Commercial Manager

Job summary

Thank you for your interest in this role, and taking a step to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

In Defra, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact individuals and families. We are responsible for England’s environment, countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards.

The main purpose of the Infrastructure Category Team is to provide commercial support to the Environment Agency in the delivery of its Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Capital programme, which provides and maintains flood defense assets to vulnerable communities and protecting homes, lives and livelihoods. The Environment Agency has recently received a significant increase to its capital funding for the next 6 years to 2027. The Infrastructure Category team is increasing its team to ensure we have the required level of expertise and capacity to support this larger programme of works. The last 6-year programme was funded to a level of £2.6bn and targeted the better protection against flooding to 300,000 homes. The next 6-year programme, to 2027, has received funding of £5.2bn and is to deliver better protection to 336,000 homes, businesses and key national infrastructure.

There is a significant and exciting challenge in delivering a programme of this nature alongside other critical targets like Net Zero Carbon, Biodiversity Net Gain and efficiency savings. Our ambition is to build on our existing expertise and develop a commercial organisation that reaches new levels of performance and is wiling to adopt innovative commercial approaches. We are expected to deliver maximum value and benefits from our expenditure. The commercial positions we are recruiting into are considered to be essential members of integrated project delivery teams and are core roles which significantly contribute to the achievement of a number of key corporate objectives for the Environment Agency and Defra.

I hope you'll be excited by the opportunity to join us. This is a great, meaningful opportunity to join a forwarding thinking, progressive team and make a real difference on our journey to create commercial expertise at the heart of sustainable business delivery.

Job description

The Commercial Manager role presents a fantastic opportunity for an excellent commercial professional to provide commercial support for the nation’s flood defence projects, working on an agenda that sits high on the political and public awareness. The role will help the successful candidate build their commercial career and enhance their CV through their involvement in flood defence repair and construction projects.

If you are looking for a role that will engage you, develop you, and stretch you to your full potential then we’d love to see your application.

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

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead commercial engagement on Infrastructure related projects. This will involve leading commercial and procurement strategy, employing and implementing policies from the Construction Playbook, introducing innovative and best practice contract solutions and developing a helpful network of contacts with other public sector bodies and wider industry which help you deliver effectively.
• Effectively influence customers across the network to deliver value for money, achieving savings targets and sustainable outcomes.
• Lead by example in our approach to sustainability and communicating its importance, influencing others to improve their approach. Ensure sustainability is considered throughout our work and is the responsibility of all.
• Work with team members and customers to develop their commercial capability ensuring there is the required level of commercial expertise and capacity in delivery teams to deliver the required outputs.
• Lead on the development of team members ensuring there is resilience in teams to deliver the required outputs.
• Mentor and coach team members on policies, procedures, practices and techniques equipping them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner.
• Contribute to project scrutiny and governance boards as required.
• Represent the Commercial Team at senior management meetings.

Relevant skills / experience needed:

• Experience of Commercial management major commercial activities and a track record of compliance, delivery and continuous improvement.
• Proven track record of setting high standards and delivering at pace.
• Excellent analytical capabilities.
• Effective communication and the ability to influence both commercial and non-commercial stakeholders.
• Ability to manage conflict effectively and appropriately at al levels to ensure objectives are achieved.
• A professional qualification or a willingness to work towards a qualification, for which the successful candidate could secure sponsorship.

Technical skills

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

• Provide expert advice on commercial risk management and deliver mitigation plans / strategies to manage identified risks at corporate level.
• Commercial Focus- Evidence of the ability to identify potential improvements and successfully manage changes that deliver great Commercial outcomes.
• Contract and Supply Management- Experience of leading strategic contract award negotiations and resolving dispute resolutions through negotiation.
• Proven experience in influencing Senior Internal and External stakeholders.
• Experience coaching and mentoring, to build the capability at all levels of a commercial function. Strategy and Policy Development.
• The ability to demonstrate the implementation of the latest Category Management methodology and a clear demonstration of staying abreast of latest Category Management market trends.

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 be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Tuesday 4th August 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.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 : Marina Dura
• 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 (GIS) Opens in new window (pdf, 64kB)467914 - Commercial Manager - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 412kB)