Senior Commercial Manager - G7/G20

The Cabinet Office and HM Treasury (COHMT) operate at the strategic center of the UK Government, managing a portfolio of circa £5bn to deliver critical policy outcomes. The COHMT Commercial Team’s vision is to be a top-performing function that sets the standard for excellence across the Civil Service.

The UK is a member of both the G7 and the G20 and we are preparing to host the G20 Presidency in 2027 and the G7 Presidency in 2028. Both the G7 and G20 Presidencies will feature a Leaders' Summit as their focal point, with a series of ministerial events, elected forums, working groups, and engagement groups.

These summits are high profile events that will draw significant domestic and international attention and the ambition is to use these Presidencies to showcase UK leadership on global challenges and strengthen ties with key strategic partners amidst a complex geopolitical landscape.

We are assembling an exceptional team to deliver these summits. Joining now you will have the opportunity to contribute to a major government programme from start to finish.

This role sits within the G7 & G20 Taskforce, reporting to the G7G20 Commercial Lead as part of the Cabinet Office Commercial team, which has a vision to be a top performing commercial function in government, setting best practices for others to follow. It offers a unique challenge to professionals, working in partnership with all areas of the business to provide a full commercial service that covers planning, commercial strategy, sourcing and contract management.

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and well qualified Commercial Officer to support the development and delivery of the Commercial strategy for the operational delivery of the G20 and G7 Presidencies, ensuring excellent contract management and fiscal discipline while enabling the delivery of world class events.

As such, you will work at the heart of the operational delivery of the Presidencies and will be instrumental to the success of the Programme. Your role will encompass comprehensive Commercial and Supplier Management and Leadership, including maintaining strong relationships with the Cabinet Office Commercial and Finance Team, and key stakeholders across HMG, including the Home Office, Policing Partners, Ministry of Defence, HMT and FCDO Protocol.

We are seeking an experienced commercial professional to deliver agreements required to support the event delivery functions, which may include strategic call-offs that will support the entire programme of events as well as tactical procurements that are bespoke to each individual event to ensure high quality outcomes. Successful delivery of these commercial elements will require knowledge of public sector procurement regulations including the Procurement Act 2023.

This is a hands-on role, with strong public procurement knowledge and supplier engagement skills expected, along with the requisite interpersonal skills necessary to advise, support and work with our stakeholders as per the G7 & G20 Commercial Strategy and the Cabinet Office values.

The jobholder will work closely with G7 & G20 colleagues to proactively seek opportunities to drive additional value and increase efficiency. Delivery in this role will rely on establishing the needs of the business and translating this into effective, category based commercial strategies that enable the achievement of value for money, whilst also maintaining commitment and achieving outcomes relating to relevant policy and strategic requirements for the Cabinet Office and HMG.

There will be a high degree of interdependence with government departments, suppliers, stakeholders and user groups. Therefore, building positive, strategic relationships with all internal and external stakeholders is a critical aspect of the role. The role will provide an excellent opportunity to develop your commercial skillset, leadership capabilities & to be involved in shaping & delivering the G20 & G7 Presidencies.

Responsibilities

• Development and execution of sourcing strategies for procurements which deliver innovation and best value for money whilst demonstrating an understanding of business needs.
• Providing commercial subject matter expertise for a variety of stakeholders and inputs, including business case development, disputes and variations to contract support.
• Working with internal stakeholders and external delivery partners to understand and develop the events market and maximise approach and VfM.
• Provide high quality stakeholder engagement through development and maintenance of effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Actively work to review all options and opportunities which are available whilst raising awareness and understanding of Commercial Policy.
• Provide support for contract management, monitoring and challenging spend to protect budgets and supplier performance where necessary.
• Lead on tactical commercial procurements through the entire lifecycle, demonstrating understanding, continuity and adherence to relevant Public Contracts Regulations, relevant internal and central government guidance and systems.
• Manage internal governance controls via support to business units by managing respective assurance, governance and approval processes are adhered to.
• Responsibility for maintaining technical expertise through personal, team development and L&D requirements.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Strong commercial acumen;
• Strong stakeholder and market management experience;
• Initiative, close attention to detail, numerate, good written and oral communication skills, including presenting and facilitating;
• Ability to successfully manage competing workloads in a fast paced environment;
• Significant relevant procurement or tactical sourcing experience, including use of framework agreements, call-down contracts and direct awards;
• Good team management skills, with the ability to support the development of others by sharing technical knowledge and support mentoring of colleagues.
• Experience in public sector procurement and knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023 regulations.

Desirable criteria:

• Member of a relevant professional body, e.g. CIPS, IACCM or similar or working towards; Proficiency in use of IT tools including Microsoft Office or Google Drive.
• Knowledge/experience of events through commercial activity or event delivery is desired but not essential.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,458, Cabinet Office contributes £14,327 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.