Job summary
Defra group Commercial are looking to appoint Category Officers to support a variety of customer groups to
- Support and lead the delivery of projects, procurements and contract / supplier management roles across an allocated customer category.
- Support the management and development of key supplier relationships to deliver exceptional performance in cost, service and quality.
- Build and sustain effective relationships with category customers.
- Provide day to day advice on commercial issues and governance across the relevant category, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities whilst maximising value of money and savings.
Brief Overview:
Join Defra’s Technology Category Team and Drive IT Transformation
Be part of a forward-thinking team that is revolutionizing how Defra delivers its IT services — making them simpler, faster, and more sustainable. Working within our Technology Category, you’ll have the chance to make a tangible impact in a dynamic, challenging, and high-profile environment.
Our team is responsible for sourcing a wide range of IT needs across Defra — from user devices and digital applications to connectivity, geospatial, data, and cybersecurity. With a market-focused and agile approach, we stay ahead of emerging technologies and collaborate closely with customers to streamline and consolidate the IT products and services we procure for the entire Defra Group.
The post-holder will be required to award and monitor high value, medium risk contracts in accordance with Defra’s commercial policies and procedures. They will be expected to deliver propriety and value for money whilst applying commercial life-cycle principles.
The work will involve promoting commercial policies and procedures whilst influencing the final outcomes. It includes the provision of expert advice to the business on commercial issues, contract management and governance and operational support to the team.
Role
The Category Officer will report to a Senior Category Officer (SEO) and will undertake activities at the agreed level.
As a vital member of our Technology Commercial Category Team, you will play a key role in delivering low to medium value projects, procurements, and contract/supplier management within an agile, market-facing environment.
Your mission will be to develop and execute commercial strategies that align with the Category Strategy, directly contributing to our overall business success. You will take charge of planning and managing all market engagement activities for your assigned sub-category, fostering strong partnerships both internally and externally.
In this role, you will:
Deliver and support in the delivery of projects, procurements with contract and supplier management across the full commercial life cycle providing functional / specialist input to improve ways of working and business change and efficiency.
- Be responsible for explaining specialist commercial guidance to operational teams to influence compliance with Defra policy / legislation / best practice and agreed ways of working and contribute to the delivery of business plans.
- Keep up to date on changing legislation / best practice externally, to inform internal priorities and appropriate alignment.
- Contribute to the development of Defra policy / process at national / local level and monitor and advise on effective implementation in the business, in line with environmental targets.
- Build and sustain effective relationships with operational customers to understand issues and provide effective response / steer for operational needs.
- Train and help others on policies, procedures, practices and techniques equipping them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner.
- Support team members to deliver results on time, to required quality standards and cost to fulfil the business plan and achieve / support environmental goals.
- Support the delivery of contracts such that sustainable impacts and opportunities are identified and managed throughout the commercial lifecycle.
- Manage your own resources to meet business needs, including electronic sourcing and contract management applications, to maximise the efficient and effective use of finances and people to ensure that all activities are completed to time, cost and quality targets.
- Support the development of Defra sub-category and category plans and develop your own market category knowledge and expertise.
Person specification
What we’re looking for:
We are seeking candidates who are actively developing their commercial expertise and thrive on challenging and influencing a diverse customer range of customers. You will enjoy crafting innovative solutions to overcome challenges and excel at building strong networks, recognising relationship-building as a core strength.
You will deliver high-quality, professional services with measurable impact, taking pride in achieving strong commercial outcomes. You are highly analytical, with the confidence to challenge and influence across varied and complex customer groups.
In addition, you will contribute to a positive team environment, supporting colleagues to deliver expert outcomes that are highly valued by customers. You are motivated by providing excellent service, achieving tangible results, and fostering collaboration within your team.
You will have the following essential experience and skills (which will be tested at sift and interview) : Experience influencing operational and commercial decisions.
- Supported the successful delivery of a variety of procurements, with experience in managing contracts or suppliers being an advantage.
- Demonstrating a strong understanding of regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance with policies and processes, and championing these standards in all aspects of your work.
- Driving operational improvements by implementing initiatives that enhance efficiency, promote business transformation, and refine ways of working.
- Applying your commercial acumen to generate tangible benefits, efficiencies, and cost savings.
- Proactively identifying risks and issues and formulating and executing robust mitigation plans.
- Delivering well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations, backed by thorough analysis of data — including financial information.
- You will hold or be willing to pursue, a CIPS Level 4 qualification progressing to qualifications in MCIPS (Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) or have IACCM/WorldCC ( International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM), now known as World Commerce & Contracting (WorldCC)). Other professional qualifications, such as Prince2, Lean or APM qualifications would be considered.
If these are not applicable, then we will be looking for robust evidence of equivalent experience.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Please include any technical skills in your prestentation (should you progress to interview). further details will be provided prior to your interview
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,765, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,071 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 with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- Career progression
- Established Commercial Mentor Programme available.
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 Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Application
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and complete a 500-word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria detailed in the advertisement.
You will also be asked to complete a 250-word statement against one (1) of the behaviours.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should we receive a large number of applications, we will conduct an initial sift assessing the personal statement and the behaviour. Those who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
If you are invited to interview, Experience and the following Behaviours will be assessed:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical will be assessed at interview in the form of a prepared presentation, details will be sent to you if you are successful at sift.
Strengths will also be tested at interview stage:
Full details on the Civil Service Behaviours Framework can be found here:
Gov.UK - Civil Service Profiles
Your interview will be conducted virtually via MS Teams.
Further Information
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Salary
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Near Miss Candidates
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Higher Security Clearance
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Feedback
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).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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
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, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here
