Senior Category Officer

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

- 245659**Salary**:

- £37,295 - £44,724**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

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

- Commercial**Working pattern**:

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

- 20Contents

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 Senior Category Officers across a variety of teams to:

- Support and lead commercial delivery of medium to high value and risk projects (typically £100k to £5m), procurements and contract / supplier management within a market facing category team across the full commercial life cycle.

The role holder will:

- Prepare initial procurement strategies, and contribute to business plans
- Plan and manage market engagement exercises
- Prepare pre-tender and tender documents in collaboration with customers
- Run tenders in accordance with Public Contracts Regulations and manage evaluations
- Prepare recommendations for tender outcomes (Contract Award Reports) for approval via Governance Boards
- Prepare contract management documentation in collaboration 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.
- 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.
- Be responsible for the delivery of contracts or grants such that sustainable impacts and opportunities are identified and managed throughout the commercial lifecycle.
- Some roles will include line management responsibilities for Commercial Officers which includes setting objectives, managing performance and supporting learning and development.

**Job description**:
The role holder will work with customers to deliver value effectively and innovatively so that the customer organisation outcomes and objectives can be met alongside the fulfilment of key corporate targets.

The role holder will award and monitor medium value, medium and high risk contracts in accordance with Defra’s commercial policies and procedures. They will deliver propriety and value for money across the commercial life cycle.

The role will provide strategic support to the team and involve promoting commercial policies and procedures whilst influencing the final outcomes. It includes the provision of expert advice to the business 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**:

- Lead and supported delivery of projects including 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. You may have some line management experience.
- Understand regulatory frameworks, ideally some exposure to Public Contracts Regulations, working within agreed policies and processes and promoted those standards in the way you work.
- Delivered improved ways of working, business change or efficiency.
- Proactively identified risks and issues and managed plans to mitigate.
- Attended and potentially chaired meetings to gain decisions including setting agendas, leading on items and recording actions and decisions.
- Presented conclusions and made recommendations evidenced by analysed information including financial information.
- Supported colleagues, training them as appropriate to help support them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner.
- Invested in your own development which might have included keeping up to date on legislation, best practice or developing industry knowledge. Hold or be prepared to study towards CIPS level 6 qualifications.

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Changing and Improving
- Working Together

**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 Behaviours and Experience.This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and wil