead (Grade 7) positions available within our Technology Category Group, these are in the sub categories as follows:

Commercial Lead - Technology Services

Commercial Lead - Digital Outcomes, Programmes and Resourcing

Commercial Lead - Transport Technology

Commercial Lead - Hardware

Commercial Lead - Networks

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

Typical duties and responsibilities:

• Leading or Contributing to the development of category strategies for all relevant expenditure
• Ensuring category management processes are in place that enable the assessment of the market capabilities to meet the needs of users and the business
• Implementing effective Commercial Contract and Supplier Management within the category including delivery of continuous improvement and social value programmes where appropriate
• Engaging with Customer Leads to support queries on the new and existing services, including contract awareness, advisory procurement support, legislative impacts and project management
• Driving supplier performance, commercial rigour, quality of service, continuous improvement, and innovation by implementing the SRM process across the relevant sub-categories.
• Developing market sector knowledge and applying this to create a deep understanding of customer requirements, market capability and potential opportunities
• Supporting a range of customers in their requirements. Providing complex commercial advice to shape customer requirements, support and, where necessary, additional help in the production of their specification and call off competition documentation, support in their market engagement activities
• Managing a number of key partnerships within the Technology Category to maximise their effectiveness whilst exploring potential new partnership opportunities
• Driving and delivering content for Technology forum events and webinars for Technology Buyers
• Presenting at public sector events on specific topic of interest for public sector organisations

Technical skills

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

• Demonstrates current and leading edge category knowledge related to at least one of these categories: Technology Services, Transport Technology, Networks, Hardware, Digital Outcomes & Resourcing, as well as an understanding of current market trends
• Ability to build strong, trusting and productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels through effective communications and personal impact
• Ability to shape, lead and coach a team to deliver high performance and supporting individual development, whilst having a broader focus on the wider team.
• Ability to engage internal and external stakeholders at all stages of the procurement process to deliver a critical/complex procurement outcome successfully.
• Evidence of leading on the management and procurement of Technology agreements of high value/complexity/reputational risk, demonstrating a focus on driving best value and optimal performance in line with market developments and innovations.

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 11th and 12th February 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-recruitment/
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 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 : 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

443076 - Candidate Pack - CCS - Commercial Lead - Technology Category - multiple roles.docx Opens in new window (pdf, 1171kB)Guaranteed Interview Schemes (GIS) Opens in new window (pdf, 70kB)