Senior Policy Advisor - Domestic Policy (Economic Growth)

Job summary

In these times of global economic uncertainty, public procurement has a crucial role to play in bolstering domestic competitiveness, making the economy stronger and more resilient, and providing a solid foundation of security for British businesses. As a cornerstone of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, public procurement must be designed to drive growth, and leverage the UK’s unique strengths and untapped potential.

At the heart of public service reform is the transformation of public procurement. With the UK’s annual £400 billion spend on goods, works, and services, procurement is not merely a function; it is a powerful lever for national renewal so people around the UK feel this government spend through investment in their skills and opportunities to access high quality jobs close to home.

Strengthen the UK’s economic resilience and supporting British businesses, by strategically leveraging our annual public procurement spend, is the way to protect our supply chains, open up new opportunities for local small businesses and social enterprises, create good local jobs, and deliver greater value for taxpayers.

We can do this by designing, developing and implementing innovative procurement policies to ensure that every buying decision contributes towards the government’s plan for national renewal.

Job description

Senior Policy Advisors play a crucial role in supporting their Team Leader and the senior leadership team in the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of procurement policy measures. This is a fast-paced environment and Senior Policy Advisors will be responsible for leading a mixed portfolio of policy priorities, taking the lead of all aspects of the policy lifecycle using a proactive, collaborative approach. They will be required to draw on their demonstrable commercial experience and acumen to ensure proposed policy measures are robust and can be deployed successfully, in a streamlined and simplified way, across the commercial lifecycle without creating barriers or burdens.

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 the design, development, and implementation of policy measures in line with the government’s Missions, Foundations and Plan for Change, specifically in one of the following clusters: Social & Missions, Environment & Technology, Economic Growth
  
  
• Use commercial experience and acumen to ensure policy measures can be seamlessly deployed into the commercial lifecycle
  
  
• Conduct thorough research and analysis to inform policy proposals, ensuring alignment with governmental priorities and legal requirements
  
  
• Lead and contribute to stakeholder engagement activities, such as Trade Organisations, Crown Representatives, Strategic Suppliers, International Governments etc, to promote our activities and direction of travel and to seek feedback on policy design and new measures to ensure stakeholder buy-in
  
  
• Lead on presenting policy ideas and proposals to Ministers (and seniors) as required, and support to Team Leaders and others to do so
  
  
• Prepare high quality strategic reports, briefing papers, and presentations that clearly outline policy recommendations and implications, using data-driven evidence to support proposals
  
  
• Engage with contracting authorities across central government and the wider public sector, providing guidance and support to aid in the practical implementation of new procurement policies
  
  
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of implemented policies, collaborating with peers across the team and outside to identify areas for synergy, efficiency and continuous improvement
  
  
• Horizon-scanning to maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in public procurement, and of relevant policy areas to provide insights to the team and make recommendations for adjustments as necessary
  
  
• Lead on and support Team Leaders in chairing/co-chairing cross-departmental meetings where necessary, leading sub-groups and Task/Finish groups to develop and deliver specific initiatives
  
  
• Take on line management responsibility and development of junior team members in the team, as required, providing developmental support and mentorship, fostering an environment of learning and professional growth within the team.

Technical skills

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

• Demonstrable experience of using public procurement rules to successfully deliver policy and commercial outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and deliver multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Proven ability to work independently as well as part of a cohesive team, contributing positively to group dynamics.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, capable of articulating complex concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience collaborating across different departments and organisations, at a range of levels including Ministers/Perm Sec/DG level.
• Proven experience in policy design, analysis and development, with the ability to translate complex issues into actionable policy proposals.
• Strong understanding of the Procurement Act 2023 with experience of running procurements regulated by the Act.

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 be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Thursday 9th April 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-recruitment/
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 counter-terrorist 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 : Hayley Parfitt
• 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, 64kB)451147 - Candidate Pack - Cabinet Office - Senior Policy Advisor - Domestic Policy (Economic Growth).docx (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 460kB)