Commercial Lead
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Job description
At MI5, we're heading into a fascinating period of development and organisational change and we're looking for a Commercial Lead to join us. The role could be in our customer-facing team, where you'll be responsible for non-category procurement and the development of our commercial pipeline and in-year delivery, or in the Commercial Delivery Team, where you'll look after sub-category strategies for Estates, People and Professional Services and Technology.
Whichever team you join, there has never been a more exciting time to progress your career at MI5. You'll help us shape the commercial activity for key projects, leading the delivery of the 2021 Spending Review (SR21) commitments. You'll also have opportunities to be involved in business change initiatives across the Commercial function, translating business goals into action. An empathetic and hands-on manager, you'll support a small team in developing their skills and abilities to achieve goals together, whilst we'll support you in a stimulating environment that manages a unique portfolio of major procurement projects.
A role model to your team, you'll build their confidence through coaching and mentoring, sharing your expertise to ensure they deliver excellent procurement and supply service. Alongside enabling and managing these procurement projects, you'll oversee transactions to reduce delivery time and implement a first class Low Value Transaction (LVT) approach.
Driving improvements, innovation and performance from suppliers, you'll support cross-agency working to deliver the procurement and supply service to a wide range of participants, displaying professionalism and a collaborative attitude throughout. You'll have opportunities to visit other national locations (depending on the location of your team), where you can grow your network and discover new ways of working.
As a valued leader at MI5, you'll also represent our shared corporate services management team at senior meetings with government departments, offering professional advice and constructively feeding back on strategic issues, to ensure the best outcomes for our people and teams. If you're dedicated, proactive and experienced in procurement, this could be a rewarding new stage in your career.
Person specification
You'll have experience in a procurement and supply chain environment, leading and implementing complex decisions with best practice procurement, supply chain processes and methodologies in mind. Ready for the next step, you'll already hold (or be studying for) a professional Commercial qualification, like the MCIPS or the World Commerce and Contracting Certification. Crucially, before being offered the role, you'll need to attend the Commercial Lead- Government Commercial Assessment and Development Centre, achieving an A accreditation.
You'll also have an understanding of how to develop a commercial pipeline, with consistent and repeatable Management Information (MI) to support prioritisation of the commercial workbook. You'll have developed and delivered sub-category strategies, but know about implementing Spending Review 2021 appropriate Key Performance Indicators and tender evaluation to improve departmental use of Subject Matter Experts/ Small to Medium Enterprises, reduce carbon emissions and increase diversity. You'll have experience drafting and negotiating contracts, with support from Legal and Finance colleagues, in addition to managing significant spend and saving efficiencies.
At MI5, we know that soft skills are just as essential to thriving in a role- and so do you. Your experience in commercial, procurement or category management will be supported by your resilient and optimistic attitude, which helps you to maintain positive working relationships. A confidence communicator, you're as comfortable building constructive relationships with customers, sponsors and suppliers as you are writing commercial strategies and plans. In short, you'll have both professional experience and proven interpersonal skills.
Benefits
You'll receive a starting salary of £64,575 - £70,762 (London), £63,332 - £69,698 (Buckinghamshire, Cheltenham, Manchester) plus other benefits including:
- 25 days annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 public and privilege holidays
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- Personal learning budget
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Excellent pension scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Facilities, such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
- Paid parental and adoption leave
Training and Development
One thing you can count on when you join MI5 is our dedication to your professional development. When you start, you'll be assigned to a buddy to help you settle in, and as you progress, you'll have regular check ins to ensure you're receiving the right support and opportunities. You could benefit from a wealth of in-house technical training programmes- and even funding for external training, where appropriate. As a senior member of staff, you'll have access to the Senior Leadership Programme to help you thrive in your role, alongside MCIPS or World Commerce and Contracting Certification and GCF Contract Management. If you are successful in joining us, you will become part of the Government Commercial Function, with access to conferences and much more.
Continuous development is at the heart of what we do, and we'll work with you to help identify the skills and experience you need to lead, progress and flourish with MI5. In short, you won't be on your own- throughout your career, you'll be surrounded by colleagues who want you to succeed.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
- The first thing we will ask you to do is complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you do meet these criteria, we will then ask you to fill out a full application form where you will need to create a log in and provide your full name, email address and a memorable password.
- Our recruitment team will conduct a sift of your application. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview, where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate key behaviours relevant to the role.
- If you are successful at this stage, we may invite you to attend the Commercial Assessment and Development assessment centre (ADC). Following successful completion of this and attaining the desired pass mark, you may be required to attend a further interview at a final selection board. If you are successful, we will start the vetting process, which includes a security interview. This interview is an important part of the selection process. It's an interview to explore your life and experiences, and it's not a competency or capability-based interview.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6-9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Equal Opportunities
At MI5, diversity and inclusion and critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce, such as women, those from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socieo-economic backgrounds.
We're Disability Confident
MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP's Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our 'Offer of Interview' (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria are:
- Eligibility questions- you will be asked a series of questions. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be directed to the initial application form.
- Application form- you will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy and are required to meet the minimum pass mark set.
- On successful completion of these stages, you will be invited to attend an interview.
Before You Apply
To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as developed vetting (DV). It's something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes.
Please note, we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can't take any recreational drugs and you'll need to declare your previous drug use at the relevant stage.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch your application, Applying from outside the UK will impact our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Please be aware that we hold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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