Defra Group Commercial HEO - Corporate Solutions

Job summary

Defra Group Commercial (DGC) is part of Defra, the government department responsible for growing the rural economy, protecting and improving the environment, and safeguarding animal and plant health. DGC delivers expert commercial and procurement services across the Defra Group, helping our customers achieve their objectives while delivering value for money for the taxpayer.

We are recruiting for two exciting Higher Executive Officer (HEO) opportunities within our Corporate Solutions category:

• Commercial Officer(Fleet) – supporting a diverse portfolio of fleet-related contracts and services that keep Defra Group organisations operating effectively across the country.
• Commercial Officer (Corporate Solutions) – supporting a broad range of common goods and services, including travel, office supplies and workplace requirements that enable colleagues to deliver critical public services.

In both roles, you will work closely with customers and stakeholders to provide commercial support, advice and challenge throughout the procurement lifecycle. You will help deliver innovative and value-focused commercial solutions, ensuring contracts are awarded and managed in line with government and Defra commercial policies.

The roles provide an opportunity to manage and support a range of high-value, medium-risk procurements and contracts, applying commercial best practice to achieve successful outcomes. You will contribute to commercial governance, support effective contract management, and provide expert guidance on commercial issues to a variety of stakeholders.

Working within a collaborative and supportive team, you will build strong relationships across Defra Group, wider government and the commercial profession. These are excellent opportunities for motivated individuals looking to develop their commercial expertise while contributing to the delivery of important public services and environmental outcomes.

Whether your interest lies in fleet services or a broader corporate services portfolio, these roles offer varied and rewarding work with real impact across the Defra Group.

Job description

As a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Category Officer, you will play a key role in helping Defra Group deliver commercial solutions that support vital environmental, rural and public services outcomes.

Reporting to a Senior Category Officer (SEO), you will work across a varied portfolio of commercial activity, supporting procurement, contract management and supplier relationships. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your commercial expertise while working with a wide range of stakeholders across the Defra Group and wider government.

No two days are the same. Whether supporting a complex procurement, managing supplier performance, advising customers on commercial approaches, or helping shape category strategies, your work will directly contribute to delivering better outcomes and value for money for the taxpayer.

In this role you will:

• Deliver and support procurement projects, contract management activities and supplier relationships across the full commercial lifecycle.
• Provide commercial advice and guidance to customers and stakeholders, helping them navigate commercial policies, procedures and governance requirements.
• Build strong relationships with operational teams, understanding their needs and developing effective commercial solutions.
• Contribute to business improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance processes, increase efficiency and share best practice.
• Keep up to date with commercial legislation, market developments and government best practice to ensure informed and compliant decision-making.
• Support the development and implementation of commercial policies, processes and category strategies.
• Help ensure contracts deliver value for money, manage risks effectively and maximise wider social, environmental and sustainability benefits.
• Support colleagues and customers through training, coaching and knowledge-sharing activities.
• Use eSourcing and contract management systems to manage commercial activity effectively and deliver outcomes to agreed quality, cost and timescale expectations.
• Develop your market knowledge and commercial expertise, contributing to category and sub-category planning activities.

What you'll gain

These roles offer exposure to a diverse range of commercial activities and stakeholders, providing an excellent platform for building a career within the Government Commercial Function. You will join a supportive and collaborative team committed to developing people, delivering high-quality commercial outcomes and making a real difference across the Defra Group.

For the Fleet HEO vacancy:

In the Fleet role, you will support the procurement and management of vehicle, fleet and transport-related services that enable operational teams across the Defra Group to deliver their essential work. You'll help shape commercial solutions that support sustainability objectives, operational resilience and value for money.

For the Corporate Solutions HEO vacancy:

In the Corporate Solutions role, you will support a broad portfolio of common goods and services, including travel, office supplies and workplace services. You'll work with customers across the organisation to deliver commercial solutions that keep colleagues equipped, connected and able to deliver critical public services.

Person specification

We're looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals who enjoy building relationships, solving problems and delivering great outcomes for customers. Whether you're already working in a commercial environment or have developed transferable skills elsewhere, we'd love to hear from you if you can demonstrate:

Essential Criteria

• Confidence in building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and influencing decisions through clear, evidence-based advice.
• Experience of working in a structured and accountable environment, managing competing priorities and delivering quality outcomes to agreed timescales.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly and tailor your approach to different audiences.
• A proactive and organised approach, with the ability to take ownership of work and deliver at pace.
• Good judgement and decision-making skills, with the confidence to identify issues, assess risks and recommend solutions.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a team whilst managing tasks independently.
• An interest in developing commercial knowledge and applying it to deliver real-world business outcomes.

About the Role

This role offers the opportunity to play a key part in helping our customers deliver meaningful outcomes by providing high-quality, innovative commercial support. You'll work closely with stakeholders to understand their needs, develop commercial solutions and help them achieve their objectives, while also contributing to wider Defra Group priorities.

You will have responsibility for awarding and managing a range of high-value, medium-risk contracts in line with Defra's commercial policies and procedures. This includes ensuring value for money, maintaining commercial governance and applying commercial lifecycle principles from procurement through to contract management.

You'll have the opportunity to manage your own portfolio of categories and contracts, which may include:

• Fleet
• Communications and marketing
• Office supplies
• Print services
• Other corporate solutions requirements

Your work will span a variety of commercial activities, including:

• Single Tender Actions (STAs)
• Framework call-offs
• PA23 procurements
• Contract management
• Supplier relationship management
• Commercial advice and stakeholder engagement

This is a varied and rewarding role that combines hands-on commercial delivery with the opportunity to influence outcomes, improve ways of working and build expertise across a diverse portfolio.

What You'll Gain

In return, you'll benefit from:

• Hands-on experience managing live commercial activity across the full procurement and contract management lifecycle.
• Exposure to a diverse range of categories, suppliers and procurement routes.
• Opportunities to build confidence in commercial decision-making, negotiation and stakeholder engagement.
• The chance to develop specialist commercial knowledge whilst working alongside experienced commercial professionals.
• A strong professional network across Defra Group, the Government Commercial Function and wider public sector organisations.
• Excellent opportunities for learning, development and future career progression within the commercial profession.

Most importantly, you'll be part of a team that plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of Defra Group's environmental, rural and public service objectives, helping ensure public money is spent effectively and responsibly.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Experience of analysing information and applying judgement to recommend solutions, balancing customer requirements, risk, governance and value for money.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,895, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,398 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).

• 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 (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical Skills.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be required to submit:

• A CV
• A 500-word Personal Statement demonstrating how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role
• A 250-word statement for each of the following behaviours:
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes. Applications will be assessed against the behaviours and experience requirements of the role.

Interview

If successful at sift, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Technical Skill: Experience of analysing information and applying judgement to recommend solutions, balancing customer requirements, risk, governance and value for money

Interviews will be held week commencing 9 November 2026.

Further Information

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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 : Katy Reed
• Email : katy.reed@defra.gov.uk
• Telephone : 07767691614

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@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, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here