Commercial Practitioner

Job description

Job Title: Commercial Practitioner

Band: 4

Salary: £48,027 - £53,310

Location: Norwich/Newport/Liverpool/Birmingham

Terms: Permanent

Number of Vacancies: 2

Hours: Full Time/Compressed

Closing Date: 10/11/2025

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Do you want to progress your career in the UK's largest public sector procurement organisation? If so, you will have the chance to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector.

If more than one candidate is considered appointable following interview, a reserve list will be held for up to 12 months. Reserve lists will be used to fill any role with suitable similarity that becomes available across the Commercial directorate. Should the offer be refused, the candidate will forfeit their place on the reserve list. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact

Job Summary

Reporting to a Commercial Category Lead, the Commercial Practitioner is a key part of the Category team and has responsibility for ensuring the effective day to day management of Commercial Agreements (frameworks). This demands a significant level of customer and supplier relationship management, which are integral parts of the role.

Directorate Overview

Commercial is the largest directorate in CCS and is responsible for the design, development, implementation and management of our commercial agreements, which are used by our customers across the public sector. We have delivered value to the public sector and helped our customers spend more than £34 billion through the agreements we create and enjoy more than £3.5 billion in commercial benefits annually through our agreements.

Category management sits at the heart of CCS. We use our in-depth  knowledge and expertise of public sector suppliers, to create market and category strategies. These strategies are used within CCS to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector. Our skills are also used in carrying out commercial policy, development of new products and services and supplier relationship management.

Team Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join one of our fifteen teams across our three categories, all of which manages over £34bn of Public Sector spending. We are a supportive team of highly-experienced procurement and category management professionals. 

Our Categories:

Corporate Solutions - Helping the Public Sector with everything from management consultancy and legal advice, to temporary and permanent recruitment, apprenticeship training, learning and development, interpreting and translation services, contact centre solutions and more.

Estates - Our wide range of commercial agreements can help the public sector to buy everything they need to build a better, greener and more sustainable future. Our industry experts manage all  estates related needs cost effectively, efficiently and compliantly, while meeting government policies and targets: from social value to carbon net zero.

Technology - We help public sector customers buy and make the best use of technology in their organisations. We work closely with customers and suppliers to make sure we keep up with market developments, customer needs and enable digital transformation.

We support government projects and programmes of national UK significance - helping the public sector to build back better.

Our Commercial Team is transforming to become even more flexible. Candidates should be aware that there will be opportunities to flex into other category areas as required, either to meet business needs and/or for staff development.

Key Accountabilities:

• Direct on the end to end Category management of our Commercial Agreements

• Lead on supplier relationship management, including the collection of supplier and customer management information, financial reporting, updating and assessing multiple data sources to identify trends and spending behaviours

• Work in collaboration with suppliers to identify and drive on customer focused initiatives, networks and forums that will drive better buying behaviours and value across the public sector

• Proactively counsel on customer relationship management activities that build strong relationships with key customers, including the management of customer partnerships where applicable, to comprehend their business needs and intent to define how and where the CCS portfolio may support their business

• Act as a source of apt knowledge and advice for our customers in the relevant category, influencing their buying behaviours and aiding their call-off activities and commercial strategies where required

• Assisting the Category Lead in updating and developing the category strategy and heading on the presentation of this to key stakeholders as necessary

• Counsel and/or assist the Implementation of initiatives, engagement and communication plans to retain and attract customers across one of the fifteen commercial categories in collaboration with other parts of the organisation

• Helping with the development of other team members, ensuring resilience in the team either directly or through a matrix managed style approach

• Identifying and providing recommendations for improvement of processes and implementing solutions to the benefit of CCS and the customer

• Maintaining and evaluating data from a variety of digital systems, for which full training will be provided, to identify opportunities and initiatives that could deliver value

• Communicating effectively to personnel of differing levels of seniority, using a variety of styles and methods that match the audience

• Work across the category in a collaborative manner and on occasions direct and/or represent the commercial team on agreed corporate initiatives

• Aiding, and at times heading, on the development of the commercial strategy and procurement of future commercial agreements

• Some travel will be required to customer and supplier premises and other CCS offices across the United Kingdom

Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):

• Demonstrate strong commercial acumen with the ability to assess data and make informed commercial decisions in an often complex commercial environment

• Possess the knowledge to problem solve and look for opportunities to find new ways of overcoming difficulties, leading on efficiencies that ensures the category/organisation operates with maximum effectiveness

• Experience of category/commercial agreement management, with a track record of directing performance, developing and maintaining robust category strategies/plans and delivering excellent customer satisfaction / value for money

• Proven experience heading on supplier and customer activities across the category,  working proactively and collaboratively to motivate, influence and persuade internal and external stakeholders of varying seniority, offering advice, encouragement and driving value for money whilst developing customer commercial capabilities

• Aptitude to work under pressure and at pace in a complex, political and commercial environment, handling multiple contending priorities and delivering quality outputs to testing targets

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

Experience

Behaviours:

• Leadership

• Working Together

• Communicating and Influencing

• Delivering at pace

• Managing a quality service

Technical

• Market Strategy

• Contract and supplier management

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

What we will offer you, here are some of the benefits you can expect:

• Competitive salary 

• Generous pension scheme

• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus 

• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location

• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)

• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Explore fully how we will reward your work.

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.

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 ServiceD&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

CCS is a flexible business with a smarter working model where our colleagues benefit from a mix of home and office working. Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed. Our current office attendance approach requires a minimum of 26 days per quarter (approx 2 days per week, which may be subject to change) in CCS office locations or off site meetings with suppliers, customers, partners, networking / industry events. This is pro rata for those who work part time. Our smarter working principles mean that our people have the advantage of both office and offsite based collaboration and learning, as well as working from home. This way of working allows us to honour our commitment to being a responsible business, offer flexibility and better work life balance as well as ensuring we deliver our business with confidence and in accordance with our CCS values.

Selection Process

Candidates who are successful at sift will be contacted as soon as possible following the closing date and advised of the interview process in more detail. The sift will commence on 11th November and interviews will be held WC 1st December either at one of our offices or via video with interview times and dates to be confirmed. (Subject to change)

To find out more about our recruitment process please click here

Please note: 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.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact

Complaints procedure

Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at

 If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at  

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 

Complaints Procedure

 Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at

Internal candidates should apply using their Workday account. Please use the careers hub for your application.