Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Commercial Contract Manager
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Cardiff, Salford
Job Summary
At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.
We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.
We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.
We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.
We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.
Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.
Our Inclusive Environment
We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
Please note
Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.
Job Description
The Commercial HEO will support the delivery of compliant, effective and value-for-money commercial activity across DSIT. The post-holder will help plan and run low-to-medium complexity procurement exercises, support contract and supplier management, maintain accurate commercial records and provide clear advice to policy, delivery and technical colleagues.
Working with senior commercial colleagues, the role will contribute to the full commercial lifecycle: understanding requirements, supporting route-to-market decisions, preparing procurement documents, managing supplier clarification processes, supporting evaluations, preparing contract award documentation, monitoring supplier performance and maintaining audit-ready commercial records.
The role is well suited to someone with procurement, contract management, supplier management or commercial delivery experience who is looking to develop their professional capability in a fast-moving, innovative and public-sector commercial environment.
- Commercial advice and stakeholder support: Provide clear, practical and proportionate commercial advice to internal customers, helping them understand procurement routes, governance requirements, timelines, risks and commercial options.
- Procurement delivery: Support and, where appropriate, lead lower-risk procurement activity from planning through to award, including preparing sourcing documentation, managing e-sourcing activity, coordinating clarifications and supporting compliant evaluations.
- Route-to-market planning: Help identify appropriate procurement routes, including use of Crown Commercial Service and other public sector frameworks, dynamic markets and competitive procedures, ensuring advice is aligned with current procurement policy and departmental governance.
- Requirements development: Work with policy, delivery, technical, finance and legal colleagues to shape clear, proportionate and evaluable requirements, statements of work, evaluation criteria and pricing schedules.
- Contract management: Support the day-to-day management of contracts, including monitoring delivery against milestones, KPIs and SLAs, recording issues, tracking actions and escalating risks or underperformance where required.
- Supplier and market engagement: Support proportionate supplier and market engagement activity, helping to gather market insight, test feasibility, understand supplier capability and inform commercial strategy.
- Governance, assurance and compliance: Maintain accurate and audit-ready procurement and contract records, supporting compliance with DSIT governance, Cabinet Office controls, the Government Functional Standard for Commercial, applicable procurement legislation and relevant commercial playbooks.
- Data, systems and management information: Maintain accurate records in commercial systems, contribute to pipeline and contract data, support reporting and use spend or supplier data to inform decisions.
- Risk and issue management: Identify and record commercial risks and issues, support development of mitigations and escalate appropriately to senior commercial colleagues.
- Continuous improvement and capability: Contribute to lessons learned, process improvement and commercial capability building, including sharing good practice with stakeholders and supporting colleagues with commercial awareness.
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Person specification
Key Responsibilities
- Working in a procurement, commercial, contract management, supplier management, finance, project delivery or operational delivery environment.
- Supporting or delivering procurement activity, including preparing documentation, managing supplier questions, coordinating evaluations or maintaining procurement records.
- Supporting contract or supplier management, including tracking performance, risks, issues, actions, spend, milestones or service levels.
- Working with internal or external stakeholders to clarify requirements, gather information, resolve issues or provide advice.
- Using data, spreadsheets, e-sourcing systems, contract registers or management information to support decisions and maintain accurate records.
Essential Criteria
- A developing understanding of the commercial lifecycle, including planning, procurement, contract award, contract management and re-procurement.
- Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain commercial or procedural requirements clearly to non-commercial colleagues.
- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines and records accurately.
- Good attention to detail, including the ability to review documents, identify inconsistencies and maintain an audit trail.
- Evidence-based decision-making, including the ability to gather relevant information, consider options, identify risks and make proportionate recommendations.
- Confidence working collaboratively with colleagues across different professions, including policy, delivery, finance, legal, digital and technical teams.
- A commitment to public value, propriety, fairness, transparency and continuous improvement.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience using e-sourcing or procurement systems, such as Jaggaer, Atamis or similar platforms.
- Experience working in central government, wider public sector procurement or a regulated commercial environment.
- Experience with Crown Commercial Service frameworks, public sector framework agreements, dynamic markets or other public sector routes to market.
- Experience supporting digital, data, technology, research, professional services, grants or corporate services commercial activity.
- Experience contributing to contract management plans, supplier performance reviews, risk registers, contract change records or procurement assurance packs.
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Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £36,735, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £10,642 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office Attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Artificial Intelligence
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Requirements
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) setting out your suitability for the role. Your statement should explain how your skills, experience and behaviours meet the requirements of the Commercial Senior Executive Officer role, with particular reference to:
- Your experience of delivering procurement, sourcing, contract management or wider commercial activity;
- How you provide clear, practical and evidence-based advice to stakeholders;
- How you manage risks, competing priorities and governance requirements;
- Your ability to work collaboratively with policy, finance, legal, delivery and technical colleagues; and
- How you demonstrate sound judgement, value for money, inclusion and continuous improvement in your work.
Candidates should use specific examples and clearly explain their personal contribution, the outcome achieved and what they learned.
Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV, and personal statement.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour questions.
Sift and Interview Dates
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on
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