Category Officer – Grants & Grants Prominent Programmes

Defra Group Commercial (DGC) is part of Defra, the central Government Department responsible for growing the rural economy; improving the environment; and safeguarding animal and plant health. DGC is responsible for providing a commercial service to organisations within the Defra Network.

This role requires the post-holder to provide support to their customers to deliver value effectively and innovatively so that the customer organisation outcomes and objectives can be met alongside the achievement of key corporate targets.

The post-holder will be required to award and monitor high value, medium risk contracts and grants 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 and governance and operational support to the team.

The post holder will be expected to engage with colleagues across the country, building the Commercial network both internally and through the wider Defra network and Government Bodies.

• Deliver and support in the delivery of projects, grants, procurements and contract / 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 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 and grants 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.
• The provision of day-to-day advice on commercial issues and governance, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value of money and savings

The work that you will be doing

The Category Officer will report to a Senior Category Officer (SEO) and will undertake activities at the agreed level. This job description is generic and may apply to all Category Officer posts. The post-holder may be asked to work (at an agreed level) across several different commercial areas within DGC.

The post-holder will be accountable for:

• The provision of day-to-day advice on commercial issues and governance, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value of money and savings
• The provision of support and the delivery of medium risk procurements utilising the following core commercial processes:
• The preparation of initial sourcing strategies and contributing towards business plans.
• Supporting and helping to deliver market engagement exercises.
• Preparing pre-tender and tender documents in conjunction with customers.
• Running tenders in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, including all requests for information documentation and the management of evaluations.
• Running Grant Competitions in line with Grants Standards
• Preparing recommendations for tender outcome.
• Preparing contract management documentation in conjunction with stakeholders.
• The use of leading practice commercial tools to develop and implement commercial strategies.
• Supporting the management of more complex contracts including:
• Supporting the management and development of key supplier relationships to deliver exceptional performance in cost service and quality.
• Supporting the establishment and maintenance of excellent relationships within customer organisation and wider government with key stakeholders, raising the profile of commercial activity within customer organisations.
• Participating in the production of National/European Commercial standards and guidance to inform the business and improve commercial implementation, promoting commercial principles and applying policy where appropriate.
• Representing the Commercial team at meetings with internal stakeholders and deputising for the Senior Category Officer as required.
• Supporting colleagues, training them as appropriate to help support them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner.
• The appropriate use of commercial and contract/grant management IT systems and applications.
• Your own continuous professional development by keeping up to date on legislation, best practice and developing industry knowledge and commercial understanding within a commercial category and using this knowledge to support development of the Category and Sub-category plans.

Financial Scheme of Delegation

All Category Officers have a delegated authority at all stages of the commercial process to:

• Sign-off of commercial strategies and contract/grant award reports up to £100k.
• Make commercial commitments up to £100k per commercial project.

Person specification

Assessment Criteria

The Experience requirements for this post are detailed below. Also detailed below are the required Civil Service HEO Behaviours.

In addition to these elements, we are hoping to appoint someone who is highly analytical and strives for the best commercial outcomes. We want you to be able to challenge and influence across complex and varied customer groups as well as to enjoy coming up with innovative solutions to commercial challenges. You will enjoy building networks and see good relationships as a key part of your expertise. It is important for you to feel rewarded by having provided a high-quality professional service with measurable outcomes. Finally, you will enjoy building a positive team spirit and supporting your team to deliver expert outcomes that are valued by your customers.

The following Experience is essential to this post and will be tested at sift and interview.

• Experience at having influenced operational commercial decisions at an operational level.
• Evidence that you have a track record of having set high commercial standards and delivered measurable results in a complex and demanding environment.
• That you have supported medium risk contract/grant award negotiations and resolved dispute resolutions through negotiation.
• A track record of having worked with stakeholders in a commercial environment and that you have successfully influenced and challenged to ensure the best result.
• A history of having built and maintained strong and productive working relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
• Experience of having effectively analysed financial and non-financial information.
• A track record of effective communication with a wide range of stakeholders (at all levels) both in a technical and non-technical environment.
• That you have a track record of having delivered improvements to ways of working and that this has resulted in embedded change.
• Experience of working on procurement and/or grant projects.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

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%

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 (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 and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and behaviour statement.  Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your response to questions based around the 4 behaviours.

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

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.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed 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 defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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.

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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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. 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 :

• Name :Andrew Wareham
• Email :Andy.wareham@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email :defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here