Guidance

Category Strategy - Commercial Specialist

Published 8 July 2024

Job Pillar
搁辞濒别听颁辞尘辫辞苍别苍迟
STRATEGY AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Commercial Category Strategy
Commercial Professional Level Commercial Specialist
(Senior Civil Servant 1 equivalent)
Role Summary In this role you will promote the delivery of commercial excellence for your department by managing the development of category strategies and pipeline plans. You will be expected to lead on the management of the supply chain for critical products and services and apply knowledge of business requirements, combined with strong negotiating skills, to ensure 鈥榲alue for money鈥� is delivered.聽

You will lead a team, building their confidence and commercial capability as an influential leader to shape and define a deal in a complex and uncertain context, delegating risks and issues to individuals in line with their experience and potential. The role will require you to use your commercial expertise to take measured risks in order to deliver better approaches and services.
Key Responsibilities Typically, the key responsibilities in this role will include (but are not limited to):

鈼徛燩roviding advice and using commercial expertise and data to inform judgements in markets, sectors, policy, delivery mechanisms, and suppliers
鈼徛燤anaging the benefits, risks and issues of a category management approach and taking the lead in developing solutions
鈼徛燙reating strategies and influencing a departmental culture that values effective commercial input, innovation, procurement excellence, and supply chain management
鈼徛燩roviding advice and challenge in the development of an overarching category strategy using a good understanding of business requirements and the marketplace
鈼徛燣eading on the implementation of government commercial policy and articulating relevant requirements to stakeholders
鈼徛燣eading on the development of a category strategy requiring supplier innovation, senior stakeholder engagement, and/or market building/shaping
鈼徛燤anaging the development of supplier management strategies in order to maximise commercial leverage
鈼徛燘aselining costs in order to build expected benefits into category strategies
鈼徛燚emonstrating the benefits specified in the business case and the impact on their own role
鈼徛燛nsuring relevant issues are fed into strategy and big picture considerations
鈼徛燛stablishing and implementing negotiation strategies with clear parameters
鈼徛燫esearching, encouraging and applying new ideas and ways of working to maximise 鈥榲alue for money鈥�
鈼徛燗pplying a strong visual project management approach and developing commercial resource plans including staff, systems and infrastructure to achieve effective commercial outcomes
鈼徛燬ecuring and acting on insight into customers, citizens, services, communities and markets relating to a specified set of contracts or projects
鈼徛燩rovides advice on major investment appraisal and decisions
鈼徛燙ritically assessing supply chains in order to consider how to improve the department鈥檚 position
Essential Criteria Strategy and Policy Development:
鈼徛燞as expertise in shaping department and ministerial policies from a commercial perspective
鈼徛燞as expertise in developing a category strategy for high value and complex procurements
鈼徛燞as expertise in developing and delivering complex and high value commercial strategies requiring supplier innovation, stakeholder engagement and/or market building
鈼徛燞as experience in developing resource and implementation plans in line with policy objectives and has the ability to expertly apply relevant procurement rules

Commercial Focus:
鈼徛燞as a strong practical understanding of market shaping principles and contract law and has experience in working in a range of categories/sectors with a range of suppliers
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to develop the definition of standards of success in terms of the return on investment and 鈥榲alue for money鈥� for each deal and can lead the debate to make the case with ministers
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to manage the trade-offs and contradictions within complex deals and impact on other areas

Risk and Assurance Management:
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to take measured risks in order to deliver better approaches and services
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to challenge the analysis of risks and margins of error to improve assurance on decisions

Commercial Ethics:
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to contribute to the development of standards and/or policy to eradicate corruption, fraud and unethical behaviour

Team Management:
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to coach and mentor individuals as a trusted leader and displays strong motivational capabilities to create a department culture focused on performance and priorities
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to manage a team in shaping and defining a deal in a complex and uncertain context, delegating risks and issues to individuals in line with their experience and potential

Build Relationships:
鈼徛燞as strong stakeholder engagement skills in order to effectively communicate a deal over time from conception to delivery in line with the department鈥檚 commercial requirements
鈼徛燚emonstrates the ability to understand the motivations and behaviours of stakeholders, suppliers and networks
Civil Service Behaviours Ability to show examples across all of the following behaviours for level 5 of the :

Seeing the Big Picture:
鈼徛燗nticipate the long-term impact on the department of economic, political, environmental, social and technological developments, at both national and international levels. Create joined up strategies that put into practice and support the Government鈥檚 vision for the future. Identify and shape how your work area fits within and supports the priorities of the organisation. Develop an in-depth insight into customers, services, communities and markets affected by your work areas and the wider public sector context. Ensure work is in the national interest whilst meeting the diverse needs of all end users

Changing and Improving:
鈼徛燙hallenge the way things have always been done and suggest improvements, learning from experience. Seek, encourage and recognise initiative and imaginative ideas from a wide range of people. Promote an environment where all colleagues feel safe to challenge. Encourage measured risk taking and innovation to deliver better approaches and services. Implement changes that transform flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service. Ensure changes add value to the business and express clearly how and why changes are necessary. Lead the transformation towards using digital technologies ensuring full consideration of accessibility needs and the diverse range of end users. Manage change effectively and respond promptly to critical events. Constructively challenge changes which are unhelpful

Making Effective Decisions:
鈼徛燗ct decisively and make bold, unbiased decisions at a strategic level. Make sense of a wide range of political and national pressures and influences to develop strategies which meet organisational goals. Clearly communicate the purpose and reasons for recommendations and decisions. Consult with others where necessary to ensure decisions meet the diverse needs of the end users. Accept and respond to challenge constructively. Clearly recommend the best option articulating risks and impacts on economic, environmental, political and social factors

Leadership:
鈼徛燫emain visible and approachable to all colleagues and stakeholders. Actively promote the reputation of the organisation with pride, both internally and externally. Display passion and enthusiasm for the work, helping to inspire colleagues and stakeholders to fully engage with the aims and long term vision. Embed a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for all, where the diversity of individuals鈥� backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected. Work to influence the strategy, direction and culture to increase effectiveness
Department Context To enhance the generic commercial role profile, additional information can be added by a department to outline the specific nature of the role. This may include:

鈼徛燗n additional short paragraph in the role summary
鈼徛燗dditional key responsibilities based on the department context
鈼徛燘espoke essential skills/experience required for the role