Commercial Lead – Supply Chain & Commercial Lead – Define and Procure

This is a hugely exciting time to be joining the Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS) Commercial team. You will have the unique opportunity to help deliver the next generation of combat air systems to replace the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon aircraft. Among these capabilities is the procurement of the next-generation fighter jet that is being delivered by the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a trilateral collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy. If you’re interested in becoming a world class leader, doing things differently, inspiring colleagues and driving a historical change in the combat air industry in the UK and internationally, then this is a rewarding role for you.
Military Capability sits at the heart of the MOD’s major decisions. It is headed by the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff ((Military Capability) (DCDS(MilCap)), a 3-star military officer (equivalent to a Director General) with responsibility for taking a pan-Departmental view of MOD’s strategic balance of investment decisions and the Department’s financial planning rounds.
The Future Combat Air System Team sits within DCDS(MilCap)’s domain and is critical to UK military capability. FCAS supports Defence Tasks and wider National Security Objectives and is a key element of both the UK’s industrial base and our international partnering. The Future Combat Air directorate defines policy in line with the 2018 Combat Air Strategy, and enables Government decisions on investment, programme and partnering choices. The Director Future Combat Air provides leadership across the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Enterprise. He acts as the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for both the FCAS Acquisition Programme and Technology initiative Programme.
Combat Air plays a vital role in our military strategic capabilities for decades to come, enabling us to defend the United Kingdom and our allies, and make a decisive contribution to global security. As our adversaries seek to limit our freedom of movement and control of the air, we need a new generation of combat air systems to replace the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon aircraft, which will retire from service from the mid-2030s., These positions are ideal for able and ambitious candidates who are looking to expand and refine their skillsets in a demanding environment. Working in a joint team of civilian and military staff the successful candidates will be provided with an exciting opportunity to experience decision making at the very highest levels of Defence and gain a unique insight into cross-government working; including potential engagements with the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and International and Industrial partners and stakeholders.
Supply Chain role
This role is an integral part of Commercial team and will report into the Head of Supply Chain and Define & Procure. There is a real need to drive improved Supplier Relationship Management and creating a sustainable Ecosystem. This role is leading the development of a robust framework, set of processes and segmentation model in support of FCAS’ drive to implement improved visibility in its Supply Chain and to supplement existing Contract Management work.
In line with wider Government’s drive to adopt Strategic Supplier Relationship Management, you will work with the prime suppliers, and set up best practice ways of working, processes and insight that enables improved overall delivery and additional value for FCAS.
You will have a wide-ranging portfolio of suppliers, each working to deliver complex and high-profile services to FCAS. You will drive value through commercial dealings with improved knowledge of the marketplace, additional data and insight, consistent methodologies and benchmarking.
Define and Procure Role
You will report into the Head of Supply Chain Management and Define & Procure. You will play an essential part in leading parts of the overall commercial life cycle, primarily focused on the key aspects of sourcing, including Sourcing strategy, understanding needs and mapping out sourcing options and plans, and the procurement process itself. This will be done through the development and execution of sourcing strategies, leading supplier negotiations, where needed, and delivering timely and effective support, guidance and expertise to the business. As a leader in the Commercial function, you will support rolling out commercial standards across the organisation for Define & Procure.
Locations, + Work collaboratively across MOD industry and wider HMG to gather supplier and market intelligence to inform a strategic approach to promoting the most effective industrial base.
+ Build a supply chain ecosystem with a particular focus on SMEs developing an understanding of the health of this ecosystem and how we can promote SMEs.
+ Develop a FCAS Supplier Forum with our strategic suppliers and SMEs, encouraging joint action with industry to harness the full value of the supply chain.
+ Undertake supply market analysis to understand the Global Combat Air supply chain, identifying any fragilities and vulnerabilities.
+ Map the existing FCAS, GCAP supply chain up to Tier 5, to deliver and maintain a healthy supply chain that is best able to deliver the programme.
+ Review current contracts to understand the current extant levers to manage the existing supply chain, promoting a fair and competitive environment in which innovation thrives.
+ Set up a Supply Chain Working Group involving industry partners and generate MI and performance reporting, set up a dashboard to monitor key supply chain metrics.
+ Establish a process of monitoring live data from the supply chain with input from wider MOD, other Departments, and Industry.
+ Work with teams in wider MOD, including Defence Commercial and SPO DISE, to mitigate any risks that may emerge to key suppliers.
+ Develop the commercial team into the central hub for all issues relating to the supply chain across the FMC FCAS enterprise, engaging closely with programme, delivery, and strategy teams.
+ Work collaboratively with industry to encourage technical innovation that could help deliver the most effective military capability in the most efficient way and how best to exploit and manage IPR.
+ Supporting the development of a Supply Chain framework for FCAS, which enables effective SRM across the supplier-base.
+ Using analysis, insight and research to feed into a strategic Supplier segmentation activity.
+ Updating and maintaining processes relating to Supply Chain Management, promoting performance, risk and data management and ensuring FCAS drives value through its commercial arrangements.
+ Liaising with MOD colleagues across different Business Units to drive performance; supporting and enabling them with data, analysis and insight.
+ Supporting the assurance of suppliers to ensure they meet MOD’s standards.
+ Monitoring progress against the business objectives and working with suppliers and customers to develop improvements.
+ Actively managing strategic relationships, and assessing where best practice for this exists, to drive mutual benefit for those involved.
+ Sharing best practice relating to supplier management across the Commercial team and wider MOD.
+ Evaluating the performance of suppliers against specifications, and reporting regularly.
+ Providing initiatives and ideas for supplier innovation, continuous improvement, collaboration and co-operation.
+ Feeding into business continuity planning for FCAS commercial.
Define and Procure Role
+ Support FCAS Head of Supply Chain and Define & Procure in providing strategic support and oversight of commercial and contractual activity across the FCAS portfolio, develop commercial strategies across all relevant parts of the FCAS Enterprise in line with this.
+ Produce senior briefings packs in support of FCAS Programme Board, Tri-lateral Director’s meetings, and other briefings requests as required.
+ Ensure the Combat Air Strategic objectives are reflected in the development and implementation of FCAS Commercial Strategies.
+ Strategic delivery and management within a category:
- Developing commercial approaches that deliver requirements that are in line with business needs, commercial strategies and market trends
- The development of sourcing strategies and delivery of sourcing requirement within the Commercial function, as part of the team supporting business as usual and project activities
- Understands demand by forecasting and planning requirements with internal stakeholders and suppliers
- Developing and maintaining sourcing plans for key spend areas
+ Understands relevant sourcing options and analysis, and delivers positive outcomes through the procurement process:
- Performing end-to-end strategic sourcing activities for FCAS Commercial and serving as a subject matter expert
- Works with key stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view of business requirements, and supports business units in articulating their commercial requirements
- Advising and providing professional guidance throughout the sourcing process, considering and evaluating a range of sourcing models
- Supports the development of options for a business case, including articulating associated benefits and producing supporting arguments for the preferred option
- Identifies opportunities to develop collaborative partnerships with suppliers
- Provides a procurement service which delivers demonstrable value for money and compliant goods and services contracts as part of a team of procurement professionals on larger procurement activities
- Leading negotiation relating to commercial activity, and has knowledge and experience with negotiation techniques. Leads and guides others in negotiation
- Understanding and being accountable for sourcing compliance and frameworks
+ Ensuring effective Commercial Contract and Supplier Management within the category:
- Supports Contract Management as well as Supply Chain Management within relevant areas of Commercial activity
+ Building and maintaining key relationships across FCAS Programme and with important external stakeholders:
- Developing key stakeholder relationships, enabling early engagement and challenging business need and demand. Seeks early active involvement of internal stakeholders in the sourcing process. Internal stakeholders will include FCAS colleagues who are users and buyers of the goods and services, and relevant business units and FCAS colleagues such as Finance and Legal
- Provision of commercial advice to stakeholders on all aspects of commercial
- Engaging, where required, with the relevant senior business lead, ensuring that business requirements are supported by category strategies
- Working closely with external stakeholders, including Cabinet Office, If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team at commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.
Details of schemes available are attached in the advert.
For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the explanation provided in the attached candidate pack.
Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the essential criteria for the role which are detailed in the attached Candidate Pack.
Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview.
IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace. Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance. This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities., + You will have experience of leading strategic relationships, including with UK defence industry and other Departments, to support programme delivery in a complex and political stakeholder environment.
+ You will need to be comfortable working at all levels within an organisation – from the strategic to the operational, and have the energy, motivation and drive to deliver outstanding results over the next few years as the transformation in performance you will drive begins to bear fruit.
+ You will ideally have experience identifying commercial risks and taking action to mitigate them.
+ You will understand the importance of performance measures and reporting – taking pride in your achievements and not shying away from the challenge.
+ You may have many years of experience and for you this role would represent an opportunity to operate with a degree of autonomy not often found in large corporate organisations. You will have the chance to bring your experience and skills to bear, as the pinnacle of your career to date.
+ You may only have a few years in a senior role but are senior nonetheless, looking for the chance to consolidate your experience of strategic relationships and managing performance through commercial constructs with your next big move. You would find a platform in this role to take your credentials, network and impact to the next level.
CIPS/MCIPS accreditation preferable.
MOD is committed to supporting alternative and flexible ways of working. These roles will require regular attendance at the London Main Office but can otherwise work remotely or at one of our other FCAS hubs in Bristol or Reading. Part-time and job-sharing options can be considered for the right candidate in line with Business Needs.
Candidates should state a preference on their application form for either of the above roles. If no preference is stated, candidates will be considered for both roles., + Manages Complexity - The ability to interact with multiple stakeholders, understand their requirements and policy/delivery landscape
+ Decisive - Ability to challenge and hold stakeholders to account, create an environment that acts as a catalyst for continuous improvement
+ Market Insight - Ability to engage suppliers at all stages of a project lifecycle, forge relationships and understand market limitations
+ Builds Relationships - Be able to demonstrate experience of developing relationships with senior stakeholders
+ Procurement Process - Demonstrable public procurement experience (applying public procurement legislation) leading on multiple procurement strands that has helped deliver great value for money outcomes and great customer outcomes

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 24th June and will require a full day's attendance.

As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK.
For existing Civil Servants: For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack. Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers.