Job description
Job Title: Commercial Practitioner
Band: 4
Salary: £48,027 - £53,310
Location: Norwich/Newport/Liverpool/Birmingham
Terms: Permanent
Hours: Full Time/Part Time/Job Share/Compressed
Closing Date: 01/12/2025
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Do you want to progress your career in the UK’s largest public sector procurement organisation? If so, you will have the chance to lead and mentor a team while creating market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector.
If more than one candidate is considered appointable following interview, a reserve list will be held for up to 12 months. Reserve lists will be used to fill any role with suitable similarity that becomes available across the Commercial directorate. Should the offer be refused, the candidate will forfeit their place on the reserve list. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk.
Job Summary
Reporting to a Commercial Lead, the Commercial Practitioner is a key part of the Category team and holds dual responsibility for ensuring the effective day-to-day management of commercial agreements and for the direct line management and development of assigned team members. This demands a significant level of customer and supplier relationship management, alongside effective team leadership and performance management, which are integral parts of the role.
Directorate Overview
Commercial is the largest directorate in CCS and is responsible for the design, development, implementation and management of our commercial agreements, which are used by our customers across the public sector. We have delivered value to the public sector and helped our customers spend more than £34 billion through the agreements we create and enjoy more than £3.5 billion in commercial benefits annually through our agreements.
Category management sits at the heart of CCS. We use our in-depth knowledge and expertise of public sector suppliers, to create market and category strategies. These strategies are used within CCS to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector. Our skills are also used in carrying out commercial policy, development of new products and services and supplier relationship management.
Team Summary
Reporting to a Commercial Lead, the Commercial Practitioner is a key part of the Category team and has responsibility for ensuring the effective management of commercial agreements. This demands a significant level of customer and supplier relationship management (SRM), which are integral parts of the role.
Across our 3 core categories: Estates, Corporate and Technology, there is currently one available line management role:
Government Management Consultancy (Permanent)
The Management Consultancy Category is a critical, high-profile area responsible for enabling UK Government bodies, the wider Public Sector, and associated agencies to access essential external expertise. This role is a leadership role within the team with three direct reports.
The category is primarily managed through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Management Consultancy Frameworks, currently focusing on the delivery and strategic planning for successive iterations. These frameworks are vital for ensuring:
Value for Money (VfM): Delivering cost-effective, compliant routes to market.
Compliance: Adhering to strict public sector spending controls and procurement regulations.
Capability: Providing access to a diverse supplier base, from SMEs to large multinational firms, to fill critical knowledge and delivery gaps across government.
This category is defined by a high level of senior stakeholder engagement and provides direct support to government policy and key national priorities.
Our Commercial Team is transforming to become even more flexible. Candidates should be aware that there will be opportunities to flex into other category areas as required, either to meet business needs and/or for staff development.
Key Accountabilities:
lead and guide team members, manage performance to ensure a high-performing team, and support staff development through regular feedback
Provide direct line management to assigned reports, including coaching, mentoring, and conducting regular 1-to-1 meetings and performance reviews
Direct on the end-to-end category management of our Commercial Agreements
Lead on supplier relationship management, including the collection of supplier and customer management information, financial reporting, updating and assessing multiple data sources to identify trends and spending behaviours
Work in collaboration with suppliers to identify and drive on customer-focused initiatives, networks and forums that will drive better buying behaviours and value across the public sector
Proactively counsel on customer relationship management activities that build strong relationships with key customers, including the management of customer partnerships where applicable
Effectively lead the risk and issue management processes for your agreement, ensuring mitigation and escalation are implemented as appropriately
Act as a source of knowledge and advice for our customers in the relevant category, influencing their buying behaviours and aiding and adding value to their call-off activities
Assisting the Category Lead in updating and developing the category strategy and heading on the presentation of this to key stakeholders as necessary
Lead of marketing and communication activities for your commercial agreement
Helping with the development of other team members, ensuring resilience in the team either directly or through a matrix managed style approach
Communicating effectively to a variety of stakeholders of differing levels of seniority, using a variety of styles and methods that match the audience
Some travel will be required to customer and supplier premises and other CCS offices across the United Kingdom
Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):
Proven experience in direct line management, including leading, coaching, and motivating a team, managing performance, and supporting staff development.
Experience of category/commercial agreement management, with a track record of directing performance, developing and maintaining robust category strategies/plans and delivering excellent customer satisfaction / value for money.
Demonstrate strong commercial acumen with the ability to assess data and make informed commercial decisions in an often complex commercial environment.
Proven experience leading on supplier and customer relationship management.
Demonstrable experience of working proactively and collaboratively to motivate, influence and persuade internal and external stakeholders of varying seniority.
Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):
Experience
Behaviours:
Leadership
Working Together
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at pace
Managing a quality service
Technical
Contract and supplier management
(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)
What we will offer you, here are some of the benefits you can expect:
Competitive salary
Generous pension scheme
A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus
Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location
Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)
Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays
Explore fully how we will reward your work.
Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil ServiceD&I Strategy.
We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk
Working flexibly, delivering outcomes
CCS is a flexible business with a smarter working model where our colleagues benefit from a mix of home and office working. Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed. Our current office attendance approach requires a minimum of 26 days per quarter (approx 2 days per week, which may be subject to change) in CCS office locations or off site meetings with suppliers, customers, partners, networking / industry events. This is pro rata for those who work part time. Our smarter working principles mean that our people have the advantage of both office and offsite based collaboration and learning, as well as working from home. This way of working allows us to honour our commitment to being a responsible business, offer flexibility and better work life balance as well as ensuring we deliver our business with confidence and in accordance with our CCS values.
Selection Process
Candidates who are successful at sift will be contacted as soon as possible following the closing date and advised of the interview process in more detail. The sift will commence on WC 1st December November and interviews will be held WC 15th December either at one of our offices or via video with interview times and dates to be confirmed. (Subject to change)
To find out more about our recruitment process please click here
Please note: 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.
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk.
Complaints procedure
Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
Complaints Procedure
Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk
Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.