Category Officer

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 286906**Salary**:

- £30,317 - £32,803**Job grade**:

- Higher Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- DEFRA - COO - Commercial**Type of role**:

- Commercial**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 9Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Peterborough, Reading, Warrington, YorkAbout the job

**Job summary**:
Defra group Commercial wish to appoint Category Officers across a variety of teams to:

- Support commercial delivery of low to medium value and risk projects (typically £10k to £100K), procurements and contract / supplier management within a market facing category team across the full commercial life cycle.

The role holder will:

- Prepare sourcing strategies and contribute towards business plans
- Support and help to deliver market engagement exercises
- Prepare pre-tender and tender documents in conjunction with customers
- Run tenders in accordance with Public Contracts Regulations and manage evaluations
- Prepare recommendations for tender outcomes
- Prepare contract management documentation in conjunction with stakeholders
- Build and sustain effective relationships with suppliers to deliver exceptional performance in cost, service and quality.
- Build and sustain effective relationships with internal customers.
- Be responsible for the delivery of contracts or grants such that sustainable impacts and opportunities are identified and managed throughout the commercial lifecycle.
- Provide day to day advice and recommendations at the appropriate level on commercial risks and issues and governance across the relevant category, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value for money and savings.

**Job description**:
As a Category Officer (HEO) you will report to a Senior Category Officer (SEO) and will undertake activities at the appropriate level.

The role holder will provide support to their internal customers to deliver value effectively and innovatively so the customer organisation outcomes and objectives
can be met alongside achievement of key corporate targets.

The role holder will award and monitor low and medium value and risk contracts in accordance with Defra’s commercial policies and procedures. They will deliver

The role involves promoting commercial policies and procedures whilst influencing final outcomes. It includes provision of expert advice to internal customers on
commercial issues and governance and operational support to the team.

The role holder will engage with colleagues across the country, building their Commercial network both internally and through the wider Defra network and
Government Bodies.

**Person specification**:
Influencing and communication skills are especially important as well as seeking to improve processes and ways of working. In previous roles we expect you will have:

- Supported delivery of projects which ideally will have included procurements and/or managing contracts or suppliers to a successful outcome.
- Formed positive working relationships with colleagues, customers and suppliers including influencing and challenging to gain the best outcome.
- Analysed information including financial information and made recommendations based on the evidence.
- Worked within agreed policies and processes and promoted those standards in the way you work.
- Arranged and managed meetings including setting agendas and recording actions and decisions
- Identified risks and issues and managed plans to mitigate
- Input to improve ways of working, business change or efficiency
- Invested in your own development which might have included keeping up to date on legislation, best practice or developing industry knowledge. Hold or wish to
study towards CIPS level 4 qualifications.

**Benefits**:

- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Experience and Behaviours.

**Experience**

The following Experience is essential to this post and will be tested at sift and interview:

- Track record of planning and successfully delivering projects which ideally will have been commercial or procurement projects.
- Engaging with internal and external customers or stakeholders. Responding to and resolving issues by influencing and challenging to ensure the best result.
- Building and maintaining strong and productive working relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
- Effectively analysing financial and non-financial information.
- Delivering improvements to processes which has resulted in lasting change.

**Civil Service Behaviours**

The fo