Senior Commercial Officer - Air Commercial

Job summary

The Air Commercial Team is a Front-Line Commercial Branch, a part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Commercial Function and the Government Commercial Function (GCF). We are embedded within the Royal Air Force (RAF) operating out of Headquarters Air Command (based at RAF High Wycombe) with regional representation primarily situated at RAF Cosford, RAF Leeming and MOD Lyneham. A fast-tempo, strategic and progressive Military Headquarters, the Air Commercial Team deliver innovative commercial solutions and maximum value for the RAF.

This is a hugely exciting time to be joining Air Commercial and its Senior Management Team. Through our continued transformation and investment in people, processes, and relationships, we are seeing increasing demand for our support across the whole of the commercial lifecycle at both an operational and strategic level to deliver technologically pioneering capability and support services for the RAF.

The Air Commercial Team handles a contract portfolio of circa 300 live contracts totalling £3.6bn on behalf of the RAF by contracting across a diverse portfolio of requirements from Space Command to digital demand, helping aircraft take off and safely land, from trialling war-fighting capabilities to training our new recruits.

You will work within a highly capable team who will support you to develop your skills, knowledge and experience, this is a highly responsive area with opportunities to develop and grow within a supportive environment. We are looking for individuals with a keen interest in working to support the delivery of projects needed to support our Armed Forces and to develop their own skills as a Commercial practitioner.

Air Commercial has a wide stakeholder base, with regular interaction to ensure commercial strategies deliver the capabilities required by the Command and we frequently collaborate with other forces in the MOD, Cabinet Office and other government departments.

The Commercial function works alongside project managers, finance & technical staff and our military colleagues to purchase the equipment and services that the MOD requires ensuring that all is fit for purpose and achieves the best possible Value for Money.

This role is suitable for hybrid working. Job holders may work from home or another MOD site, with regular attendance at their duty station as required based on individual, team and business needs.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week

Job description

The post holder will provide a prompt and efficient commercial service in accordance with departmental policy and best practice, whilst delivering best value for money.

The Air Command Commercial Team provides the ideal platform to develop an understanding of the procurement and commercial processes within the MOD and includes areas such as sourcing, contract management, supplier management and category management all to meet the customers’ needs.

Main responsibilities

• Investigation and research of new procurement requirements, determining routes to market, carrying out early market engagement and producing commercial strategies.

• Responsible for the effective leadership and management of a dedicated team of Commercial Officers.

• Participate in procurement activities from advertising new requirements, Pre-Qualifying Questionnaires, drafting and issuing Invitation to Tender documentation and evaluation of bids through to contract award.

• Keeping abreast of departmental commercial policy and procedural and administration directives, and to apply that information accordingly.

• Ensure contracts continue to provide value for money throughout their duration and that the contractors fully meet their contractual obligations.

• Lead in tender exercises and evaluation of bids, including carrying out procurement from Advert, Pre-Qualifying Questionnaires, tender exercises and evaluation of bids through to Contract Award working closely with the requirement owner/customer.

• Lead contract reviews / governance meetings at defined periods in accordance with the Contract Management Plan.

• Provide letters, briefs, reports and statistics for project and senior management as required.

• Production and maintenance of contract documentation, management of records, performance metrics and KPI monitoring and support to the team.

• Build and maintain, appropriate effective working relationships within the Delivery Team, and with internal and external stakeholders including Military and non-Military customers and Defence Suppliers.

• Support line management in identification of commercial risks associated with delivery of contracts and issues that arise during the life of contracts

• Provide and maintain quality and relevant Management Information (MI), contracts pipeline, recording of benefits and savings utilising systems such as the MOD's e-procurement tool CP&F.

• Administer internal Management Information’s Systems and ensure records and data are up to date and correct and that policy is adopted and applied accordingly.
• Maintain and improve levels of competence by implementing a personnel development plan, reflecting the necessary training requirements associated with the post

Person specification

We are passionate about delivering great things for our customers. But we also know you will have a life outside of work; we respect your priorities, and our industry leading flexible working practices will give you real freedom to balance work and life.

We employ talented people who challenge and guide each other. At Air Commercial you will work within a highly capable team who will support you to develop your skills, knowledge and experience.

Previous experience in commercial is essential, training and development will be provided to the successful candidate.

Key Skills and Experience

Essential

• CIPS level 4 or above, or willing to study CIPS Level 4 within 6 months of starting the role
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience in establishing and maintaining stakeholder relationships
• Experience in procurement contracting and delivery
• Public sector procurement experience
• Willing to undertake travel to relevant MOD Locations as required to meet business needs.
• Line management experience.
• Problem solving and balancing multiple requirements will be of benefit in the role as will the ability to plan and prioritise.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Understanding Needs and Sourcing Options
• Procurement Process

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Flexible working
• Training and personal development opportunities
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years’ service
• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• A highly competitive Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Subsidised membership to a fitness suite and lunchtime/evening Military led fitness classes
• Café and shop on site

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

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.

Any move to MOD 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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

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 Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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.

Please present your evidence using the S.T.A.R. format (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

Applicants are strongly advised to ensure that their submission uses the STAR format and demonstrates the behaviours detailed at SEO level in the Civil Service Success Profiles – Civil Service Behaviours booklet. Comprehensive coverage on Success Profiles can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Stage 1: Application

A 500 word Statement of Suitability, and CV, will be required for this position; this cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard, detailing job history, full qualifications, previous experience and skills.

Your Statement of Suitability should contain details about how you meet the Essential criteria detailed in the Person Specification.

We will also assess your response to the behaviour-based questions where you will need to provide evidence of:

Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at Pace

In the event of a large number of applications we will use the CV and Personal Statement only to assess your application during the sift stage.

Stage 2: Interview

If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to a video interview using MS Teams, where you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical skills listed below as well as Experienced based examples.

Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a quality service

Technical Skills:

Please refer to the attached GCF People Standards for Profession booklet

• Understanding Needs and Sourcing Options
• Procurement Process

The initial candidate sift is expected to be completed by Mid-August 26.

Interviews with sifted candidates are expected to take place w/c 31st August 2026

The timeline above is only provisional and is subject to change depending on the volume of applications received.

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

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. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It 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 mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

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.

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.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 : George Ort
• Email : George.Ort100@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

20230201 - Air Command's Applicant Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 499kB)Defence Civil Servant Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Government_Commercial_Function__GCF__People_Standards_for_the_Profession_Version_3.0_ Opens in new window (pdf, 488kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)