SDA Commercial Officer STSI - Plymouth

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (CASD), and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence.

At the SDA, we strive to Support, Deliver and Aspire and put our values at the heart of our recruitment process. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable to be themselves and be supported to do their best work. As part of a diverse and inclusive workforce, our team will find a community to belong to. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and different perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

Are you experienced in procurement and contract management, excited by the opportunity to shape and define some of the biggest and complex defence programmes in the UK today? The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) are currently seeking enthusiastic and driven Commercial Officers to join our team at Devonport. Devonport Naval Base is the largest Naval Base in Europe. It is a 650 acre site with 15,000 acres of water space, employing 12,000 people on site. The Base is primarily focused on delivering timely deep maintenance to the UK’s submarine fleet. It is also the operating home base for frigates, amphibious ships, and Royal Marines.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Ensure all contracts adhere to procurement regulations and Government policy.
• Lead and/or assist in identification and collation of supplier data for SDA strategic and critical suppliers to inform supplier deep dives, supplier strategies and roadmaps.
• Draft Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQ), Invitation To Tender (ITT) and contract documentation in accordance with MOD policy and legislation.
• Negotiate terms and pricing, place and manage contracts and contract amendments up to a maximum delegation of £2.5M in accordance with set guidelines and conditions outlined in the individual’s delegation letter and the MOD policy.
• Lead or support negotiation and contract placement above level of delegation when required and highlight novel and contentious issues to Senior Commercial Officer (SCO) to ensure satisfactory resolution.
• Communicate in a timely manner with a range of internal and external stakeholders including suppliers and Subject Matter Experts.
• Contribute to wider Commercial functional and SDA initiatives as required.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Commercial Officer to join our Commercial Team who are responsible for the procurement and contract management of a wide portfolio of outputs. Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Previous experience of successfully delivering either in Contract Management or Contract Sourcing is essential.
• Proficient IT skills including Microsoft Office or equivalent and ability to use IT systems and programmes.
• If not already held, successful candidates will be supported to undertake the required training below:
• Evidence of CIPS level 4/or equivalent, or a willingness to work towards this by commencing study within one year of appointment.
• Completion of the following three eLearning courses within 18 months of appointment: Procurement Reform eLearning certificate, Contract Management Capability Programme (CMCP) Foundation Level eLearning certificate, Sourcing Mechanics Videocast self-certificate.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Contract Management
• Tender and Bid Process

Alongside your salary of £35,800, the Ministry of Defence contributes £10,371 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role, an environment with flexible working options, and a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity are also offered.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

This vacancy is open to UK nationals only.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.