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Job summary

We are seeking an exceptional leader to take on the role of Director General for Commercial and Growth. This is one of the Department’s most senior advisors, currently reporting into the Permanent Secretary and will have a professional functional reporting line into the Government Chief Commercial Officer. They will be a core member of the new Joint Executive and single Departmental Executive.

Job description

Reporting to the Permanent Secretary the Director General for Commercial and Growth will be a key member of the Departmental Executive Committee, responsible for developing and delivering the commercial and growth strategy for the health and care system and supporting the uptake of safe, ethical and effective innovations and technologies across the health and care system.

You will be responsible for leading the Department’s commercial and growth strategy, overseeing market engagement, investment promotion, and major delivery programmes that unlock economic potential and improve health and care services. You will lead the provision of commercial support, advice, and oversight to the health and care sector. You will also be responsible for core commercial activity undertaken directly by the Department.

Specifically, you will take on all the Departmental functions on medicine and medical care and technology. This includes leading commercial negotiations and ensuring supply chain resilience.

You will have the unique opportunity of shaping the future organisation as the Department of Health and Social Care incorporates the functions previously carried out by NHS England into a new entity. This will include bringing together core commercial functions whilst building new capabilities to deliver ambitious new commercial partners that will pave the way for the rapid adoption of technology and innovation. Throughout your work you will focus on efficiency savings and creating a new operating model that empowers local systems. You will lead the Group through the transition process as NHS England staff move into the Department of Health and Social Care. This will include designing the new end state structure to ensure that it will meet ministerial priorities and deliver the benefits envisaged for our citizens and communities through the organisational redesign.

It is envisaged that in this new department of state, you will manage a group of dedicated and dynamic employees, creating a collaborative, cohesive and highly performing team, based across our two head offices of London and Leeds and a range of regional offices. You will have a wider leadership and managerial role across the whole organisation working closely with and coaching colleagues from across the organisation – breaking down silos to ensure delivery across all our core organisational functions. You will also be accountable for all budgets in this area. You will ensure that the Department meets all obligations to Parliament.

Person specification

Director General for Commercial and Growth will be required to lead transformation at scale and provide commercial and policy acumen across a changing portfolio and emerging landscape. For this challenge, you will need an enterprise mindset to recognise that success in this role lies in removing barriers to collaboration with partners, encouraging investment and a focus on driving better, more cost-effective results through a culture of continuous improvement and innovation whilst constantly striving for operational excellence.

You will need to be comfortable with your role and responsibilities evolving as the new organisation is formed.

You will bring the drive to deliver the right capabilities; driving economic growth; and increasing our productivity and efficiency. We cannot achieve this alone; we must transform how we work with our partners, and reform our commercial and policy model, to achieve the step-change in delivery pace required. Underpinning the changes is the need to have a strong, capable, and dynamic commercial function that can accelerate the journey of improving, simplifying and expediting procurement, to step change in our front-line services.

Whilst we are not expecting candidates to have expertise across the full scope of this role, you will be someone who understands what modern acquisition looks like and who can step into a complex environment that is politically sensitive. You will be supported by a team rich in expertise and will be adept at leading in ways that allow others to bring the full benefits of their expert and professional skills.

As a senior leader in and employed by the Government Commercial Function, the role is accountable to Permanent Secretary Samantha Jones OBE.

Essential Criteria

LEADERSHIP

• Proven leadership of complex and large-scale commercial activities in either the public or private sector, with evidence of having worked effectively as part of a wider leadership group. Ideally you will hold a fellow membership of a professional body, such as CIPS or the Chartered Institute of Directors.

COLLABORATION

• Experience of operating at Board or Executive level, possessing the impact and gravitas to influence effectively at the most senior levels of an organisation and with a complex network of stakeholders and industry leaders. Proven leadership abilities in building effective relationships with industry to deliver innovation and resilience.

DELIVERY

• Experience of managing the delivery of large portfolios of major capital projects, programmes and policies which may range in value from millions to hundreds of millions (ideally over a £1 billion).

STRATEGIC

• A proven track record of developing commercial strategies and policies for significant, complex procurement challenges that have delivered game-changing solutions.

CHANGE

• The successful delivery of large-scale and complex transformation, efficiency, or business improvement, with the capability of leading an organisation through complex change.

VISION

• The credibility and ability to lead a broad and diverse system and to develop strategies, policies, investment and capabilities that convert into effective implementation based on evidence. Proven experience of leading the development of policy in collaboration with commercial and industry networks in a way that takes account of complex commercial, policy, financial and implementation challenges.

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience in, or working closely with, central government or the NHS.
  
  
• Understanding of the regulatory environments and familiarity with the life sciences, health and medical technology, or medical manufacturing sectors.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

This role is being advertised on a permanent basis. If preferable, Loan or Secondment options will also be available for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited NDPBs or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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

Full details about this role, the full selection criteria and how to apply online can be found at our partners site at:

All applications will receive an automated response.

The closing date for applications is 16:00 on Monday 31st August 2026.

Your submission should include:

• The role title and reference number in the subject line of your email.
• A current CV, including your educational and professional qualifications and full employment history (explaining any gaps), with details of budgets and teams managed and highlighting key achievements.
• A covering letter, no more than two A4 pages, explaining why this appointment interests you and how you meet the criteria set out in the candidate profile.
• Please note that references and open-source due diligence checks (including into social media accounts) may be undertaken for all short-listed candidates.
• A declaration of interest form.
• A completed Monitoring Form to support the Department’s commitment to equality and diversity. The form includes:
  • Monitoring questionnaire (reported anonymously)
  • Information on the Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria.

If you require any adjustments to make the recruitment process more accessible, please contact the recruitment team at the application address above.

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 developed vetting (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

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 : Carmel Gibbons
• Email : carmel.gibbons@odgers.com

Recruitment team

• Email : dhscrecruitment.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 the team at Odgers at carmel.gibbons@odgers.com. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the team, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/