Food Standards Agency
Head of Commercial
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We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel within the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.
Job Summary
Are you an experienced Commercial leader looking for a new challenge?
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a small government department with a big mission: to keep food safe, ensure that it is what it says it is, and that it is increasingly healthy and more sustainable. This wide-reaching remit impacts consumers across the country, and we work hard to deliver ‘food you can trust’ while also offering real value for the taxpayer.
We have an exciting opportunity to lead the Commercial function at the Food Standards Agency (FSA). This senior role sits at the heart of how the organisation delivers value from its significant third party spend, shaping how commercial expertise supports business outcomes while maintaining strong governance and risk management.
As Head of Commercial, you will provide strategic leadership to an established and capable team, embedding improvements and driving a culture focused on value for money and continuous development. You will play a central role in influencing senior stakeholders and guiding the organisation through evolving procurement legislation, while ensuring commercial practices remain efficient, effective and aligned to organisational priorities.
Job Description
In this role you will take overall accountability for commercial activity across the organisation, including shaping and implementing commercial strategy, leading policy development and overseeing transformation of procurement processes. You will ensure compliance with relevant legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023 and Public Contracts Regulations 2015, while strengthening governance and mitigating risk. You will also be responsible for delivering business plans, managing budgets and representing the organisation in cross government commercial forums.
You will lead and develop the Commercial team, fostering a strong performance culture through clear objectives, robust performance measures and continuous improvement. Working closely with senior leaders, you will build effective relationships, influence decision making and support the delivery of organisational priorities. The role also requires driving professionalisation within the team, embedding best practice and ensuring the function remains responsive, efficient and easy to engage with across the business.
Working pattern guidance
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here [JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers?](, Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk))
Please read before applying
This post is a temporary Loan appointment available until the return of the substantive post holder, estimated to be 31 August 2027. There may be the potential, but no guarantee, of extension or permanency.
Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this vacancy.
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Note for FSA employees
You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy - please refer to the ‘Temporary internal appointments framework’ on the FSA intranet for more details. Please note that if applying for a temporary post within the FSA or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).
Person specification
Please read the attached Job Description to discover further details about the role, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.
Qualifications
MCIPs (or working towards Level 6)
or
comparable qualification
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
MCIPs (or working towards Level 6) or comparable qualification
Alongside your salary of £72,469, Food Standards Agency contributes £20,994 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).
Please take a look at the [Working for the Food Standards Agency](, Civil Service Careers) to find out about the benefits the FSA has to offer
Please also refer to the Terms and Conditions statement attached to this advert.
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 Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Full details of the selection process can be found in the attached candidate pack.
Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role.
MCIPs (or working towards Level 6)
or
comparable qualification
If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application. You will be asked to provide further detail later in the application.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.
Experience
Essential criteria
Lead criteria: Experience of leading and driving the professionalisation of a high-performing Commercial Team. Demonstrable experience of managing complex procurement processes and delivering value for money and delivering commercial results at pace that benefit the team and the wider organisation. In-depth knowledge of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, Managing Public Money, UK Government Functional Standards, Cabinet Office Spend Controls and other relevant procurement legislation and regulations. Experience of utilising excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to obtain support and engagement for commercial proposals from stakeholders at all levels.
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Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
Interview
If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following.
Experience
In-depth knowledge of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, Managing Public Money, UK Government Functional Standards, Cabinet Office Spend Controls and other relevant procurement legislation and regulations. (Assessed via assessment exercise) Experience of leading and driving the professionalisation of a high-performing Commercial Team. Demonstrable experience of managing complex procurement processes and delivering value for money and delivering commercial results at pace that benefit the team and the wider organisation. Experience of utilising excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to obtain support and engagement for commercial proposals from stakeholders at all levels.
Strengths
We will also assess you against a number of Civil Service Strengths – these are not disclosed prior to interview.
Assessment exercise
As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a seen presentation. Further information will be provided to you on the invitation to interview email.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 22 July 2026
Sift: Expected to take place 23 – 24 July 2026
Final panel interview: Expected to take place 3 – 4 August 2026
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications
Eligibility
Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and will be withdrawn.
Making a complaint
If you feel your application has not been treated fairly and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bush
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