Senior Commercial Manager – Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) - Military Joint Overseas Operations

Job summary

Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) Mission: ‘Generate and operate specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the United Kingdom secure at home and strong abroad.’ The Command excels in defining integrated training, preparing our people for the fight today and tomorrow, through diplomatic and military effects. Delivering always on data, information, and intelligence, enabling our people to make the right decisions in the toughest of conditions. Constantly combatting Cyber and Electromagnetic threats, protecting our people and strategic assets. Executing and supporting the fight, ensuring our people deploy with the best equipment and benefit from world leading medical services.

CSOC Commercial has a rich and varied portfolio of contracts across multiple categories of spend. We have 100 commercial specialists geographically spread over the globe covering contracts worth £7.5bn. It is a dynamic and exciting place to work at the leading edge of Defence. We welcome diversity, we our passionate about inclusivity, and love challenge that drives innovation. We value each individual contribution, learn together, and deliver stronger.

This post is within the CSOC Commercial Team directly supporting strategic joint military hubs overseas. You will support the Integrated Global Defence Network (IGDN) Overseas Bases. This post is located in Cyprus but will support the wider IGDN Portfolio which may include the following locations, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Germany, Cyprus, and Oman. Travel to these locations as required.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

This is an established MOD post within Cyprus and any Cypriot National will not be eligible to apply as a UKBC (UK British Civil Servant).

Strategic Command Transformation:

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. Because of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

Job description

This role is leading the military joint overseas operations commercial team within Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) based in Cyprus, and offers a unique opportunity to make change and be a Commercial leader in a diverse, interesting, overseas and high tempo military environment. You will play a crucial and pivotal role leading and cultivating the Commercial team, displaying significant commercial experience and deputising for Asst Hd Commercial as required. You will need exceptional leadership qualities knowing how to bring the best out of people, developing and supporting individuals in and outside the team. You will have the opportunity to maintain an inclusive working culture, whilst working with a wide range of Defence stakeholders. This is a hybrid role of leadership and Commercial subject matter expertise giving you an ideal opportunity to build and hone the skills required for progression.

The portfolio of work is varied and includes both sourcing and contract management and often requires problem solving to overcome the challenges associated with overseas contracting, understanding local markets, remote base locations, long lead times and logistics challenges.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate commercial leadership to guide and coach stakeholders through the commercial process to reach outcomes that are compliant with regulations and policy. You will be working with a diverse range of stakeholders to offer sound commercial advice and develop achievable commercial strategies. You will need the ability to manage competing priorities, assess information and articulate needs that is understood by stakeholders with a range of previous procurement experience.

Your team will consist of 1 HEO, 2 x EOs and 1 x Locally Employed Civilian all based in Cyprus.

Your LM will be based in the UK.

The tour length is 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 x 1 years with Line Management approval.

This is an established MoD post within Cyprus and any Cypriot National will not be eligible to apply as a UKBC.

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

The successful candidate must perform in the position quickly and without the need for significant improvement, therefore they must have.

• Experience of working in Defence or understand how Defence does its business.
• Experience of working in a commercial role with a comprehensive understanding of public procurement routes to market for requirements ranging in value, complexity, and sensitivity.
• Exceptional leadership qualities and know how to bring the best out of people, developing and supporting individuals and the team.
• 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.
• The ability to work in an ambiguous environment, problem solving and delivering commercial solutions, often at pace with competing priorities.
• The ability to assess information rapidly, seek clarity or additional information where necessary and articulate needs or processes in a way that is understood by the diverse stakeholder audience.
• Line Management experience.
• Excellent organisational skills, recording and tracking data and MI, managing a busy pipeline of activity and ensuring commercial compliance via audit trails.

Responsibilities

As part of this role your key responsibilities will be:

• Lead and develop the commercial team based in Cyprus, to ensure a consistent and value-added approach is adopted in their engagement with customers and stakeholders. The Line Management for this role is based in the UK.
• Lead and support the team with your commercial expertise in drafting, issuing, and evaluating tenders whilst working collaboratively with the wider Strategic Command Commercial team on best practice and lessons learned.
• Ensure compliance to PA23 ensuring stakeholders and team understand their responsibilities
• Support in providing a Commercial service to Contract Management and re-procurement of critical contracts such as Secondary Health Care contract and Logistics support contract .
• Develop an understanding of the customer challenges and unique political landscape and sensitivities of the customer location and its impacts on the procurement strategy whilst proactively navigating policy to successfully deliver solutions.
• Develop a network across Defence including other Front-Line Commands, Government Departments, Crown Commercial Services and Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office to enable better stakeholder engagement.
• Provide a confident approach to Risk Management. Balancing commercial risk v operational risk v resources v priorities in the pursuit of efficient solutions.
• Ensure accurate Management Information Actively seek out and promote ‘Commercial Awareness’ opportunities.
• Act as a role model, mentor and leader for others, developing the team to get the best of out of each individual.

Be willing to complete all required elements to obtain their Practioner Commercial Licence and MSA Allowance:

1. CIPS Level 4
2. Procurement Reform eLearning
3. CMCP Foundation eLearning
4. Sourcing Mechanics Course.

Desirable Criteria.

The successful candidate must provide evidence of CIPS level 4 ( or equivalent ) or be willing to work towards this by commencing study within one year of appointment.

Licences

Driving Licence.
Evidence will be required at interview.

All qualifications, licences or memberships declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date. Equivalents will not be accepted.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Developing Self and Others
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Sourcing – Executing the Sourcing Strategy (Practitioner Level)
• Contract Performance Management (Practitioner Level)

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

• Sourcing – Executing the Sourcing Strategy (Practitioner Level)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,590, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,917 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

CSOC is passionate about delivering excellent commercial outcomes for our customers but we also understand you will have a life outside of work; we respect your priorities, and our industry leading flexible workings practices will give you real freedom to balance work and life. We employ talented people who challenge and guide each other whilst providing a culture of inclusion and diversity.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year.
• Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments.
• Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing.
• Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.

Overseas:

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

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.

Stage 1 – Application

To apply for this job, please submit:

CV – A CV outlining your job history, full qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Personal Statement – A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience meet the role description and responsibilities.

We will be offering the opportunity to join a one-hour teams call so that you can ask questions about this role.

Please call us on 03033711691

• 15 January 2026 13:00hrs-14:00hrs
• 19 January 2026 11:00hrs-12:00hrs

We will assess you against the CV, Personal Statement and the following Civil Service Behaviours and Commercial Technical Skills during the sift process:

Success Profiles: Behaviours –

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills -

• Sourcing - Executing the Sourcing Strategy (Practitioner Level)

You should ensure that you read and understand the criteria within the Success Profiles: Behaviours and the Commercial Skills and Competency Framework documents and provide evidence of those criteria using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format.

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 or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

Stage 2 – Sift

We aim to release sift results to applications 1 to 2 weeks following the closing date. Depending on the volume of applications, these dates may be subject to change.

Feedback will only be given if you attend an interview.

Stage 3 – Interviews

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to undertake a single virtual video interview which will be conducted via Microsoft Teams and will take around 60 minutes.

During the interview we will be asking questions to assess you against the Civil Service Behaviours and Commercial Technical Skills as referenced below.

This will include a 5-minute presentation, further details will be sent ahead of the interview.

Success Profiles: Behaviours –

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Developing self and Others
• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills -

• Sourcing - Executing the Sourcing Strategy (Practitioner Level)
• Contract Management - Contract Performance Management (Practitioner Level)

Interviews are scheduled to take place 3 to 4 weeks after the job advert has closed. These dates may be subject to change depending on the volume of candidates we have to interview.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : Claire Hussey
• Email : Claire.Hussey920@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbscivpers-resourcingteam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached

Attachments

20200917 - Further Information - Internal Across Government (1) Opens in new window (docx, 42kB)20170329-Commercial_Skills_and_Competency_Framework_v1-1-O Opens in new window (pdf, 1811kB)20250227-Candidate Information Pack - O Opens in new window (pdf, 453kB)20241122-Candidate Information Pack V5-Accessibility-O Opens in new window (pdf, 469kB)