What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Commercial Category Manager position at Crown Prosecution Service?
Please note that this post can be based in any location within England and Wales, where a CPS office is located. Whilst it’s an expectation of the role to travel to CPS locations as per business needs, CPS is disability confident employer and all reasonable adjustments will be considered in line with Equality Act of 2010.
Job Summary
It’s an exciting time to join the commercial team and we are seeking people with a can do attitude to help us continue to improve our commercial function’s offering, supporting the vital work that the Crown Prosecution Service does both now and in the future.
As a lead commercial category manager, you will bring your experience of developing and operating within a category structure, being a trusted advisor to stakeholders, who can dynamically advocate the benefits of category management. As category lead you will primarily manage the procurement and contract management of portfolios of contracts for non-digital commodities. Working closely with Crown Prosecution Service stakeholders, the category team develop and deliver appropriate sourcing strategies to achieve value for money for the organisation.
The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.
You must be aged 16 before starting in this role. The start date is expected to be 8-12 weeks after the application deadline.
As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.
Job Description
Your roles and responsibilities
Your roles and responsibilities
Person specification
To Be Eligible To Apply, You Need
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Join the Crown Prosecution Service and find your purpose.
Why we work for the Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service is passionate about ensuring that we're a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We're a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where you can bring your whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering disability, faith and belief, LGBTQI , race, social mobility alongside our mental health first aiders programme and wellbeing sessions.
The Crown Prosecution Service commits to offer its employees the following experience.
We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. You must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you're doing.
The Crown Prosecution Service also has a range of development programmes to support all aspiring, new and experienced managers with developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. Our Manager Induction Programme is mandatory for all newly appointed managers. This is a fantastic opportunity to support all our new Crown Prosecution Service managers with the tools required to perform effectively in their roles.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment process will consist of an online application, interview & assessment which are expected to take place on w/c 7th April 2025.
Your interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance. If you have any queries about this please contact Rebecca.Harvey1@cps.gov.uk.
You should keep this week free or notify us if you are not available. We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.
Cover Letter and CV
Please Upload An up-to-date CV Which Should Include
It’s your responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that you’re considered for the post.
If you’re unable to cover three years through employment and/or academic history, you need to provide a character reference for clearance purposes. The reference will be required at onboarding if you’re offered the role.
Your Cover Letter and CV will be assessed against the following essential experience:
Interview
Role
We use the Success Profiles behaviours to help us understand the experience you have that would help you to do a great job in this role. The interview will be assessed against level 3 in the behaviour framework. We’ll be assessing four behaviours at the interview stage:
Assessment
Please note, you will be asked to undertake an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role, details of which will be provided immediately prior to your interview.
Strengths
Please note, strengths will be tested at interview stage, the strengths being tested will not be shared in advance of the interview.
Accuracy
You must ensure that your application, including your personal statement and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Other
This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.
Clearance Required
If successful, you are required to secure a Disclosure and Barring Service check for which you must have a current valid UK address.
If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form and nationality and immigration questionnaire.
If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.
The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.
Reserve List
If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another lead commercial category manager post in the chief finance officer directorate if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.
Feedback
We only provide feedback if you attend an interview or assessment.
Fraud check
The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database.
Civil Service Commission
If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.
If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/
Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/
Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
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
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.
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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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
Job Summary
It’s an exciting time to join the commercial team and we are seeking people with a can do attitude to help us continue to improve our commercial function’s offering, supporting the vital work that the Crown Prosecution Service does both now and in the future.
As a lead commercial category manager, you will bring your experience of developing and operating within a category structure, being a trusted advisor to stakeholders, who can dynamically advocate the benefits of category management. As category lead you will primarily manage the procurement and contract management of portfolios of contracts for non-digital commodities. Working closely with Crown Prosecution Service stakeholders, the category team develop and deliver appropriate sourcing strategies to achieve value for money for the organisation.
The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. There’s no guarantee that we will grant this approval.
You must be aged 16 before starting in this role. The start date is expected to be 8-12 weeks after the application deadline.
As part of this role, you are expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.
Job Description
Your roles and responsibilities
- You will lead on the design and delivery of the procurement and contracting strategies for nominated categories of goods and services.
- You will manage delivery of category plans and sourcing strategies, including procurement and contract management priorities, resource allocation and reporting to Leadership team on risks and issues. You will allocate resources both within category and to support delivery across the commercial function, including allocating stretch projects in support of business plan delivery.
- You will lead and manage team to deliver effective procurements to deliver value for money and/or drive added value through contract management and assurance of team activities within governance model.
- You will support the Head of Category and Head of Commercial in the development and implementation of procurement strategy and policy by using the knowledge of their allocated category areas to identify wider service delivery and interpret policy to clients and customers across the organisation.
- You will pro-actively identify project delays and resourcing difficulties and mitigate these to ensure smooth delivery. You will meet customer expectations and keep purchasing programmes and projects on track.
Your roles and responsibilities
- You will lead on the design and delivery of the procurement and contracting strategies for nominated categories of goods and services.
- You will manage delivery of category plans and sourcing strategies, including procurement and contract management priorities, resource allocation and reporting to Leadership team on risks and issues. You will allocate resources both within category and to support delivery across the commercial function, including allocating stretch projects in support of business plan delivery.
- You will lead and manage team to deliver effective procurements to deliver value for money and/or drive added value through contract management and assurance of team activities within governance model.
- You will support the Head of Category and Head of Commercial in the development and implementation of procurement strategy and policy by using the knowledge of their allocated category areas to identify wider service delivery and interpret policy to clients and customers across the organisation.
- You will pro-actively identify project delays and resourcing difficulties and mitigate these to ensure smooth delivery. You will meet customer expectations and keep purchasing programmes and projects on track.
Person specification
To Be Eligible To Apply, You Need
- Experience of creating and delivering category strategy and plans.
- Experience of working and leading in a commercial environment within a complex organisation.
- Experience of leading and delivering high quality, value for money procurements including above threshold procurements and use of frameworks.
- Experience of working with stakeholders as a trusted commercial advisor, ensuring requirements are understood and delivered within the procurement and resulting contract.
- Experience of implementing contract management to ensure supplier performance standards are met and savings, continuous improvement and added value is delivered to the organisation.
- Leading negotiation with suppliers including devising negotiation strategies
- Experience of ensuring compliance with governance, legislative and policy requirements.
- MCIPS Level 5 or above; or relevant commercial experience.
- Government Commercial Function Profession at Associate Commercial lead level.
- Certificate of Level 4 Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (Level 4 CIPS) - £1,500 pa or
- Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (Full MCIPS) - £2,500 pa
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- MCIPS Level 5 or above; or relevant commercial experience.
- Government Commercial Function Profession at Associate Commercial lead level.
Join the Crown Prosecution Service and find your purpose.
Why we work for the Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service is passionate about ensuring that we're a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We're a committed equal opportunities employer, creating a culture where you can bring your whole self to work, and individuality is truly appreciated.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering disability, faith and belief, LGBTQI , race, social mobility alongside our mental health first aiders programme and wellbeing sessions.
The Crown Prosecution Service commits to offer its employees the following experience.
- You can do impactful, purposeful work that’s making a difference to your local communities.
- You are able to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources.
- We care about your wellbeing.
- We want you to feel valued, trusted and included.
- Civil Service contributory pension of up to 28.9%
- 25 days’ leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years
- £350 each year to spend on personal development
- lawyer training programme for all new prosecutors
- an extra privilege day to mark the King's birthday
- competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- flexible working including flexitime, and a family friendly approach to work
- Cycle2Work scheme, employee savings.
We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. You must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you're doing.
The Crown Prosecution Service also has a range of development programmes to support all aspiring, new and experienced managers with developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. Our Manager Induction Programme is mandatory for all newly appointed managers. This is a fantastic opportunity to support all our new Crown Prosecution Service managers with the tools required to perform effectively in their roles.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment process will consist of an online application, interview & assessment which are expected to take place on w/c 7th April 2025.
Your interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance. If you have any queries about this please contact Rebecca.Harvey1@cps.gov.uk.
You should keep this week free or notify us if you are not available. We will make every effort to accommodate you in your preference for dates; however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.
Cover Letter and CV
Please Upload An up-to-date CV Which Should Include
- three years’ employment and/or academic history
- skills and experience
- achievements
- qualifications
It’s your responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that you’re considered for the post.
If you’re unable to cover three years through employment and/or academic history, you need to provide a character reference for clearance purposes. The reference will be required at onboarding if you’re offered the role.
Your Cover Letter and CV will be assessed against the following essential experience:
- Experience of creating and delivering category strategy and plans.
- Experience of working and leading in a commercial environment within a complex organisation.
- Experience of leading and delivering high quality, value for money procurements including above threshold procurements and use of frameworks.
- Experience of working with stakeholders as a trusted commercial advisor, ensuring requirements are understood and delivered within the procurement and resulting contract.
- Experience of implementing contract management to ensure supplier performance standards are met and savings, continuous improvement and added value is delivered to the organisation.
- Leading negotiation with suppliers including devising negotiation strategies
- Experience of ensuring compliance with governance, legislative and policy requirements.
- MCIPS Level 5 or above; or relevant commercial experience.
- Government Commercial Function Profession at Associate Commercial lead level.
Interview
Role
We use the Success Profiles behaviours to help us understand the experience you have that would help you to do a great job in this role. The interview will be assessed against level 3 in the behaviour framework. We’ll be assessing four behaviours at the interview stage:
- Leadership - lead behaviour
- Changing & improving
- Making effective decisions
- Communicating & influencing
Assessment
Please note, you will be asked to undertake an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role, details of which will be provided immediately prior to your interview.
Strengths
Please note, strengths will be tested at interview stage, the strengths being tested will not be shared in advance of the interview.
Accuracy
You must ensure that your application, including your personal statement and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Other
This is a full-time post. We do consider requests for flexible, part-time working and job share, always considering the operational needs of the department.
Clearance Required
If successful, you are required to secure a Disclosure and Barring Service check for which you must have a current valid UK address.
If successfully appointed, we ask you to complete a character enquiry form and nationality and immigration questionnaire.
If you're a Crown Prosecution Service member of staff, you won’t need to do a Disclosure and Barring Service check as you already hold this clearance.
The job you’re applying for is covered by Article 3(a) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, consequently Section 4(2) of that Act doesn’t apply. You’re required to disclose all previous convictions and cautions including spent convictions. Failing to make a full declaration will result in withdrawing your offer of employment if our checks reveal convictions that haven’t been disclosed.
Reserve List
If you're recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy, you’re put on a reserve list for 12 months. You may be offered another lead commercial category manager post in the chief finance officer directorate if a vacancy comes up during this period. We may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles that require similar knowledge and experience.
Feedback
We only provide feedback if you attend an interview or assessment.
Fraud check
The Crown Prosecution Service provides a Fair Processing Notice to all new applicants after they’ve been successful at interview. These candidates are informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance number and date of birth – are checked against the Internal Fraud Database. We won't employ anyone included on the database unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
The Strategic Resourcing team in the Crown Prosecution Service will, on behalf of the vacancy holder, inform applicants when they are refused employment because of their inclusion in the Internal Fraud Database.
Civil Service Commission
If you’re dissatisfied with the recruitment process and wish to make a complaint, please contact Strategic.Resourcing@cps.gov.uk with your concerns.
If you remain dissatisfied and wish to make a further complaint, please click on the following link to the Civil Service Commission complaints page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/
Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles can be found at
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/
Details of the Civil Service Nationality Rules are located at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Candidates are subject to UK immigration requirements. For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please go to the UK Visas and Immigration website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
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
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.
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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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 : Rebecca Harvey
- Email : Rebecca.Harvey1@cps.gov.uk
- Email : strategic.resourcing@cps.gov.uk
Salary : $350 - $42,530