Digital Commercial Manager

Job summary

Digital capability sits at the heart of how modern organisations perform, and the commercial strategy behind it determines whether it truly delivers. Ofgem is seeking a Digital Commercial Manager to shape how we secure value, performance and accountability from our digital partnerships.

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We’re at the forefront of change across the energy sector, driving toward Net Zero whilst protecting energy consumers, especially vulnerable people.

This is a fixed-term maternity cover opportunity to play a central role within our Digital function, leading how we manage digital vendors and contracts to ensure we secure maximum value, performance and accountability from our supply base.

You’ll define our strategies and how we work and deliver them. Working across a diverse portfolio of digital services and teams, including Digital Operations, Finance, Business Analysis, and PMO, as well as Corporate Services Procurement, Finance and Legal teams, you’ll work strategically to deliver contracts, renewals and supplier performance.

Balancing commercial, technical and operational priorities, you’ll lead negotiations, representing our interests in supplier discussions, analyse KPIs and data and ensure our digital partnerships deliver consistently, every time.

We’re looking for an experienced contract and delivery manager with specific experience in the design and implementation of IT contracts and in driving great performance from partners. Experience or expertise in Public Contract Regulations, alongside strong commercial judgement, excellent negotiation and influencing skills, and the confidence to operate with senior stakeholders, will be critical. The ability to interpret complex data and performance metrics will also be essential, alongside a pragmatic mindset focused on solutions and results.

In return, you’ll step into a visible and strategically important role with real influence over how digital services are delivered and managed. Alongside an extensive range of benefits and rewards, you’ll gain exposure across a broad digital portfolio and play a key part in strengthening how Ofgem secures value from its digital investments.

We have a critical purpose to ensure our digital capabilities are robust, efficient and aligned to delivering better outcomes for consumers. Join us and help shape the commercial foundations of Ofgem’s digital future.

Read on and find out more.

Job description

Responsible for the delivery of Digital vendor contract management; co-ordinate and streamline all activities related to contract management and renewals, including, adherence to renewal timelines, and ensuring streamlined processes are in place and effective.

Specifically the role-holder will:

• Lead, manage and shape the vendor and contract management strategy and governance and risk profiles
• Work across multi-disciplinary areas to establish right vendor and contract management strategy and framework across variety of accounts (gold, silver, bronze) across our Ofgem technology portfolio.
• Apply best judgement – ability to work together as a team and independently
• Proactively manage vendors and third parties, handling difficult situations; and negotiations
• Work with stakeholders to write-up tenders, working with Procurement to conduct and negotiate to get best value, and ensure fair competitions and best performing partners for Ofgem
• Evaluate risks and make suitable judgement on solutions for vendor management
• Hold staff to account for following vendor management framework and governance
• Project Manage or provide direction on key initiatives which involve third party and vendor management to ensue we get best value for money, best approaches for ways forward.
• Ensure we are getting the most out of our relationships
• Direct, lead, coordinate teams to manage vendors and third parties across their projects;
• Manage SLAs, contract lifecycle, performance, evaluating performance; renegotiations of contracts; KPIs, dashboards, and co-ordinate and oversee the tracking of contract level spend in tandem with contract managers, performing the tracking on critical contracts as necessary, including cross-charges
• Show a commitment to user-centric service delivery

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Vendor/Partner and Contract management experience particularly in the design and implementation of IT contracts and in driving great performance from partners (LEAD).
• Experience or strong working knowledge of Public Contract Regulations (LEAD).
• Thinks and can delivery strategically and able to blend technical, operational and commercial strategic considerations in their decision making.
• Ability to manage contracts within the budget parameters set.
• Strong influencing, and negotiating skills working with stakeholders, vendors and other parties.
• Excellent analytical skills and innovative approaches to problem solving including the creation and analysis of KPIs to drive performance improvements.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,895, OFGEM contributes £13,875 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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 Experience.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel) and upload a copy of your CV anonymising all details where necessary.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential criteria listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

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 : Lewis Buckley
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Digital Commercial Manager, Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 139kB)Digital Commercial Manager, Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 568kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 366kB)