Senior Procurement Business Partner

Job summary

The Procurement Business Partner plays a pivotal role in enabling Ofgem to deliver value for money, manage risk effectively and comply fully with public sector procurement requirements. Embedded within a Directorate, the post holder will act as a trusted strategic partner to Directors and senior leaders, providing end‑to‑end procurement and commercial support across the full lifecycle of third‑party spend. Working collaboratively with fellow Procurement Business Partners, Finance Business Partners and wider Corporate Services colleagues, the role is responsible for shaping and delivering a multi‑year, rolling procurement plan that aligns to Directorate priorities and Ofgem’s overall business objectives.The post holder will lead on procurement and contract planning, oversee tender activity in line with Cabinet Office controls, and ensure robust governance, reporting and compliance with Managing Public Money. A key focus of the role is strengthening contract and supplier relationship management, including holding suppliers to account through structured governance and supporting contract managers across Ofgem through training, guidance and ongoing advice. The Procurement Business Partner will provide high‑quality management information and insight to support effective decision‑making, monitor in‑year and forecast spend, and identify opportunities to improve value for money and commercial outcomes. This role requires strong commercial judgement, the confidence to provide constructive challenge, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while building relationships founded on trust and credibility. With opportunities to contribute to the development of procurement policy, systems and continuous improvement initiatives, this 12‑month fixed‑term post offers a chance to make a tangible impact on Ofgem’s commercial capability and delivery.

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome - as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

Service Delivery

• Alongside other Directorate PBPs, provide professional procurement advice and assist the Head of Procurement to provide a framework that enables Directorates to ensure the department meets any and all public sector requirements, achieve best value and effectively manage risk for third-party spend
• Manage monthly and quarterly processes to track in year and forecast spend, performance and deliverables against agreed contracts
• Help maintain the procurement pipeline and contract register to help support and deliver all commercial reporting requirements
• Play a key role in the implementation and improvements of commercial systems for Ofgem.
• Assist with the implementation and embedding of supplier relationship management and Contract Management processes in Ofgem in compliance with CM Standards and commercial best practice
• Lead financial contract governance, hold suppliers to account through contract governance meetings
• Provide accurate and timely management information to support effective decision making.
• Manage consistent commercial policies and procurement processes across Ofgem in line with Managing Public Money and ensuring compliance requirements with Cabinet Office and Ofgem spending rules.
• Manage procurement tenders and controls in line with Cabinet Office procurement policy notes
• Ensure compliance and reporting for Cabinet Office spend controls for consultancy and commercial

Procurement and Commercial Expertise

• Engage and influence stakeholders across Ofgem so that they support the commercial strategy and visibly commit to its successful implementation
• Take personal responsibility; challenge and hold stakeholders to account, create an environment that acts as a catalyst for continuous improvement; help to develop innovative commercial solutions to meet Ofgem’s objectives and increase efficiency whilst operating with a high degree of technical competence
• Identify appropriate solutions / options via financial analysis to support Ofgem and Directorates to address procurement and commercial risks as well as provide insight on VFM.
• Ensure contracts are legally compliant, minimising risk in terms of challenge and impact on the business
• Support to lead, develop and motivate procurement advisors and officers to ensure that capacity and skills are sufficient to deliver against current and future objectives.

Relationship Management

• Monitor contract performance against plan and ensure that robust procurement and commercial practice is embedded in day to day activities and provide insight and supportive challenge to the business
• Attend relevant Directorate meetings on a regular basis to provide support and advice in real time
• Work effectively with senior stakeholders, senior colleagues, members of Corporate Services, DESNZ and their partner organisations to support provision of procurement and commercial services and advice

Key Outputs and Deliverables:

• Multi-year, rolling procurement plan at Directorate level and contribution to rolling Ofgem business planning
• Procurement and contract management training to all Ofgem contract managers as a minimum and ongoing procurement and commercial awareness and education
• Robust procurement planning and month and quarterly contract deliverable and spend tracking
• Accurately timely MI working with FBPs
• Provision of procurement guidance and Regulation and advice to wider Ofgem stakeholders

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• CIPS Level 4 qualified, or working towards full membership, or able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience, with substantial experience of running procurement tenders independently. (Lead)
• Strong understanding of Government Commercial and best practice procurement policies and procedures, particularly in relation to tendering for professional services, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating comparable knowledge and skills. (Lead)
• Experience of contract and supplier relationship management, including supporting non procurement and commercial colleagues to manage contractual arrangements effectively.
• Experience of developing procurement policy or practice, including embedding improvements or changes into a procurement or commercial service.
• Ability to build and maintain professional, effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, supported by excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to plan, prioritise and manage workloads to deliver results within agreed timescales.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working with the Procurement Act 2023 and a good working knowledge of the legal aspects of contract law.

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:

• You will also be asked to prepare presentation. Full details of the presentation will be included in the invitation to interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,452, OFGEM contributes £14,326 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview, including your CV and any statements or examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Ofgem takes any incidences of cheating very seriously. Please ensure all examples provided are of your own experience. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant applications will be withdrawn from the process. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Please refer to Civil Service candidate advice on the acceptable use of artificial intelligence within the recruitment and selection process - Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [ https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

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.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 : Lucy Dowding
• Email : Recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Role Profile_460390 Senior Procurement Business Partner Opens in new window (pdf, 190kB)Candidate Pack_460390 Senior Procurement Business Partner Opens in new window (pdf, 604kB)Terms and Conditions Apr25 Opens in new window (pdf, 335kB)