41585 - Commercial Manager - Prison Education

£30,989 - £45,102
2
12 Months
Yorkshire and the Humber
Leeds
5 WELLINGTON PLACE LEEDS, LS1 4AP
SEO
B, Bb
Permanent
Full Time
Procurement and Contracts Management

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

About the Department

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. Responsible for courts, prisons and probation services, we work to ensure sentences are served and offenders are given rehabilitation opportunities to become law-abiding citizens.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has one of the largest and most complex spend profiles in central government. The Commercial and Contract Management Directorate (CCMD) is responsible for coordinating procurement and contract management across the MoJ, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

The MoJ spends £3.5bn a year and manages over 1000 active contracts, all of which are sourced and managed by CCMD. We are running some of the most groundbreaking programmes such as Prison Reform and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service Reform. The scope of our contracts ranges from building, maintenance and the operation of Prisons, Courts and Young Offender establishments through to food for prison dogs. The directorate also buys and manages contracts for feeding up to 80,000 prisoners, the secure escorting of prisoners from numerous establishments based around the country and translation services.

As a team CCMD are focused on supporting the department to deliver better outcomes, reduce reoffending and increase VFM. The range of this work gives a unique, supportive and challenging environment to develop your career and skills.

Prison Education

Prison Education can transform lives and is shown to dramatical reduce reoffending, working in the commercial prison education team will give you an opportunity to contribute to this rewarding work and develop your commercial skills as part of a supportive high performing team.

The Prison Education category team is responsible for £150m of spend per year and works with the senior contract managers to manage the outsourced education contracts ensuring delivery of the contracts and high-quality education. The team is also helping shape the next generation of education contracts and will lead their procurement.

This role will have a breadth of interest and give a real opportunity to join a well established team working closely with local Educational Teams, Operational and Policy colleagues to support the rehabilitation of prisoners, reducing rates of re-offending and contributing measurable social value to society.

We are seeking two Commercial Professionals with the right personal qualities – enthusiasm, energy, proactivity, collaborative, prepared to work as part of a team and under their own initiative and to be flexible and adaptable in a demanding environment.

These posts provide a great opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge whilst contributing to the delivery of a high profile programme.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to Senior Commercial Managers, the post holders will be responsible for leading on commercial activity for one post the HMPPS Prison Education In England and the second post HMPPS Prison Education in Wales both posts are for procurement and contract management including but not limited to:

  • To support and develop the Commercial elements of the business cases.

  • To create the Commercial contract strategy, engaging with stakeholders to develop and capture requirements.

  • To lead Commercial market engagement.

  • To enable the Commercial elements of the Cabinet Office approval.

  • To develop and lead Commercial tender activity on the Jaegger/Bravo eProcurement platform.

  • To support activities and governance to enable contract award and mobilisation.

  • Liaison with Suppliers and relevant HMPPS Contract Management team plus other stakeholders in Finance and Legal.

  • Provide commercial advice and contribute to develop supplier relationships in partnership with HMPPS.

  • Provide commercial oversight of supplier performance.

  • Lead on change to the Agreement and manage change governance process.

  • Ensure contract compliance by maintaining the obligation tracker and ensure compliance with Cabinet Office guidance and new legislative requirements.

  • Contribute to manage performance ensuring a consistent approach across all Prison Education arrangements, including application of improvement notices/financial penalties (i.e. service credits) for under-performance.

  • Contribute to identify and manage risk for the Authority, including developing and implementing mitigation strategies.

  • Comply with all Departmental controls relating to commercial practice and otherwise, including strict adherence to delegated authorities, and ensure that staff do the same.

  • Support the operational contract managers to deliver and maintain their contract plans.

You should note that new joiners to the Civil Service are likely to start at the pay band min. Band B min £30,989 and max £41,095, with higher Band Bb scale for MCIPS qualified candidates min £34,090 and max £45,102.

Due to COVID 19 the posts are currently suitable for homeworking with necessary IT supplied, but that the posts are based in Leeds.

Learning and Development

Both posts attract a high level of fully funded learning and development opportunities including funding to undertake CIPS qualification. Professional development is encouraged.

Person Specification Essential Criteria:

  • Experience creating and delivering sourcing exercises end to end (from identification of business need through to award and mobilisation)

  • Delivery and management of procurement materials (e.g. procurement strategies, specifications, evaluation criteria)

  • The ability to successfully influence senior internal and external stakeholders

  • The ability to use your judgement to take a considered approach to situations and tasks

  • Experience of seeking out and analysing information based on the best available evidence

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills you will be a team player who leads by example

Desirable Criteria:

  • Awareness of public sector procurement legislation including EU Rules and UK interpretations;

  • Working knowledge of Procurement Systems, e.g. Oracle (ERP) and/or Jaggaer (Bravo)

  • Experience of procuring goods and services, and/or role specific with regards to technology services or raw materials

  • Contract Management experience

  • The ability to drive improved outcomes by influencing and developing the market.

Qualifications:

Candidates must have one of the following or a willingness to work towards gaining the appropriate qualification.

  • Member of a relevant professional body, e.g. CIPS, IACCM or similar

  • Relevant degree, such as in surveying, engineering, law, finance or MBA;

Benefits:

  • Access to learning and development

  • A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance

  • A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity

  • A civil service pension

  • Annual Leave

  • Public Holidays

  • Season Ticket Advance

Contact for further information:

Name: Alasdair Fraser

Phone / email:  

07970 360270 / alasdair.fraser@justice.gov.uk

Job Description approved by:   Charles Redshaw

Grade:  

Commercial Lead

Date:  

16/02/21

Line manager of position: Alasdair Fraser

Grade:  

Senior Commercial Manager

Interview process (to be confirmed but may include):

Behaviours

Selected behaviours will be assessed at face to face interview stage. For more information please see information on Gov.UK (click here)

Technical Skills

Technical skills will be assessed during a presentation you will be asked to give at the interview stage these include:

  • Procurement

  • Contract management

Experience

Areas of experience that we’ll assess during the selection process may include:

  • Experience of creating and delivering sourcing and procurement exercises. and a solid understanding of procurement processes.

  • Evidence of excellent stakeholder management experience and supportive people management skills.

  • Evidence of having worked in a commercial environment in either a category, sourcing, or contract management role.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

1-      To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);

2-      To Ministry of Justice Resourcing (resourcing-services@justice.gov.uk);

3-      To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Grading Structure Review

The Ministry of Justice is currently undergoing a review of posts which are currently graded at Band A to realign our grading structure with the majority of the wider Civil Service.

Posts advertised at Band A may be graded at either Grade 6 or Grade 7 once the review has taken place.  

Expected Week commencing 22nd March

10/03/2021, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 41585.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead behaviour. The chosen lead behaviour for this campaign is Managing a Quality Service.
if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Managing a Quality Service - 250 word limit
Changing and Improving - 250 word limit
Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Making Effective Decisions - 250 word limit
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
A sift based on the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Managing a Quality Service
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

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) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· 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) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.