Senior Commercial Advisor

Job summary

This position will be based within the TRA's Corporate Services function, within which we are required to deliver our commercial procurement functions effectively and efficiently, inclusive of supplier management, commercial acumen, governance assurance mechanisms and service agreements with departments across the Civil Service. A range of services are provided through TRA contracts, such as Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) services, cyber security, events management, media monitoring, third-party data services, market intelligence, legal services, health and wellbeing services and leadership development.

Within the collaborative team culture of the TRA, you will have opportunities to develop and influence our commercial projects. This is a great time to join us to help deliver the TRA's Commercial Strategy.

Job description

As a Senior Commercial Advisor, you will be delivering the best possible commercial outcomes for the TRA. The postholder will be responsible for elements of the end-to-end aspects of the procurement process from market engagement and sourcing through to contract management.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing a range of commercial projects.
• Proactive engagement across key elements of the end-to-end commercial lifecycle, inclusive of pre-market engagement, sourcing and contract award.
• Maintaining a procurement pipeline to support the need for commercial engagements to start in good time, ensuring that the full range of commercial options can be considered.
• Help to assess and develop requirements to inform sourcing strategy to encourage strong competition and help secure best value for money.
• Complying fully with public procurement law, TRA commercial procedures, policy, and governance assurance processes.
• Utilise Information Technology tools effectively to manage and track procurement activities.
• Proactively lead, support and challenge stakeholders throughout the commercial lifecycle.
• Understand the TRA's goals and objectives to inform and deliver the commercial strategy.

Person specification

Personal Attributes & Skills

• Strong procurement capability: Ability to deliver value for money while ensuring full compliance with public procurement law and organisational procedures.
• Effective stakeholder management: Ability to lead, support and challenge stakeholders throughout the commercial lifecycle.
• Analytical and strategic thinking: Ability to assess requirements and evaluate commercial options.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills including maintaining procurement pipelines and managing multiple commercial projects simultaneously.
• Clear and confident communication skills: Able to explain commercial approaches, influence decision-making, and support cross-team working.
• Adaptability and resilience: Ability to work flexibly and respond effectively to competing priorities and a fast-paced workload.

Essential Experience

• Experience of carrying out procurements using a wide range of different routes to market, including utilising Government Frameworks.
• Experience of managing procurement across the entire commercial lifecycle, from early market engagement through to contract award.
• Working knowledge of Public Contract Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023, and how they apply in day-to-day commercial activity.
• Experience using digital tools to support procurement delivery, including software such as Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, and DocuSign.

Desirable Qualifications (not essential)

• CIPS Foundation qualification and/or full MCIPS qualification

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Technical-based interview questions assessing commercial capability.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,780, Trade Remedies Authority contributes £12,683 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Please refer to the candidate pack attached for further information.

Useful Information for Existing Civil Servants:

Existing Civil Servants should note that working for the TRA, you will be employed as a public servant. This means:

This vacancy is for a position in the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA). TRA employees are not Civil Servants. Individuals applying for this role from the Civil Service are advised to review terms prior to accepting the offer. Key terms are outlined in the benefits section of this advert (these are not exhaustive). Individuals can also discuss with hiring managers and the TRA People Team on resourcing.enquiries@traderemedies.gov.uk.

Your continuity of service for employment protection will start on the day you join us. We are not an employer of the Crown and therefore cannot recognise previous employment with the Civil Service for the purpose of qualifying for Employment Rights. An employee must have 2 years’ length of service with TRA before Employment Rights are recognised.

If you are a member of the Civil Service Pension scheme, your membership and reckonable service will continue with us, providing there is no break between your Civil Service employment and your employment as a public servant with TRA.

We will recognise the annual leave you have built up, up to a maximum of 30 days, and the sick pay entitlement taking account of your length of service in the Civil Service.

If you choose to re-join the Civil Service at any point in the future, this will be according to the policies of the department you are joining following your resignation from TRA. You may also wish to be aware that under Exception 5 of the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, the re-employment of a former Civil Servant is possible within a maximum of five years of leaving the Civil Service, subject to qualifying criteria being met and depending on the policies of the department you are joining.

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.

To Apply:

Please submit a CV and a personal statement of no more than 750 words. Your CV should set out your education, professional qualifications and employment history to demonstrate how you meet the requirements for the role. Your personal statement should provide evidence to demonstrate how your experience, skills and attributes make you suitable for the role.

If more than 20 applications are received, an initial sift will be conducted against personal statements.

Interview:

The interview assessment will consist of a behaviour, experience and technical-based interview. Further details will be shared with candidates successful at sift.

Timeline:

Advert closes: 9th February 2026.

Shortlist: From 10th February 2026.

Interviews: From 24th February 2026.

James Iddiols (Commercial & Contracts Manager) is offering the opportunity for an informal chat about the role up until 6th February 2026. Please email james.iddiols@traderemedies.gov.uk to arrange one.

Further Information

We are Inclusive

We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request adjustments.

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to TRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via TRArecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

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

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 : James Iddiols
• Email : james.iddiols@traderemedies.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : TRArecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment is on merit based on fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles, which can be found at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/20…. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, please contact: resourcing.enquiries@traderemedies.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission (at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilserv…).

Attachments

Candidate Pack - Interim (6) Opens in new window (pdf, 368kB)