High Wycombe (RAF High Wycombe), Northallerton (RAF Leeming), Chippenham (MOD Lyneham), Wolverhampton (RAF Cosford) Job Summary The Air Commercial team are recruiting for three Commercial Managers: one in Major Projects and two in Define & Procure. The Air Commercial Team is a Front-Line Commercial Branch, a part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Commercial Function and the Government Commercial Function (GCF). We are embedded within the Royal Air Force (RAF) operating out of Headquarters Air Command (based at RAF High Wycombe) with regional representation primarily situated at RAF Cosford, RAF Leeming and MOD Lyneham. A fast-tempo, strategic and progressive team, Air Commercial deliver innovative commercial solutions and maximum value for the RAF. This is a hugely exciting time to be joining Air Commercial. Through our continued transformation and investment in people, processes, and relationships, we are seeing increasing demand for our support across the whole of the procurement life-cycle at both an operational and strategic level to deliver pioneering capability and support services for the RAF. This role provides a genuine opportunity to make a significant difference to the capability, efficiency and effectiveness of the RAF and UK Defence. You will be joining a highly skilled Commercial team as well as being part of a wider network of professionals across MOD and Government. If you have the following attributes, enthusiasm, and interest to help shape the future of the UK’s RAF through delivery of best-in-class Commercial practices – we look forward to hearing from you. We play a pivotal role in supporting Defence outputs by leading the RAF through the acquisition of a diverse portfolio of requirements from space to digital, aircraft and airfield support, war-fighting capabilities and training. Air Commercial is responsible for the creation and management of over 300 contracts, from framework call-offs to multi-site, multi-activity partnerships, with a total combined value of £3.6Bn. Air Commercial is a very supportive environment, with many opportunities to develop and grow your career within the MOD. One role falls within the Major Projects Team which is responsible for handling procurements over £20M. Two roles fall within the Define & Procure team which is responsible for handling procurements under £20M. The job descriptions for each role are found below. You will be expected to outline a preference for either Major Projects or Define & Procure, if you have one, in your suitability statement. Job Description Main responsibilities include: Major Projects: Investigation and research of requirements to assist in the Commercial process. Provide support to the Major Projects team in the placement of high value service contracts (£20m), including the use of government, MOD and Air Commercial procurement systems. Support the drafting of invitations to tender, terms and conditions and contract schedules, and evidence documents for project approvals. Provide letters, briefs, reports and statistics for project stakeholders and senior management as required. Build and maintain appropriate effective working relationships with the Project Team, and with other internal and external stakeholders including Military and non-Military customers and Defence suppliers. Keeping abreast of departmental Commercial policy, and procedural and administration directives, and apply that information accordingly. Ensure internal records and data are up to date and correct on appropriate Management Information systems. Maintain and improve levels of competence by implementing a personal development plan, reflecting the necessary training requirements associated with the post. Define & Procure: Investigation and research of new procurement requirements, determining routes to market, carrying out early market engagement and producing commercial strategies. Participation in procurement activities from advertising new requirements, drafting and issuing Invitation to Tender documentation and evaluation of bids through to contract award. Management of service contracts primarily within the Category D remit (below £20M), working closely with stakeholders and contractors and resolving any contentious or problematic issues. Keeping abreast of departmental commercial policy and procedural and administration directives, and to apply that information accordingly. Build and maintaining appropriate effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders including Military and non-Military customers and Defence Suppliers. Provision of commercial advice to Air Command customers including insight to supplier performance and intelligence, procurement strategies and internal governance. Maintain and improve levels of competence by implementing a personal development plan, reflecting the training requirements associated with the post. Provide and maintain quality and relevant Management Information (MI), contracts pipeline, recording of benefits and savings utilising systems such as the MOD's e-procurement tool CP&F Prepare briefs and statistical data for management purposes and ensure procurement and management of contract files is aligned with policy. Support line management in the delivery of Define and Procure and wider Air Commercial priorities. Support line management in identification of commercial risks associated with delivery of contracts and issues that arise during the life of contracts. Potential Line management of EO grade staff, including overseeing work and ensuring it is ready for senior management approval. Proactive leadership of own team, including provision of training and escalation of team issues to senior management. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Define & Procure: Investigation and research of new procurement requirements, determining routes to market, carrying out early market engagement and producing commercial strategies. Participation in procurement activities from advertising new requirements, drafting and issuing Invitation to Tender documentation and evaluation of bids through to contract award. Management of service contracts primarily within the Category D remit (below £20M), working closely with stakeholders and contractors and resolving any contentious or problematic issues. Keeping abreast of departmental commercial policy and procedural and administration directives, and to apply that information accordingly. Build and maintaining appropriate effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders including Military and non-Military customers and Defence Suppliers. Provision of commercial advice to Air Command customers including insight to supplier performance and intelligence, procurement strategies and internal governance. Maintain and improve levels of competence by implementing a personal development plan, reflecting the training requirements associated with the post. Provide and maintain quality and relevant Management Information (MI), contracts pipeline, recording of benefits and savings utilising systems such as the MOD's e-procurement tool CP&F Prepare briefs and statistical data for management purposes and ensure procurement and management of contract files is aligned with policy. Support line management in the delivery of Define and Procure and wider Air Commercial priorities. Support line management in identification of commercial risks associated with delivery of contracts and issues that arise during the life of contracts. Potential Line management of EO grade staff, including overseeing work and ensuring it is ready for senior management approval. Proactive leadership of own team, including provision of training and escalation of team issues to senior management. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Person specification Essential Criteria: Previous experience in a Commercial delivery role. Studying towards CIPS Level 4 or above or must be willing to complete CIPS Level 4 within 18 months of joining Air Commercial. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Experience with the Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint etc). Experience in establishing and maintaining stakeholder relationships. Willing to undertake travel to relevant MOD locations as required to meet business needs. Desirable Criteria: For all roles: previous public sector procurement experience. For the Major Projects role: Previous experience in a Commercial Major Project environment, working on Contracts above £20M. For the Define & Procure roles: line management experience. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Seeing the Big Picture Communicating and Influencing Working Together Managing a Quality Service We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Managing a Quality Service Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Understanding Needs and Sourcing Options Procurement Process Alongside your salary of £36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Benefits Include, But Are Not Limited To: Flexible working Training and personal development opportunities A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years’ service In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday A highly competitive Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97% Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave Subsidised membership to a fitness suite and lunchtime/evening Military led fitness classes Café and shop on site This role is suitable for hybrid working. Job holders may work from home or another MOD site, with regular attendance at High Wycombe as required based on individual, team and business needs. The post does not offer relocation expenses. External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period. Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts. Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments. MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. Please present your evidence using the S.T.A.R. format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Applicants are strongly advised to ensure that their submission uses the STAR format and demonstrates the behaviours detailed at HEO level in the Civil Service Success Profiles – Civil Service Behaviours booklet. Comprehensive coverage on Success Profiles can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles Stage 1: Application A 750 word statement of suitability, and CV, will be required for this position; this cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard, detailing job history, full qualifications, previous experience and skills. Your statement of suitability should explain how you are suitable for the role and contain relevant detail showing your experience and how you meet the Essential and Desirable Criteria as specified in the Person Specification. Please also detail a preference, if you have one, for Major Projects or Define & Procure in your statement of suitability. In your application you only need to provide evidence of: Behaviours: Managing a Quality Service. Technical competencies at the Commercial Practitioner level found in the Government Commercial Function People Standards for the Profession Version 3.0 Section B - Expertise Understanding Needs and Sourcing Options. Procurement Process. Applications will be sifted and scored based on the information supplied in your Behaviours, Technical competencies, CV and Statement of Suitability In the event of a large number of applications we will use the Lead Behaviour, Managing a Quality Service, to initially assess your application during the sift stage. Stage 2: Interview If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to a video interview using MS Teams, where you will be assessed on the behaviours and technical competencies listed below as well as experience based questioning, against the essential criteria mentioned in the Person Specification. Behaviours: Seeing the Bigger Picture Communicating and Influencing. Working Together. Technical competencies at Commercial Practitioner Level found in the Government Commercial Function People Standards for the Profession Version 3.0: Section B – Expertise Understanding Needs & Sourcing Options. Procurement Process. The sift is predicted to take place by the end of August with interviews predicted to take place mid-September. This timeline is provisional and is subject to change depending on the volume of applications received. A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. 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 candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment. The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk. As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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) (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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. The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. 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 : Harriet Swift Email : Harriet.Swift106@mod.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk Further information Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.