Commercial Lead Ref. 2801

Stonewall Top Employer AwardSocial Mobility Foundation AwardThe Times Top 100Disability confident leader

Finance, Audit and Procurement
Cheltenham, London, Manchester, Buckinghamshire
Full-time and part-time opportunities (flexible working hours available)
London- £64,575- £70,762, Cheltenham, Buckinghamshire or Manchester- £63,332- £69,689

About Us

MI5 safeguards the UK against threats such as terrorism, espionage, cyber and sabotage. We investigate suspect individuals and organisations in the UK to obtain, collate, analyse and assess secret intelligence relating to these threats. Alongside our British Intelligence partners SIS and GCHQ, we provide the UK government with the information they need to protect national security. At MI5 you’ll enjoy varied and rewarding work in a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork. 


The Role 

At MI5, we’re heading into a fascinating period of development and organisational change: and we’re looking for a Commercial Lead to join us. The role could be in our customer-facing team, where you’ll be responsible for non-category procurement and the development of our commercial pipeline and in-year delivery, or in the Commercial Delivery Team, where you’ll look after sub-category strategies for Estates, People & Professional Services and Technology. 

Whichever team you join, there has never been a more exciting time to progress your career at MI5. You’ll help us shape the commercial activity for key projects, leading the delivery of the 2021 Spending Review (SR21) commitments. You’ll also have opportunities to be involved in business change initiatives across the Commercial function, translating business goals into action. An empathetic and hands-on manager, you’ll support a small team in developing their skills and abilities to achieve goals together, whilst we’ll support you in a stimulating environment that manages a unique portfolio of major procurement projects.  

A role model to your team, you’ll build their confidence through coaching and mentoring, sharing your expertise to ensure they deliver excellent procurement and supply service. Alongside enabling and managing these procurement projects, you’ll oversee transactions to reduce delivery time and implement a first-class Low Value Transaction (LVT) approach. 

Driving improvements, innovation and performance from suppliers, you’ll support cross-agency (MI5, SIS and GCHQ) working and deliver the procurement and supply service to a wide range of participants, displaying professionalism and a collaborative attitude throughout. You’ll have opportunities to visit other national locations (depending on the location of your team), where you can grow your network and discover new ways of working.  

As a valued leader at MI5, you’ll also represent our shared corporate services management team at senior meetings with government departments, offering professional advice and constructively feeding back on strategic issues, to ensure the best outcomes for our people and teams. If you’re dedicated, proactive and experienced in procurement, this could be a rewarding new stage in your career.

Existing Civil Servants and GCO staff who are successful in their application, can move on secondment on their existing terms and conditions, or move to us permanently.


About You

You’ll have experience in a procurement and supply chain environment, leading and implementing complex decisions with best practice procurement, supply chain processes and methodologies in mind. Ready for the next step, you’ll already hold (or be studying for) a professional Commercial qualification, like the MCIPS or the World Commerce and Contracting Certification – or be willing to work towards one of these. Crucially, before being offered the role you’ll need to attend the Commercial Lead - Government Commercial Assessment and Development Centre, achieving an A accreditation.  

You’ll also have an understanding of how to develop a commercial pipeline, with consistent and repeatable Management Information (MI) to support prioritisation of the commercial workbook. You’ll have developed and delivered sub-category strategies, but know about implementing Spending Review 2021 appropriate Key Performance Indicators and tender evaluation to improve departmental use of Subject Matter Experts/Small to Medium Enterprises, reduce carbon emissions and increase diversity, too. You’ll have experience drafting and negotiating contracts, with support from Legal and Finance colleagues, in addition to managing significant spend and saving efficiencies.  

At MI5, we know that soft skills are just as essential to thriving in a role – and so do you. Your experience in commercial, procurement or category management will be supported by your resilient and optimistic attitude, which helps you to maintain positive working relationships. A confident communicator, you’re as comfortable building constructive relationships with customers, sponsors and suppliers as you are writing commercial strategies and plans. In short, you’ll have both professional experience and proven interpersonal skills.


Training and Development 

One thing you can count on when you join MI5 is our dedication to your professional development. When you start, you’ll be assigned a buddy to help you settle in, and as you progress you’ll have regular check-ins, to ensure you’re receiving the right support and opportunities. You could benefit from a wealth of in-house technical training programmes – and even funding for external training, where appropriate.  As a senior member of staff, you’ll have access to the Senior Leadership Programme to help you thrive in your role, alongside MCIPS or World Commerce and Contracting Certification and GCF Contract Management. If you are successful in joining us, you will become part of the Government Commercial Function, with access to conferences and much more.

Continuous development is at the heart of what we do, and we’ll work with you to help identify the skills and experience you need to lead, progress and flourish with MI5.  In short, you won’t be on your own – throughout your career, you’ll be surrounded by colleagues who want you to succeed.


Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £64,575 - £70,762 (London), £63,332 - £69,689 (Buckinghamshire, Cheltenham, Manchester) plus other benefits including: 

-    25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
-    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
-    Personal Learning Budget
-    Interest-free season ticket loan
-    Excellent pension scheme
-    Cycle to work scheme
-    Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
-    Paid parental and adoption leave. 


Working pattern: 

Flexible Hours (flexi-time), part-time, full-time, job share, compressed hours, depending on business need, requirement to travel to other national locations, as required. Minimum 3 days per week in any of our offices with flexibility to potentially WFH 1-2 days per week, subject to business requirements. This role is available on a Permanent basis or as a Secondment opportunity. 


Equal Opportunities

At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website: https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity


We’re Disability Confident

MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.  Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role.  This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are: 

·    Eligibility questions – You will be asked a series of questions. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be directed to the initial application form.  
·    Application form –You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy and are required to meet the minimum pass mark set.  
·    On successful completion of these stages, you will be invited to attend a Interview. 


What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

•    The first thing we will ask you to do is complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you do meet these criteria, we will then ask you to fill out a full application form where you will need to create a log in and provide your full name, email address and a memorable password. 
•    Our recruitment team will conduct a sift of your application. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview, where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate key behaviours relevant to the role.
•    If you are successful at this stage, we may invite you to attend the Commercial Assessment and Development assessment centre (ADC). Following successful completion of this and attaining the desired pass mark, you may be required to attend a further interview at a final selection board. If you are successful, we will start the vetting process, which includes a Security Interview. This interview is an important part of the selection process. It’s an interview to explore your life and experiences, and it’s not a competency or capability-based interview.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.


Before You Apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Whichever location you select, you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. A loan is available to support people relocating to London.


Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. 


Right to Withdraw Statement: 


Please be aware that we hold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment. 

This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications.