Defence Digital Commercial – Commercial Manager – IT Hardware & Peripherals

We are looking for talented and hard-working individuals with demonstrable commercial experience or transferable skills, to join us in providing a full procurement service for digital technology capability across Defence. Defence Digital is responsible for delivering and integrating new digital capabilities, giving our forces the advantage on the cyber battlefield to combat an ever-evolving threat.

In support, Defence Digital Commercial is building a centre of procurement excellence, focusing on getting the best outcomes across all our contracts. We are developing a more strategic approach to supplier relationship management and implementing new ways of working that will embed good practice category management.

We are committed to developing our staff, providing opportunities to develop and grow within an inclusive and supportive environment. You will work within a highly capable, diverse team who will support you to develop your professional and personal skills, knowledge, and experience, including a fully funded professional qualification Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS).

Due to the nature of the role, this position is open to Sole UK Nationals only. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

You will contribute to delivering commercial excellence for your department through supporting with, analysing key supply markets to understand the characteristics of new markets, and inform whether market making or development is required. You will work on all stages of the procurement process, mobilising contracts, managing the delivery and performance of the contract, supplier relationship management (SRM), carrying out contract changes, managing risk within the contract and managing contract transition and exit. The postholder will be responsible for managing one or more contracts of low to medium value/complexity.

We are seeking a motivated individual with the right personal qualities to succeed in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, energetic, and proactive, able to work independently while remaining flexible and adaptable to changing priorities. They should be self-driven, resilient under pressure, and committed to contributing positively to the team and organisation.

The Commercial Management Lead will serve as the primary point of contact for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) RM6098 TePAS 2 Lot 8 catalogue. This role is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and operational continuity of the catalogue within MoD Commercial data and systems, including CP&F and Basware, ensuring seamless integration with the CCS e-purchasing platform.

The postholder will develop and maintain positive relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers and encourage collaborative relationships as appropriate. The postholder’s professional expertise and judgement will be relied upon and valued by senior colleagues within internal teams to streamline processes, ensure compliance, and support efficient service delivery aligned with organisational procurement needs. They will also contribute to policy development, implementation, and provide guidance on management information and category management.

Typical activities:

• Lead and maintain stakeholder relationships on behalf of the MoD.
• Respond to communications in line with RACI principles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), identifying patterns and issues requiring escalation or broader attention.
• Provide and maintain relevant guidance and documentation.
• Proactively identify and resolve procurement issues and anomalies within the catalogue process.
• Monitor throughput on MOD corporate procurement systems.
• Maintain vigilance on system downtime and its impact on catalogue availability.
• Oversee supplier data accuracy and maintenance within Basware.
• Conduct data analysis for forecasting, trend identification, and management reporting.
• Support senior management and CCS reporting requirements, including management charge data.
• Providing commercial advice to Defence Digital project delivery teams to influence and inform the sourcing of new goods and services from 3rd parties in accordance with digital category strategies.

Sourcing:

• Define and run Procurement processes in line with public sector regulations and using agreed tools and systems.
• Selecting appropriate suppliers using relevant evaluation criteria and responsible for ensuring value for money for the duration of supplier engagement.
• Negotiating favourable terms for pricing and contract terms that deliver immediate and ongoing financial and non-financial benefits for low to medium value/complexity contracts.
• Supporting the senior commercial officers in the negotiation of complex contracts.
• Hold formal delegated powers of up to £2.5M.

Contract Management:

• Identification, definition and tracking of financial and non-financial benefits and savings.
• Ongoing proactive management of key supplier relationships.
• Effective management of full life cycle of the contracts including managing changes and ensuring ongoing value and service quality standards are delivered.
• Commercial risk identification, mitigation and management.

The post advertised is full time equivalent. There may be opportunities for part time candidates if a job share partnership can be established, subject to full time hours being achievable. Offers made to candidates below 37 hours per week (FTE) will be subject to business need and at the Authority's sole discretion.

As part of flexible resourcing, reserve candidates may be offered alternative roles within DD Commercial teams, although key responsibilities will remain the same.

Person specification:

• Experience of working in a commercial role supporting large sourcing projects and high value contract negotiation.
• Experience in managing medium complexity/value contracts.
• Experience of Category management.
• Practical experience in utilising market insight to aid sourcing and contract management.
• Robust commercial negotiation of commercial and contractual terms, pricing and discounts.
• Practical experience and expertise in Contract management, including managing contracts from contract award to contract closeout.
• Experience of Supplier Management, building relationships from outset.
• Hold Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply CIPS Level 4, or be willing to achieve this qualification by commencing study once in post. This will be fully funded and supported by MOD.

We are looking for a person who is:

• Collaborative individual with a positive attitude.
• Effective communicator, able to clearly articulate messages adapted to the needs of the audience.
• Motivates and inspires and has the confidence of the team and their peers.
• Build and maintain a working culture of mutual trust and inclusion.
• Clear decision maker and takes accountability for decisions made.
• Effective at prioritisation and managing workload and time effectively.
• Proactive management of team, taking account of views and needs.
• Competent and confident in establishing and maintaining professional relationships.
• Hold self and others to account.

Behaviours:

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Managing a Quality Service.

Technical skills:

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: People Standards for the Profession - Understanding Needs and Sourcing Options - Commercial Practitioner, People Standards for the Profession - Contract and Supplier Management - Commercial Practitioner.

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