Theory Test Contract Manager

Job summary

Do you have experience of operations or contract management?

Are you confident in leading others?

Can you focus when needed to produce the right results?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

The Theory Test Service

Learner drivers of all vehicle categories are required to pass a theory test to acquire eligibility to take a practical driving test. The theory test service is a significant component of DVSA’s Driver Services Directorate.

DVSA manages the ‘back office’ elements of the theory test service including a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to manage bookings and test events. We also manage a test engine underpinning test delivery, which is deployed across a network of test centre locations covering the UK. This service model was adopted in September 2021 when multiple new teams and processes were stood up within DVSA and key suppliers to ensure the service was operationally ready and fully supported.

There are 210 public test centres in the UK operated on behalf of DVSA by delivery partners. This includes in Northern Ireland to whom DVSA provides theory tests. There are over 180 registered In-House Theory Test Centres (IHTTCs) holding delegated authority to provide theory tests for their employees, which includes bus companies, the emergency services and MoD.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

The post holder will be responsible for the effective management of the contractual performance of Theory Test contracts in one of two areas: Test Centre Network (TCN) or Digital Contracts, including the Theory Test Assessment Platform (TTAP).

The post holder will manage the strategic relationship with the supplier to ensure compliance with the specifications of the current contract. They will review and manage the performance in line with requirements, monitoring and acting on results to ensure the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and its customers are provided with a high-quality service.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to;

• Effective monitoring of contractual performance to deliver enduring thru-life value-for-money solutions for DVSA and to provide the basis for continually improving the service. Work with the supplier to put in place effective solutions to improve performance where appropriate, escalating to the DVSA Commercial Team when necessary.
• Work closely with the other Theory Test Contract Managers and the National Operations Team to resolve complex service performance issues and any contractual implications as a result, escalating to the theory test senior management team or the DVSA Commercial Team where appropriate.
• Ensure that effective contingency and business continuity plans are in place (done through contract award) and review throughout the lifetime of the contract to ensure required contribution to Theory Test Service Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans.
• Responsible for the effective operational delivery of the contracted service, ensuring that the Supplier provides the specified operational service and that the Regional Contract & Operations Management Team effectively manages requests and changes to support the Supplier in the operation of the Service (i.e. managing incidents).
• As subject matter expert, work with the DVSA commercial team and project team on any pre-procurement and procurement activities, including identifying any commercial activity for inclusion on the pipeline and completing any necessary paperwork.
• Support sourcing activity including contract negotiations, variations, extensions and Reprocurement.
• Determine and plan their team requirements, including allocating resources and prioritising activities, over the short to medium term by fully understanding the business environment in which the team operates, the overall team objectives, ensuring their team fully understands and works to these requirements.
• Demonstrate leadership by providing guidance to staff to support the delivery of objectives. Manage and engage with honesty and integrity, and upholding the reputation of the Agency, Department and Civil Service.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the role. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

The successful candidate will need to be adaptable and flexible, with the ability to adjust effectively to the evolving requirements and strategic direction of the business. They will need to demonstrate a proactive and passionate leadership style, with the capability to inspire and motivate others to work towards shared goals. The successful candidate will also need to show a strong focus on achieving their own objectives while actively supporting and encouraging colleagues to achieve theirs, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

Required experience:

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Experience of the commercial cycle e.g. pre-competitive supplier engagement, supplier selection, tender evaluation, contract award and ongoing contract management
• Experience of operational management, e.g. incident management and managing service change

If not already held, the successful candidate will need to have a willingness to work towards the following when in post:

• Contract Management Expert Level
• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS), or equivalent.

Additional Information

This role can be based in: Nottingham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Bristol, Swansea, Garrets Green, Leeds, Chadderton, Yeading.

Your presence at one of these locations will form part of the working arrangements agreed with you. We operate a hybrid working model giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work. Our expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your time at your base location. Visits to other DVSA sites or work locations count towards this.

This role may require frequent travel to other DVSA sites, specifically Nottingham and will include overnight stays on occasions.

Please take note that DVSA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

About Us

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) help keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably.

We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

We’re working hard to:

• Make roads safer.
• Improve services for our customers.
• Make road transport greener and healthier.
• Harness the potential of technology and data.
• Grow and level up the economy.

To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace and making DVSA a great place to work visit our Careers website.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• GCF - People Standards for the Profession: Section B: Expertise Contract and Supplier Management. Associate Commercial Lead - Facilitates relationship development between appropriate teams within the department and suppliers.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,241, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency contributes £12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (500-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Experience of the commercial cycle e.g. pre-competitive supplier engagement, supplier selection, tender evaluation, contract award and ongoing contract management
• Experience of operational management, e.g. incident management and managing service change

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The sift will take place between 26th March 2026 & 2nd February 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions
• Technical – GCF - People Standards for the Profession: Section B: Expertise Contract and Supplier Management. Associate Commercial Lead - Facilitates relationship development between appropriate teams within the department and suppliers.
• Strengths

As part of the technical assessment you will be assessed against the Government Commercial Function People Standards for the Profession Framework

The interviews will take place week commencing Monday 20th April 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

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

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback

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 : Caitlin Pollard
• Email : caitlin.pollard@dvsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@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, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 191kB)