Commercial Officer - Newport in Cowes

The Commercial team supports the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to spend public money responsibly through effective procurement, contract management and supplier management. A key part of the role is ensuring compliance with procurement regulations and the IPO Spend Policy. Commercial is split into three category teams: DDaT contracts, People Services contracts and Corporate contracts. This post sits within the People Services category team, providing commercial advice and support across the IPO. The portfolio includes Consultancy and Professional Services, Human Resources, Resourcing, and Learning and Development.

You will contribute to all aspects of public buying activity, including procurement, contract and supplier management, and the maintenance of commercial records and data. We are looking for a proactive self-starter who works well with others, communicates clearly and has strong attention to detail. You will lead and support activities across the IPO's buying process, helping ensure business needs are met through compliant and effective commercial approaches. You'll use your procurement knowledge while building and maintaining strong working relationships with stakeholders across the organisation.

Working Style

This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport Office. The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.

Main duties consist of but are not limited to:

• Procurement and contract management
  • Lead and support the full procurement lifecycle, from identifying needs and drafting tender documentation through to contract award and ongoing contract management.
  • Support the development and delivery of procurement strategies that achieve value for money and comply with organisational policies and procedures.
  • Ensure procurement activity complies with public procurement legislation, regulations and organisational guidance.
• Stakeholder engagement and supplier management
  • Advise internal stakeholders on compliant routes to market, providing clear guidance on commercial options and requirements.
  • Build and manage relationships with suppliers and stakeholders, resolving issues promptly and maintaining effective communication.
  • Support supplier performance reviews to confirm delivery against contract terms and identify improvement actions.
• Financial and risk management
  • Identify, assess and help manage commercial risks linked to contracts and supplier performance.
  • Monitor and report on procurement spend, supporting budget management and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Policy, governance and compliance
  • Ensure procurement activity aligns with organisational policies and procedures and complies with public procurement regulations.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of procurement activity, contracts and suppliers in line with audit and compliance requirements.
• Market analysis and continuous learning
  • Undertake market research to identify potential suppliers and understand market trends to inform sourcing decisions.
  • Keep up to date with changes in procurement regulations, market conditions and best practice.
• Process improvement
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of procurement processes, tools and templates to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Identify opportunities to innovate and add value within commercial and procurement activities.
• Commercial administration
  • Use the e-tendering system to publish tenders.
  • Maintain contract and purchase order information in the e-tendering system.
  • Approve Requests to Purchase (RTP) within the purchase-to-pay (P2P) process.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in a procurement or commercial role, ideally within the public sector or another regulated environment.
• Experience of contract management.
• An understanding of central government frameworks and how to use them.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and influence stakeholders.
• Ability to manage and prioritise your own workload with minimal supervision.
• Experience using procurement systems (for example, e-tendering systems).
• Knowledge of PCR 2015 and PA23 regulations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

How to Apply:

Click the 'Apply now' button and complete the application form by providing the following: 750-word Personal Statement. Use this to explain why you're suitable for the role. Structure your statement around the essential criteria in the Person Specification. Make sure to provide clear examples to show how you meet each requirement.

For further information on the sift and interview stages of this recruitment campaign, please head to our 'Things you need to know' section below. Please visit our Civil Service Careers page - IPO - Recruitment Support, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk). If you require job-specific information, please contact Sharon Duncombe.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of 32,816, Intellectual Property Office contributes 9,506 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. A flexible working scheme with excellent development opportunities 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave. Family friendly policies that support modern working families and individuals with caring responsibilities. A variety of support functions; Staff Counselling Service, Peer to Peer Support Group. Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments. The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups. A range of wellbeing initiatives; Onsite Gym (Newport office), Eye Care Scheme, Volunteering Programme, Cycling facilities. Free car parking is available on site at our Newport office. On-site shop, restaurant and coffee shop at our Newport office. For more information about what's on offer at the Intellectual Property Office please review our IPO benefit pack attached to the bottom of this advert. Please note that benefits may be subject to change.

Things you need to know

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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. The assessment process will comprise of the following:

• Stage 1 - Sift: An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile elements: Experience. Your 750 word Personal statement will demonstrate your Experience against the listed person specification.
• Stage 2 - Interviews: If invited to interview, Behaviours, Experience and Strength-based questioning will be used. Specific information regarding the Success Profile elements that will be assessed at interview will be contained within the interview invitation. Interviews for this role will be carried out in person at our Newport Office.

Additional Information

As part of the role, the successful candidate will be expected to work towards obtaining, as a minimum, Level 4 CIPS once they have successfully passed probation. This will be paid for by the IPO. Candidates must be either partly qualified (Level 1) or fully qualified (Level 1 plus Level 2) in order to receive it: Financial and Commercial Allowance Level 1 (Part Qualified) - 1,494. Financial and Commercial Allowance Level 2 (Fully Qualified) - 3,285. This recruitment campaign will keep a reserve list for 12 months. If you meet the requirements for this role but aren't offered after passing the interview, you'll be placed on the reserve list. If a suitable position opens up during this time, we will reach out to individuals in merit order. The successful candidate would be expected to remain in the role for a minimum of 12 months before applying for another role.

Applicants to note:

• CVs sent direct to the IPO will not be accepted.
• This post is being advertised to Internal, across Government and external candidates at the same time.
• Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be accepted or considered.
• Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
• We do not routinely reimburse travel expenses for candidates, however if participating in the selection process would cause you undue financial hardship or if it restricts your ability to participate, please contact the recruitment team for more information.
• In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks. Information on this will be sent within the invite to interview text.
• If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, then please let the recruitment team know.
• Please be aware that only one application per candidate is permitted for each recruitment campaign. Multiple applications, including those made using different accounts, may result in your application being withdrawn or rejected at any stage of the process.

For more information on the IPO's terms and conditions, please review the attached IPO Modernised Terms and Conditions document attached to the bottom of this advert. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Nationality requirements

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), 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.

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. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.