Head of Commercial – Digital

Job summary

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is leading one of the most ambitious digital transformation agendas in government. The department is responsible for modernising how public services are designed, delivered and operated, replacing legacy approaches with platforms, products and delivery models designed to work at national scale.

This Head of Commercial role is focused on supporting the Government Digital Service (GDS) portfolio, the engine room of digital transformation across government. Work spans both the operation of nationally critical digital services and large-scale change to how government works. This includes owning and improving live products such as GOV.UK and One Login that are used by millions of people every day, alongside work to tackle the structural issues that stop services joining up. Improving how government understands users, how data is accessed and shared, and how departments design and deliver services across organisational boundaries. Together, this portfolio supports long-term reform, reliable delivery at scale, and more joined-up, user-centred public services.

This work supports large-scale digital transformation programmes with national impact. You will support major programmes as they scale, modernise and transition to new operating models, shaping commercial strategies that enable change rather than constrain it. The role offers the opportunity to influence decisions early, design commercial approaches that work for modern digital delivery, and help programmes move at pace while managing complexity, risk and public value.

You will work closely with teams delivering GDS programmes and platforms, providing commercial leadership across strategy, sourcing, contracting and supplier management. The work is high-profile, fast-moving and often precedent-setting, with a direct impact on nationally visible digital services used by millions of people.

DSIT Commercial operates as a central function, bringing together experienced commercial professionals supporting a broad and evolving portfolio. While your primary focus will be on GDS-led transformation, you will be part of a wider commercial community, with opportunities over time to work across other DSIT priority programmes, technologies and policy areas.

This role offers the chance to shape how digital government is delivered at scale, working on programmes that genuinely change how the state operates. If you are motivated by complex transformation, enjoy working where delivery, risk and innovation collide, and want to have real influence over high-impact digital programmes, this is a role where your judgement and expertise will matter.

Job description

The role supports major digital transformation initiatives, including nationally significant platforms and services that operate at scale across government.

The role will involve line management as well as a big focus on providing senior commercial leadership to complex delivery programmes. You will work closely with teams responsible for delivering GDS products and platforms, advising on commercial strategy, sourcing options, contracting approaches and supplier performance throughout the lifecycle.

Key stakeholders include programme and delivery leaders, within GDS, senior departmental officials, finance and legal colleagues, and a wide range of technology and delivery suppliers. You will act as a trusted commercial adviser, helping teams navigate complexity, manage risk and make informed decisions that support transformation objectives.

You will lead defined areas of commercial activity, while supporting more complex or high-risk procurements across the digital, data and technology portfolio. This may include platform and service sourcing, software and technology arrangements, and supplier partnerships operating in fast-moving and evolving delivery environments. The role requires the ability to apply commercial judgement, adapt approaches to suit modern digital delivery, and support programmes through change as services scale or transition.

In addition to your portfolio responsibilities, you will contribute to DSIT Commercial’s wider objectives, including strengthening commercial capability, improving tools and processes, and supporting a consistent, pragmatic approach to commercial delivery across an evolving departmental portfolio.

As a senior member of the DSIT Commercial team, you’ll lead commercial activity for a defined part of the GDS portfolio, working closely with delivery, digital, policy and operational colleagues. You’ll report to a Deputy Director and play a visible leadership role across GDS and DSIT’s broader commercial function.

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

• Lead and develop a team of commercial professionals, setting direction and driving high performance.
• Lead the development and delivery of commercial strategies across your area of responsibility.
• Provide expert commercial support and intervention across the full commercial lifecycle.
• Advise senior stakeholders on routes to market, risk, value for money and delivery confidence.
• Lead engagement with suppliers, managing performance, risk and contractual obligations.
• Negotiate effectively with suppliers to secure value, resolve issues and drive improved outcomes.
• Represent commercial in programme governance and contribute to key decision-making forums.
• Contribute to DSIT’s wider commercial improvement agenda, embedding best practice and innovation.
• Collaborate across the function to share insight, improve consistency and strengthen capability.

Technical skills

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

• Assesses commercial and delivery risk with confidence, balancing innovation with compliance and proactively mitigating issues across complex delivery environments, even with incomplete information.
• Significant experience leading complex, high-value commercial or procurement activity, within a technology, digital, infrastructure or innovation-led environment.
• Significant experience leading complex, high-value commercial or procurement activity, within a technology, digital, infrastructure or innovation-led environment.
• Ability to develop others through feedback, coaching and stretch opportunities, building team capability and creating an inclusive, high-performing environment.
• Demonstrable experience developing and delivering commercial strategies in ambiguous or novel contexts.

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 6th of August 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 : 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)20260701 OFFSEN 469515 - Head of Commercial – Digital - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 598kB)