45918 - Commercial Support Officer – Digital & Technology

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Who we are:

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. We work to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.

Our 4 strategic priorities to deliver our vision are:

• A prison and probation service that reforms offenders;
• A modern courts and justice system;
• A Global Britain that promotes the rule of law;
• A transformed department that is simpler, smarter and more unified.

The work performed by the MoJ Commercial Contract Management Directorate (CCMD) is crucial to the successful delivery of the £1.3bn prison reform and £700m court reform programmes. The breadth and depth of commercial work at the MoJ is significant: last year alone we spent £3.2 billion through our contracts, with work spanning the building and design of new prisons, the modernisation of our courts and tribunals and managing multi-million pound contracts with our next generation IT suppliers. The Government is committed to increasing its pool of commercial experts to work on some of its largest and most complex procurement projects and contracts and CCMD is undertaking some of the most innovative commercial work in government.

The Digital & Technology Team within CCMD is a high performing team leading commercial activity on one of the most challenging and exciting portfolios of work within the Ministry of Justice.

What we do:

Working in a fast paced environment, we deliver commercial leadership, procurement activity, category management, contract management and customer & supplier relationship management across a diverse customer base and covering a wide range of digital and technology areas.

We are responsible for sourcing suppliers, products & services which will we meet our stakeholders’ demands, awarding contracts and delivering downstream contract management. We are currently managing contracts valued in excess of £2.1b involving circa 170 suppliers including a number of Blue Chip and FTSE 100 companies. 

Working collaboratively with both stakeholders and suppliers, we stimulate the supply chain and deliver efficiencies for our stakeholders and the public purse.  The work we do helps make our justice system world class and in the last 12 months this has included commercial support to MoJ strategic programmes including:

• HMCTS Reform Programme
• Getting the basics right in prisons
• MoJ Transformation

The role

Your new role will be based in Canary Wharf and will require travel to other government offices within zone 1.  The team work with stakeholders within the MoJ, Cabinet Office and collaborate across Central Government to ensure we protect the Ministry of Justice from commercial exposure and third party risk. You will lead some of this activity yourself as well as providing support to your Line Manager. 

What you will need to succeed

We are looking for people with the right personal qualities – enthusiasm, energy, proactivity, collaborative- with the potential to be future leaders who are prepared to work under their own initiative and to be flexible and adaptable in a demanding environment.

You will have the acumen and professional prowess to build credibility with stakeholders. The ability to listen effectively and communicate your knowledge and ideas providing a “trusted pair of hands” to those who you support throughout the commercial lifecycle.  You will have good  interpersonal skills and ability to thrive in a team environment.

Previous experience in a professional commercial role, such as delivering procurement and contact management activities, is desirable but not essential.

What you will do

You will have the opportunity to drive value and create a real difference within the justice system, undertaking a wide range of category and commercial contract management activities within the Digital and Technology Portfolio. Challenges will never be the same, something that in itself makes this area so appealing, ranging from current day to day commercial issues to shaping the future generation of portfolio services.

Key responsibilities will include assisting the following activities:

• Providing access to commercial advice and guidance
• Supporting internal customers in developing procurement requirements
• Developing of procurement strategies and contributing to category strategies
• Managing procurements and contract changes to deliver value for money/meet business needs

Undertaking the following:

Maintaining accurate commercial data and providing timely reporting and responses to information requests.

• To maintain central repositories for information held in places such as JustStore and Jaggaer
• Managing and triage of external requests such as FOI and Data Drivers across the whole team
• Work with various teams across the whole of CCMD to provide accurate information when required
• To Support Commercial Managers to provide information on individual contracts where required
• To manage the functional mailbox for the team

You will be given support for your development within the Commercial profession. Following training, support and guidance you will be expected to:

• be able to identify and report on commercial risks and issues
• be adept at influencing and solving problems with both internal and external stakeholders
• be familiar with and able to promote core Commercial governance and processes
• confidently plan and deliver procurements at the appropriate level of your delegated authority
• manage contracts in accordance with all relevant guidance
• have a good understanding of the category and any contracts you are responsible for

You will also have the opportunity to study for a professional commercial qualification such as MCIPS or IACCM.