Head of Commercial

Job summary

The DSIT Commercial and Grants Team are responsible for supporting DSIT Policy and digital colleagues to deliver high profile and exciting initiatives UK Wide, from setting up policies promoting investment to protecting national security, to teams deliver grants and commercial arrangements that enable innovative and exciting policy outcomes.

You will join the Commercial Innovation Hub (CIH). The commercial team supports x-Whitehall within and will benefit from a broad portfolio of commercial activity delivering commercial pathfinders.

The Government announced the Commercial Innovation Hub in the National Procurement Policy Statement launching the Procurement Act 2023. The CIH aims to unlock the power of innovation within the public sector and support the UK’s most innovative firms to grow. Integrating innovative solutions into government processes is critical to achieve the five missions and deliver the milestones in the Plan for Change.

The CIH is a centre of excellence for pioneering new approaches to service design and procurement. The Hub will facilitate a structured process of market engagement to identify more innovative ways to tackle government challenges while using the full flexibility introduced by the new Procurement Act. By doing so, we aim to foster a culture of strategic procurement that supports diverse innovations and enhances the delivery of public services.

Job description

This role will be responsible for delivering the CIH and be a critical enabler x-gov to deliver innovation measures in line x-Whitehall agreed objectives. The role reports to DD Commercial - Innovation and regularly advises the CIH’s sponsors: the National Technology Adviser (SRO), DSIT Commercial Directorate SLT, Government Chief Commercial Officer, and ministerial sponsors Vallance and Ward, and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury

This individual will also be responsible for ensuring alignment of the CIH with the new Government Commercial Agency and providing direction and strategy on commercial innovation across the GCF. The CIH core objectives and MVP which requires Head of Commercial Innovation leadership and FTE commitment to deliver.

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

Procurement of Innovation Agenda (measures & actions):

Budget/Entrepreneurship Prospectus Measures

1. Appoint Procurement Innovation Champions in all departments
2. Establish a new Innovation Marketplace
3. Review the government’s internal controls to remove common barriers to buying from innovative scaling companies
4. Explore changes to the procurement system to make it more friendly to innovative companies

PAC/NAO Measures

1. Letter from HMG, NAO & PAC to secretaries of state on managing risk appetite to enable the purchasing of innovative solutions.
2. HMG and NAO to explore partnership model where NAO representatives work directly with teams on initial innovative procurement projects
3. CIH and NAO to co-develop guidance framework to assess innovative procurement proposals
4. HMG and NAO to agree on a timetable to introduce proposed changes. This could be supported by practitioner training offers, such as seminars, which can facilitate shared learning of practical experiences.

X-Whitehall Innovation Strategy Subgroup Measures (FST)

1. Advice to FST on a separate innovation in procurement organisation to drive the innovation agenda.
2. Explore using AI legislation to create a procurement for innovation sandbox.
3. Advice to CX and PM on % spend targets to depts on procurement of innovation.

Commercial Innovation Hub core objectives:

• Accelerating Innovation: Accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development
• Technology for Good: Ensure new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared
• Realise the benefits of the Procurement Act: Making effective use of Procurement Act to leverage the new flexibilities for expertise and innovation to deliver improved public services and unlock growth and VFM.

Commercial Innovation Hub Minimum Viable Product – MVP

• Pathfinder Pipeline: Support up to four Pathfinder projects (subject to demand) by developing challenge statements and procurement strategies, leveraging department-funded CTT support.
• Understand the Commercial Innovation Landscape: Conduct a discovery reviewing existing funding models and assessing the implications of the Procurement Act, PPNs, and governance frameworks on innovation procurement.
• HMG IP Evaluation: lead the output of those recommendations to implement new IP positions and strategies when contracting with innovation focussed organisations. Building on previous advice provide by DSIT Advice on IP terms in government procurement.
• Document the Public Sector Innovation Ecosystem: Create a visual representation of the current state of innovation within the public sector, alongside recommendations for Year 2 activities, focusing on opportunities for collaboration, simplification, and digitalisation.
• Lead the development of an Innovation Marketplace Concept: Collaborate across government to design and build an Innovation Marketplace digital solution which provides a platform for innovation opportunities generated by the CIH to be connected to innovative organisations for engagement

In addition to this the Head of Commercial Innovation role will be leading a team of c. 12 FTE (FY26 onwards) including multiple disciplined roles across the GCF, DSIT, and Secondees from Scottish Government and industry.

Technical skills

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

• Identifies delivery and fraud risks, working with stakeholders to manage or eliminate them. Communicates risks effectively to ensure colleagues inside and outside commercial are cognisant of risks in their chosen approach.
• Experience of developing commercial policy, which meets government objectives. Applying commercial judgement, with an understand of markets, and leading complex procurement under the Procurement Act.
• Evidence of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders, through compelling messaging, collaborative working and effective delivery of commitments.
• Experience coaching, developing capability and shaping commercial skills in teams; developing and delivering culture changing learning and development programmes.
• Experience of working in a commercial environment developing innovative routes to market.

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 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 the 14th of May 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.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 : Ashlene Doherty
• 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, 70kB)20260407 OFFSEN 456551 - DSIT - Head of Commercial - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 413kB)