Commercial Manager

Job summary

GAD is strengthening its commercial capability and is seeking an experienced Commercial Manager to join its Commercial team. Working with the Head of Commercial & Contract Management and colleagues across the department, you will provide practical commercial support from the earliest identification of a need through procurement, award, mobilisation, contract management and exit or renewal.

You will lead and support procurement activity, translate business needs into clear sourcing approaches, provide advice on governance and compliance, and help GAD secure value for money while managing commercial, delivery and supplier risk. You will help to maintain the department’s commercial pipeline and contract records, support effective supplier and contract management, and build commercial capability across GAD.

This is a varied role with significant cross-functional contact. It suits someone who can combine sound commercial judgement with organised delivery, clear communication and a strong understanding of public spending rules.

Job description

• Enable colleagues across GAD to obtain goods and services through compliant, proportionate and well-evidenced commercial routes.
• Deliver procurement activity that supports business outcomes, value for money, fairness, transparency and effective risk management.
• Improve visibility and control of GAD’s commercial pipeline, contracts, obligations, approvals and key dates.
• Support the business to establish contracts for successful delivery, with clear ownership, performance measures, governance and escalation routes.
• Build commercial awareness and confidence across GAD through advice, guidance, training and knowledge sharing.

Person specification

Commercial advice and business partnering
• Provide clear, proportionate commercial advice to teams across GAD, challenging requirements and supporting early planning.
• Help stakeholders define outcomes, whole-life value, affordability, timescales, dependencies and commercial risks.
• Escalate novel, contentious, high-risk or legally complex matters where specialist input is required.

Procurement and sourcing
• Lead procurement activity from planning and market engagement through tender, evaluation, award and handover.
• Support robust business cases, outcome-focused requirements, sourcing strategies and evaluation approaches.
• Analyse markets and suppliers, identify suitable frameworks or routes to market, and recommend options that deliver value for money.
• Draft and quality-assure procurement and contract documentation, facilitate evaluation and moderation, and support negotiations and award recommendations.

Governance, assurance and compliance
• Ensure activity complies with procurement legislation, government policy, GAD guidance, financial controls, delegations and transparency requirements.
• Advise on approval routes and maintain clear, proportionate and auditable records of decisions, evaluations and approvals.
• Identify commercial risks or control weaknesses, recommend mitigation and escalate concerns promptly.

Contract and supplier management
• Ensure effective handover and mobilisation, with clear ownership, governance, performance measures, risks and escalation routes.
• Support contract managers with supplier performance, KPIs, risks, relationships, benefits and record keeping.
• Advise on variations, extensions, disputes, underperformance, renewal and exit before commitments are made.
• Lead day-to-day commercial oversight of GAD’s building services contracts and escalate property-service issues where necessary.

Commercial information and planning
• Maintain the commercial pipeline, contract register and supporting records, including owners, approvals, risks and key dates.
• Use commercial information to identify upcoming procurements, renewals, expiries and opportunities for savings or improved outcomes.
• Provide concise reporting on procurement progress, contract coverage, supplier performance, risks and actions.

Capability and improvement
• Support commercial training, guidance, templates and coaching for business owners, evaluators and contract managers.
• Share knowledge, improve ways of working and maintain continuing professional development.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Commercial lifecycle and public procurement: demonstrates practical knowledge of procurement planning, sourcing, evaluation, award and contract management in a UK public-sector context. (Essential)
• Commercial judgement: analyses evidence, risk, market conditions, whole-life value and trade-offs to recommend proportionate action. (Essential)
• Stakeholder and supplier management: develops credible relationships, communicates clearly and influences constructive outcomes. (Essential)
• Completed, or working towards, CIPS Level 4 Diploma or similar relevant commercial qualification. (Desirable)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,539, Government Actuary's Department contributes £15,510 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

As well as competitive salaries, we offer a substantial package of benefits:

• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day-to-day work.
• 25 days annual leave per year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, we offer 9 days public and privilege days leave per year (pro rata for part time staff)
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 5 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
• Occupational sick pay
• Family-friendly policies such as help with caring responsibilities, special leave, generous paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
• Access to employee assistance programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice.
• The opportunity to join a trade union.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Salary advances for travel costs, including annual season tickets and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice.
• Complimentary BUPA health check.

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 and Technical skills.

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

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.
• A Personal statement of up to 500-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.

Your CV and Personal Statement will be used to assess the essential criteria listed in the job description.

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert. The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview.

• Application deadline: 23:55 hrs on 22 November 2026
• Shortlisting: w/c 23 November 2026
• Interviews: w/c 07 December 2026
• Interview location: In office (London, E14 4PU)

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Agency Notice: We will not pay agency fees for any candidate submitted in response to this advertisement unless we have explicitly agreed and contracted with an agency to support that specific role prior to advertising. Agency referrals will only be recognised where prior approval has been obtained from the Recruitment Team for the specific vacancy. Any other candidate submissions will be treated as direct applications.

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.

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

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 : GAD Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Further information

The Government Actuary’s Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm… If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the recruitment team at recruitment@gad.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioners.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-actuarys-department

Attachments

Commercial Manager Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 581kB)