Details
Reference number
423627
Salary
£34,233
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Higher Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
DVLA - Commercial Directorate
Type of role
Commercial
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
Swansea
About the job
Job summary
Can you proactively engage with stakeholders to understand their needs, provide expert commercial advice, and support governance that ensure compliant and effective contract management?
Do you have the skills to manage commercial risk, maintain accurate contract data, and ensure all activity aligns with public sector obligations and best practice?
Have you developed your leadership capability and are ready to take on broader corporate responsibilities, including team development and managerial duties?
If so, we'd love to hear from you
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) plays a vital role in keeping Britain's roads safe and efficient. We are responsible for the registration and licensing of drivers in Great Britain and vehicles across the UK, as well as the collection and enforcement of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Our work ensures that only qualified drivers and correctly taxed vehicles are on the road.
Our key responsibilities include issuing photocard driving licences and vehicle registration certificates, recording driver endorsements and medical conditions, and taking enforcement action against tax evaders. We also register and issue tachograph cards, sell personalised registrations, and support law enforcement by providing crucial data to police and intelligence services. In addition, we offer anonymised data services to authorised users, helping inform public and private sector decision-making.
At DVLA, we are committed to delivering services that are simple, secure, and efficient—making a difference to millions of people every day.
Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:
* Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
* 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King's birthday
* Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
Read more in the Benefits section below
Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA.
Job description
As a Commercial Practitioner, you'll support the Associate Commercial Lead in delivering compliant, effective commercial activity across the Agency. You'll provide expert advice to business areas, support strong commercial governance, and manage contracts in line with best practice and government policy. You'll also identify and escalate commercial risks, maintain key management information, and work closely with internal and external stakeholders. This role includes wider corporate responsibilities, including team development and contributing to the Agency's strategic commercial goals.
Your responsibilities will include, but aren't limited to:
* To proactively engage with business areas in order to understand their needs, providing commercial advice and guidance, and to ensure that the contract management activity is undertaken in line with Best Practice.
* To implement commercial strategies with stakeholders, which deliver business requirements in a compliant manner to deliver optimum outcomes.
* To ensure compliance with the Agency's commercial obligations as a Public Body.
* To identify and escalate perceived and relevant areas of commercial risk for all contracts within scope of the category.
* To provide and maintain accurate management information pertinent to the successful management and delivery of the category portfolio.
* To work with internal and external stakeholders to understand the needs of the business and wider cross-government strategies, providing commercial support across the category portfolio.
* Develop an awareness of own and staff's strengths, skill gaps and career aspirations and understands how to build capability.
* To undertake corporate managerial responsibilities commensurate with the grade e.g. recruitment, grievance, and disciplinary cases.
Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.
For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:
* Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft, review, and refine contractual documents with clarity and precision. You should be confident handling urgent queries professionally via email and telephone, often in time-sensitive or business critical contexts.
* Excellent attention to detail, particularly in reviewing legal and commercial agreements, ensuring accuracy and compliance. A strong customer service ethos is essential to deliver high-quality support and foster positive experiences for both internal and external stakeholders.
* Proven ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including internal stakeholders, legal teams, and external contacts. You should be comfortable managing competing priorities and maintaining a responsive, solutions-focused approach to complex requests and post-contract queries.
Additional Information
Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements
Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.
Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.
This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.
The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.
If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Communicating and Influencing
* Delivering at Pace
* Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* GCF Contract Management Professional Standards A2 – Relationships and Leadership Capability A2 (Foundation)
* GCF Contract Management Professional Standards - B5 Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement (Practitioner)
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,233, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £9,917 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:
* Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
* 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
* 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King's birthday.
* Access to the staff discount portal.
* Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
* Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
* 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
* Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies .
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
How to apply:
Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.
The selection process for this role will be:
Stage 1: Sift of CV and Personal Statement.
Stage 2: Interview
You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.
Stage 1: Sift
At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:
* Experience in drafting, reviewing, or managing contracts or commercial agreements.
* Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
* Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work at pace.
The sift will take place week commencing 15/09/2025
Stage 2: Interview
At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
* Behaviours – Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Working Together
* Technical – GCF Contract Management Professional Standards A2 - Relationship and Leadership Capability A2 (Foundaction), GCF Contract Management Professional Standards - B5 Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement (Practitioner)
* Strengths
The interviews will take place week commencing 29/09/2025.
This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
Your Technical Skills will be assessed against the Contract Management Professional Standards, which can be found here.
You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site .
Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.
Further information on the selection process
Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.
AI Tools and Platforms
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. Please see our for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email for assistance.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
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 (opens in new window) 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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name : Ian Meade
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email:
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here