DIO Associate Commercial Lead Permanent Joint Operational Bases (PJOBs)

Job summary

Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and care for the Defence Estate? DIO enables Defence to live, work, train and deploy, all with sustainability in mind. From net carbon zero accommodations to runways for the F35 fighter jets; our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe!

Learn much more about DIO in our Candidate Information Guide attached.

Join the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and have a future that matters: Be proud; Be challenged; Be unique.

To enable this DIO recognises that a diverse workforce is at the heart of different insights, ideas, and innovation. A workforce diverse in background and life experience produces trusted public services and better decisions. We want our people to be curious and continuously strive for improvement, collaborative in an inclusive culture, ambitious and resilient and committed to Defence, empowered and able to challenge so you can play a key part in shaping the direction of our organisation.

To enable this DIO commits to offering its employees:

• The ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by DIO
• Free membership for professional qualifications including CIPS
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by DIO
• Opportunity to join 6 networks covering Disability, Faith and Belief, Gender Equality, LGBTQI+, Race, Social Mobility and 3 networks dealing with employee wellbeing and support: Speak Safe Volunteers, Mental Health First Aiders and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisers
• Opportunity to drive and embed sustainable practices and solutions through delivering and managing sustainable procurement for Defence estates

About DIO

View our YouTube video to see more about our work

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week, however the Ministry of Defence offers a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for employees.

Job description

This role is based in the Falkland Islands. You will be the Associate Commercial Lead working within the DIO Permanent Joint Operational Bases (PJOBs) commercial team leading the commercial delivery of facilities management in British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) as well as providing local commercial support for infrastructure and construction.

The facilities management portfolio is predominantly contract and performance management focused, however you will also be required to undertake sourcing activity and support the wider PJOBS and overseas commercial teams. The work will often require problem solving to overcome the challenges with overseas sourcing and contract management, understanding local markets, remote base locations, long lead times, and logistics challenges.

This role provides a great opportunity to gain experience in working with overseas locations, where diplomacy and regulation must be central to contracts delivered. This offers a fantastic opportunity to travel to overseas locations and work as part of a dynamic team, building strong relationships with overseas suppliers, supply chain and locally employed staff.

You will be based in BFSAI, with support from two UK based HEOs who you will task manage and support their professional development.

Your line manager will be based in the UK.

You may be required to travel to other PJOBs locations.

About the Permanent Joint Operational Bases (PJOBs) team

The DIO overseas Commercial Permanent Joint Operational Bases (PJOBs) team provides sourcing and contract management for a combination of Hard Facilities Management (HFM), Soft Facilities Management (SFM) and Total Facilities Management (TFM) services to each of the Permanent Joint Operating Bases (PJOBs) of British Forces in Gibraltar, British Forces Cyprus, British Forces South Atlantic Islands (Falkland Islands and Ascension Island), Germany estate and wider Europe.

Our team operates across both Hard Facilities Management (such as building maintenance and infrastructure) and Soft Facilities Management (such as cleaning and catering), ensuring the smooth running of essential services to customers living and working on the MOD’S overseas estate. Alongside contract management, the team provides wider commercial and procurement advice to MOD partners, including sourcing contracts and operational support, as well as small, medium and large-scale construction procurements and contract management.

Joining us means being part of a team that values professional growth, innovation, and the opportunity to make a tangible impact. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding role in a unique setting, we would love to hear from you.

Why Join us

This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate passion for wanting to change things for the better, using your outstanding blend of experience and capabilities to supply to the continuous improvement of the Defence Estate by taking a lead role in the delivery of DIO’s infrastructure programmes, which is vital for supporting our armed forces.

Do you want to be part of a hardworking and impactful team, inclusive team environment with a strong profile in our Commercial organisation? Exercising judgement and making good evidence-based decisions whilst staying focused on supporting outstanding delivery of capital project outcomes for our customers.

You will be fully supported and empowered by an experienced team of Commercial leaders who will help you to develop and move through the Commercial career pathway within DIO, using targeted Learning and Development programs, enabling you to have the opportunity for line management responsibility depending on team, individual needs and leadership aspirations.

We are having a 1 - hour open surgery so you can ask questions about this vacancy. Please call us on:

• 23rd April 2026 - 12:30 - 13:30 hrs - Phone Number +44 20 3443 8728, Conference ID 343069429#

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

As an Associate Commercial Lead at DIO Commercial, you will:

• Lead the Commercial team for British Forces South Atlantic Islands (Falklands and Ascension Island) delivering contract management and sourcing within the PJOBS team as well as supporting DIO overseas infrastructure commercial activity in the South Atlantic Islands
• Monitor contractor performance against contractual obligations, align with procurement regulations including overseas agreements, contract amendments, and source new contracts
• Have strong stakeholder management skills, working closely with military and civilian colleagues to deliver facilities management services
• Build strong relationships with contractors, supply chains, military, and civilian colleagues
• Have excellent communication skills with the ability to refine complex technical advice into a singular, tailored message for multiple audiences, with varying levels of subject matter knowledge
• Build strong relationships with both the governments of Ascension Islands and Falkland Islands looking for synergies for the mutual benefit for both parties
• Task manage and support the professional development of two UK based HEOs

Responsibilities

As part of this role your key responsibilities will be to:

• Lead on contract management of a range of contracts including Facilities Management (Hard & Soft) and construction contracts for BFSAI; ensuring contracts deliver the required outputs, negotiating contract amendments and pricing when needed
• Develop procurement and commercial strategies on single source or competitive routes, advertise contracts using digital tools, develop tender documentation and lead/support in tender activities, including negotiations and provide value for money
• Provide commercial scrutiny of additional work services and validation checks of spreadsheets, analysis of data, benchmarking and provide insight to the senior leadership team for endorsement
• Develop collaborative relationships with stakeholders, including suppliers, internal and external customers who may be senior to achieve optimal cost and performance
• Engage with a diverse range of customers in a timely and appropriate manner, providing specialist commercial advice and support to customers. Actively seeking out opportunities to promote commercial awareness
• Provide assurance and governance of localised commercial activity across a range of overseas locations, including the auditing and mentoring of non-commercial staff holding a non-commercial delegation
• Maintain accurate Management Information to track and manage benefits, savings, and commercial risks for the portfolio
• Contribute to the commercial community by sharing processes and learning from experience

Essential Criteria

• Experience in managing contracts of medium to high complexity/value/risk
• Have strong commercial knowledge
• Understands the need for trade-offs in an area of responsibility and can apply the commercial principles within the boundaries of contract law
• Must be able to deliver at pace within a complex stakeholder environment
• Experience in supporting the procurement process across an area of responsibility
• Has strong stakeholder engagement skills and can present technical advice successfully in order to influence internal and external decision making
• Ability to work independently and act within the delegation
• You must be a qualified Commercial Officer at Practitioner Level. This means you will have achieved CIPS Level 4

Desirable

• Experience in leading the end-to-end procurement process across an area of responsibility
• Experience of working in isolation from the team or in a geographically remote location
• Experience of managing facilities management and/or construction contracts
• Knowledge of industry standard facility management contracts (for example NEC contracts)

Qualifications

•You must be a qualified Commercial Officer at Practitioner Level. This means you will have achieved CIPS Level 4
Evidence of qualification will be required at interview
All qualifications/licences declared must be held at point of application and if applicable, be in date. Equivalent Qualifications will not be accepted

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Section 3 - Contract Management - 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance - Practitioner level
• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Section 2 - Sourcing - 3. Executing the Sourcing Strategy - Developing the Sourcing Strategy - Practitioner level
• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Section 3 – Contract Management – 3. Contract Performance Management – Managing Contractual Variations or Amendments - Practitioner level

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Commercial Skills and Competency Framework - Section 3 - Contract Management - 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance - Practitioner level

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Highly competitive Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Opportunity to join one of our several D&I Networks. We value diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Most sites have free car parking, Sports & Social Clubs, Gym, on site shops and subsidised canteens

To learn more about our full range of benefits, view our Candidate Information Guide attached.

Allowances

Commercial Market Skills Allowance £1500 (MSA) if eligible and certain conditions met.

Discover My Benefits

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

This post offers full relocation allowances subject to availability. Cost of Living Overseas Allowances is payable based on personal circumstances and marital status.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework and Commercial Skills and Competency Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile and the Commercial Skills and Competency Framework elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Please provide your evidence using the STAR Technique using the attached information on how to apply.

Situation: Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand. Where are you? Who was there with you? What had happened?

Task: The recruitment panel will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in. What was the task that you had to complete and why? What did you have to achieve?

Action: What did you do? The recruitment panel will be looking for information of what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do.

Result: Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures easily understandable. What results did the actions produce? What did you achieve through your actions, and did you meet your goals? Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience? Keep the situation and task parts brief.

Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths. When providing your evidence please ensure that you avoid acronyms and company specific jargon.

At applicationyou will be assessed against the following:

Experience:

• CV - detailing Job History, Full qualifications, Previous Skills and Experience
• Personal Statement - As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of 750 words, the purpose for this, is for you to showcase your relevant skills and experience against the essential criteria. The statement is your opportunity to give examples of how you fit the requirements of the role.

When writing a personal statement, it is important that you:

• Read the job advert so you are clear about the job requirements
• Outline the skills and experience that you have that are relevant to the job and use examples to help demonstrate this
• Keep to the word limit, if your statement is too brief it will not provide the required depth of detail and evidence to be assessed fully

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Technical: Commercial Skills and Competency Framework Practitioner level

• Section 3 - Contract Management - 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical: Commercial Skills and Competency Framework Practitioner level

• Section 3 - Contract Management - 3. Contract Performance Management - Measuring and Monitoring Contract Performance
• Section 2 - Sourcing - 3. Executing the Sourcing Strategy - Developing the Sourcing Strategy
• Section 3 - Contract Management - 3. Contract Performance Management - Managing Contractual Variations or Amendments

Please review the Commercial Skills and Competency element that we require evidence on, please ensure that you review and understand the description of this testing element at Practitioner level.

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn't always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months.

Application sifting is scheduled to take place on week commencing: 11th May 2026.

Interviews are currently taking place remotely through a digital platform, this will be confirmed with the successful candidates who are invited to an interview and will be conducted week commencing: 25th May 2026.

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

To assist with your application please find attached below:

1. MOD Candidate Pack 2024
2. DIO Candidate Information Guide - Accessible Version
3. Commercial Skills and Competency Framework
4. Further Information - External

For help and support with your application check out our Civil Service Careers Homepage and the How to apply section

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

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.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.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 : BI Resourcing Team
• Email : DIOComrcl-BIResourcingTeam@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

MOD Candidate Pack 2024 Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)DIO Candidate Information Guide - Accessible Version (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 443kB)Commercial Skills and Competency Framework_v1_Sep17-O (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 1812kB)20241009 - Further Information - External (11) Opens in new window (docx, 35kB)