Commercial Manager

Job summary

This role sits in UKHSA’s Commercial, Vaccines and Countermeasures Delivery directorate within the Major Programmes Commercial team. Truly dynamic, our teams operate at significant pace in a commercially complex environment to procure a diverse range of goods and services in a highly competitive global market.

You will join the team at an exciting time as we continue to build a best-in-class commercial function, working collaboratively with stakeholders and commercial partners in the UK and globally, to provide innovative, value-for-money and flexible commercial solutions for our Countermeasures and Preparedness portfolio.

The team you will support leads on the storage and distribution of vaccines and countermeasures, as well as medicines, medical consumables, selective vaccines etc, working closely with delivery partners such as 3PLs, NHS supply teams, and all UK nations. The team ensure seamless delivery by maintaining robust relationships, upholding the highest quality standards, and leveraging expertise in GDP (Good Distribution Practice) to safeguard supply chain integrity and public health.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Commercial Manager with commercial experience to join the UKHSA Commercial Major Programmes team. This role will play an important part in supporting sourcing and contract management activity across the Preparedness and Countermeasures team.
As Commercial Manager, you will be the lead on a range of commercial activities. This is a dynamic and challenging environment, and the post holder will need to be confident in managing complexity, applying judgement, and making decisions whilst collaborating effectively with other members of the team, suppliers and Programme stakeholders. The ability to work comfortably in ambiguous situations may be required at times.

This list of duties is not exhaustive.

Main Duties continued

Your role will include but not be limited to:

• Delivering commercial solutions, being accountable for ensuring delivery to time and budget, in line with best practice
• Developing sourcing and contract management strategies
• Managing competition exercises using the e-tendering portal (Atamis), including mini competitions, open competitions and other routes
• Leading on elements of contract and supplier management and manage contract changes and associated records keeping
• Comprehensive drafting of commercial documents including, including tenders, contracts, contract change notes Working closely with finance and legal partners where necessary
• Analysis of markets, suppliers and conducting due diligence, working with subject matter experts where necessary
• Leading on drafting business case documentation with commercial content, ensuring compliance with necessary approvals, working closely with stakeholders
• Development and reporting of Key Performance Indicators on progress status, issues and risks
• Publishing Notices and opportunities in line with expected timescales and legislation, including redacted contracts
• Ensuring all commercial activity is compliant with legislative obligation, UKHSA Standing Financial Instructions and Government best practice
• Managing contracts using Atamis, including Contract Changes Notices (CCNs), savings, keeping contract data fields updated etc

This list of duties is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Role Criteria and Other Requirements

Essential role criteria:

• Evidence of procurement, contract management and or commercial delivery
• Good knowledge of public sector procurement legislation and commercial principles
• Evidence of delivering to deadlines in a fast paced and ever-changing environment with conflicting priorities
• Evidence of strong stakeholder management skills
• Evidence of working to high standards and maintaining a high level of accuracy

Desirable role criteria:

• Evidence of Clinical and or Medicine related procurement, contract management or commercial experience
• Evidence of responding at a fast paced and ever-changing environment with conflicting priorities
• Evidence of PA2023 related procurement, contract management or commercial experience activity

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,310, UK Health Security Agency contributes £13,416 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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 and will assess your Behaviours and Experience

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 5 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 750 word Supporting Statement.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria
3. Meets no essential criteria

Those falling into the ‘Meets all essential criteria’ and the 'meets some essential criteria' pile will progress to shortlisting.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following lead essential criteria:

• Evidence of procurement, contract management and or commercial delivery

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications or large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Stage 2: Interview

Success Profiles

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service (lead behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace

Interview dates are yet to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Core HQ in London (Canary Wharf). We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is a Security Clearance (SC).

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires a Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder or Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Eligibility Criteria

External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Please note: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) group, where this role sits, is undergoing organisational change over the next 12–18 months. While the process is still in the planning stage, some roles may be affected by future restructuring. We are committed to keeping candidates informed and will share updates as they become available.

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.

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

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 : Charlene Gwekwerere
• Email : charlene.gwekwerere@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

http://www.healthjobsuk.com/vacancy/7729860