Details Reference number 442006
Salary £82,600 - £100,938 GCO Pension, GCO Terms. Up to 15% performance-related-pay available on accreditation. GBP
Job grade Grade 6 Associate Commercial Specialist
Contract type Permanent
Business area Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Type of role Commercial
Working pattern Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours
Number of jobs available 1
Contents
- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know
- Apply and further information
Location Assignment Location: Birmingham, Cardiff (CF14 3UZ), Darlington, Salford, London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Aberdeen.
With occasional travel to London and travelling to sites.
Relocation costs will not be reimbursed.
About the job Job summary
In DESNZ we are leading the Governments focus on being a clean energy superpower by 2030 and accelerating our transition to net zero. Consequently, our commercial landscape is very broad across entity-to-entity contracts, First of a Kind (FAOK) investments in Hydrogen and CCUS, SMR Procurements amongst many others. This role will focus on being a critical friend to Policy colleagues at the early stages of policy exploration to test multiple commercial arrangements including contracts, grants, concessional finance, equity to deliver the policy objective, whilst looking to standardise and embed knowledge management across this space. This will include negotiation advice and design. For someone with broad commercial experience, it presents a great opportunity to work across the full commercial lifecycle, well beyond procurement.
Job Description
You will need to be able to build strong customer relationships and influence our internal stakeholders on the value commercial can bring. This is a critical remit with a wide-ranging responsibility and accountability for developing customer relationships and building the pipeline as well as managing, developing and increasing the maturity of the commercial team.
As an integral member of the Directorate, you will play an active role in supporting the leadership and management of the directorate, embedding Commercials vision and values to create a supportive working environment for all.
You will also be helping deliver the step change in the operation of the Commercial profession within the Department, and an ambassador for the commercial function. You will deputise for your Deputy Director when needed/appropriate.
The Commercial function in DESNZ is embarking on an exciting programme to review and change the way we operate with the Department, to put Commercial at the heart of everything the Department does, and impact the whole lifecycle of commercial activity, from investment to operational commercial management of projects on site. As part of our senior leadership, you will play a key role in shaping this development and driving growth and enriching the function.
Locations:
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.
Person specification
- Provide advice to SROs on routes to market and deal incentives including advice on Grants, equity models, loans and procurement models.
- Provide advice on negotiation planning, models, concession matrices and styles to senior leadership team.
- Help to assemble and collect Departmental negotiation models and plans already used in a knowledge management architecture to enable invent once, use many times.
- Lead as requested red team challenge reviews of plans in flight
- Create an overview of Departmental capability and expertise in this field outside commercial.
- Support the Commercial Director in the leadership of the Commercial Collaboration Group.
- As agreed, lead negotiation on behalf of SRO and / or support the Departments Chief Negotiator.
- Provide Commercial input and resource into the Policy Industrial Strategy group.
- Support the ICS assurance team with assessing Outline Business Case etc of SROs coming to Portfolio Investment Committees.
- Team Leadership and line management responsibilities.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Evidence of negotiation skills, likely to have been gained from multiple large deals. Able to demonstrate examples of having been forceful in order to secure a deal, while maintaining strong customer/supplier relationships.
- Significant category expertise, likely to have been gained from working at a senior level. Evidence of running insource/outsource conversations and transitioning.
- Demonstrate an ability to navigate complexity, with high levels of confidence with a natural presence and gravitas that is likely to result in successfully influencing outcomes.
- Demonstrate outstanding consultancy skills, whether internal or external; ability to gain credibility and influence through, network development, strong stakeholder engagement and effective communication skills.
- Working with senior stakeholders to shape their thinking and understanding of the dynamics of the markets.
- Extensive evidence of designing, shaping and agreeing innovative sourcing and commercial strategies from a lead role in a complex organisation.
Benefits
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.
Kindly refer to the following link for the GCF Rewards and benefits page.
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-benefits/
Things you need to know 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.
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. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.
Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on the 3rd of February 2026 and will require a full day's attendance.
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 on 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.
For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read 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 Technical Skills (essential criteria) and your Job History (CV) that you will be asked to provide during the application process. Further help and advice on our application and selection process can be found at this web address https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-how-to-apply/
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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/
IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact:
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 .
See our vetting charter . 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)
- 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
Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
Requirements
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles . 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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants Job contact :
- Name : Ashlene Doherty
- Email :
Recruitment team
Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should direct this to the Head of Commercial Resourcing Hub at the following email quoting the vacancy reference number (if applicable) and the details of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission via the following web page: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/
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