Head of Category for Technology x 2

Job summary

CCS is the largest provider of commercial agreements to Central Government and across the wider public sector, leveraging around £30bn per annum spend. As part of the Commercial Directorate you will be focused on shaping and leading our Technology category strategy and portfolio which delivers significant value across all aspects of IT procurement, products and services.

Your expertise in large scale technology procurement and leadership skills will be instrumental guiding and leading teams across the public sector in best practice procurement and development of leading edge commercial solutions and projects.

You will play a key role in developing category strategies working with multiple customers across central and wider public sector, driving innovative value-added services, and effective procurement routes to market.

This varied role offers the scope to embrace greater challenges as the business expands and we adapt to the evolving needs of our suppliers and customers, as well as emerging industry trends in technology procurement.

We are specifically looking for commercial/procurement experts with deep category knowledge in one or more of the following areas: software, cloud, AI, or technology services.

Knowledge of public procurement regulations is desirable but not essential.

Job description

You will be joining a team of around 130 technology procurement professionals who deliver commercial solutions across a range of central government and wider public sector customers.

As Head of Category you will be expected to engage with senior leaders and stakeholders to drive outcomes which enable value for the nation.

You will interface into strategic IT suppliers to the public sector, as well as SME’s, to be enable delivery of their products and solutions.

Your role will deliver outcomes which may include:

• Strategic agreements with global IT suppliers
• Strategies for departments to drive value in their supply chains
• Framework agreements – design, build, and operate
• Buyer and supplier engagement and continuous improvement activities

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: Head of Category (Commercial Directorate, Technology)

Leadership & Strategy:

• Lead teams to achieve business plan objectives across customer value, operational excellence, and capability growth within the Commercial Directorate.
• Serve as a key member of the Technology senior management and leadership team, collaborating to drive collective success.
• Develop and execute comprehensive procurement strategies, including category strategies, joint planning with customers, and leveraging market insight for innovative solutions.

Team & People Management:

• Line manage and develop a team of procurement professionals (typically 8-10 direct reports).
• Foster commercial capability growth through sharing expertise and driving personal development initiatives within the team.

Operational Excellence & Stakeholder Management:

• Drive operational excellence in managing the supplier base.
• Ensure compliance and consistency in delivery by working closely with CCS business partners and wider stakeholders.

Please note:

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) will become Government Commercial Agency (GCA) on 1 April 2026. Please visit our websitefor further details.

Technical skills

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

• Commercial delivery of large-scale enterprise IT solutions with key software, cloud, AI or tech suppliers. Includes implementing public sector(or CIPS-aligned private sector)procurement practice in complex customer/stakeholder environments.
• Deep understanding of software, cloud, AI and technology services industry, including current trends & key public sector IT suppliers. Proven experience in category strategy development informed by industry analysis and supply chain insights.
• Expertise and leadership in the delivery of software, cloud, AI, or technology services commercial outcomes through engagement, negotiation, implementation of IT supply contracts.
• Ability to build relationships with senior managers to set, and influence, strategic direction and deliver on their customer, service, or IT solution requirements.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing and developing high performance procurement teams, directly managed and in a matrixed structure.

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/

Please note that any move across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

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 note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 24 April 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-re…

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.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.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 : Lynsey Munro
• 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

451293 - Head of Category for Technology x 2 - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 450kB)Guaranteed Interview Schemes (GIS) Opens in new window (pdf, 70kB)