Commercial Practitioner

The locations for this role are Newport and Titchfield (Fareham). This role is aligned to ONS hybrid working principles, which are based on attending the office with purpose. The postholder will be expected to contribute to the organisation's overall 40% office attendance, in line with business and role requirements. The induction process for the role will be conducted in person. Job Summary The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK's largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration. Commercial Services sits in the Finance, Commercial, Audit and Systems (FCAS) Directorate. On behalf of ONS, Commercial Services deliver all procurement and contract management activity within the organisation and are looking to appoint six Commercial Practitioners. The Government Commercial Function defines how all government departments should operate commercially to guarantee consistency of commercial behaviours and purchasing across government. Commercial Services uses their standards, benchmarks and training materials for staff involved in procurement and contract management to make sure best practice is followed. The strategic aim is securing optimum value for ONS through delivery of Commercial excellence.

In this role you will have an opportunity to support the Commercial Director in delivering the Commercial vision of being a key partner in strategic business decision making, adding value through innovation, collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. You will have responsibility for providing commercial support to ONS stakeholders that enables business goals through market knowledge, effective communication and teamwork. You will contribute to the aim of delivering value for money through innovation, cost reduction and efficiencies, with fairness, transparency, sustainability and diversity woven into everything we do. You will work collaboratively with colleagues from within Commercial Services and stakeholders from across the business to ascertain demand and manage and deliver effective commercial activity in line with the new step-change approach to Commercial activity delivery within ONS. You will ensure delivery compliance whilst driving successful application of quality and Value for Money (VfM). You will be accountable for ensuring complete end to end Commercial activity from pre-sourcing to contract management and the successful development and ongoing management of a comprehensive Commercial pipeline of work for your area of responsibility. Your role will strengthen commercial oversight across our portfolio of strategically important supplier service provision, providing increased resilience and continuity within the commercial intelligent client function. We expect the postholders will deliver a range of commercial activity, providing development opportunities across the commercial cycle, including market engagement, procurement, contract management, supplier performance monitoring, risk and issue management, contract governance and change control, financial oversight, and governance reporting. Key Responsibilities

• Support the management of all commercial activities, including Census 2031 contracts, throughout their lifecycle.
• Contract management, including development and maintenance of effective contract management plans, performance monitoring and reporting, supplier relationship management.
• Maintain contract records, governance documentation and commercial reporting.
• Support contract change, extension and renewal activities.
• Prepare papers, briefings and recommendations for governance forums.
• Procurement projects, commercial pipeline and commercial lifecycle.
• Regulatory compliance such as publishing notices.
• Supplier performance monitoring including management information reporting, contract review activity and process mapping and management. In this role you will have an opportunity to support the Commercial Director in delivering the Commercial vision of being a key partner in strategic business decision making, adding value through innovation, collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. You will have responsibility for providing commercial support to ONS stakeholders that enables business goals through market knowledge, effective communication and teamwork. You will contribute to the aim of delivering value for money through innovation, cost reduction and efficiencies, with fairness, transparency, sustainability and diversity woven into everything we do. You will work collaboratively with colleagues from within Commercial Services and stakeholders from across the business to ascertain demand and manage and deliver effective commercial activity in line with the new step-change approach to Commercial activity delivery within ONS. You will ensure delivery compliance whilst driving successful application of quality and Value for Money (VfM). You will be accountable for ensuring complete end to end Commercial activity from pre-sourcing to contract management and the successful development and ongoing management of a comprehensive Commercial pipeline of work for your area of responsibility. Your role will strengthen commercial oversight across our portfolio of strategically important supplier service provision, providing increased resilience and continuity within the commercial intelligent client function. We expect the postholders will deliver a range of commercial activity, providing development opportunities across the commercial cycle, including market engagement, procurement, contract management, supplier performance monitoring, risk and issue management, contract governance and change control, financial oversight, and governance reporting. Key Responsibilities
• Support the management of all commercial activities, including Census 2031 contracts, throughout their lifecycle.
• Contract management, including development and maintenance of effective contract management plans, performance monitoring and reporting, supplier relationship management.
• Maintain contract records, governance documentation and commercial reporting.
• Support contract change, extension and renewal activities.
• Prepare papers, briefings and recommendations for governance forums.
• Procurement projects, commercial pipeline and commercial lifecycle.
• Regulatory compliance such as publishing notices.
• Supplier performance monitoring including management information reporting, contract review activity and process mapping and management. Person specification Essential Criteria
• Experience of successful service delivery, coordinating and completing activities to agreed timescales that deliver outcomes.
• Experience of problem solving and dispute resolution.
• Experience of applying business acumen and judgement to develop strategies that demonstrate an understanding of actions required to support delivery of Value for Money (VfM) and efficiency.
• Experience of relationship management and working with stakeholders (at all levels) demonstrating strong communication skills (verbal and written).
• Sound commercial judgement and an ability to analyse information and data to support evidence-based decision making, identify risks and opportunities, and contribute to service improvements.
• Strong interpersonal, influencing and communication skills, with experience of building effective relationships with stakeholders and suppliers and supporting negotiations to achieve successful commercial outcomes. Qualifications
• Relevant contract management, procurement, or commercial related experience, including qualifications such as CIPS, MCIPS, World CC (formerly IACCM) or Contract Management Capability Programme accreditation; or willingness to work towards.
• A non-pensionable allowance maybe available, depending on your qualification level: MCIPS (£3,000) or CIPS (£1,750). Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service Alongside your salary of £34,587, Office for National Statistics contributes £10,019 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides . The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our valued colleagues across the organisation. Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that our careers site will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture. Inclusion & Accessibility As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance. If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist. 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Security Clearance For ONS the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying and the department will consider eligibility by exception on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected. At the point of SC application, you will need to provide or give access to the following evidence:
• Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• Security Services records ONS is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have a valid right to work in the UK when employment commences. If you are currently in the UK on a time-limited visa, it must have at least 18 months remaining at the point of application. To work at ONS, applicants must meet the Civil Service nationality requirements, satisfy UK right to work requirements and, where applicable, meet the relevant security clearance requirements. If you are unsure whether you meet the appropriate right to work or security clearance eligibility criteria, please refer to the guidance on Gov.uk or contact the recruitment email provided in the advert before applying. Failure to meet these requirements will result in your application being rejected and employment offers being withdrawn. Application Process Number of Stages: 2 stage process Stage 1: Application Stage 2: Interview Stage 1 – Application The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your work history, CV, skills, experience, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role. A personal statement is required at application stage, the maximum wordcount allowed is 1250 words, which should not be exceeded. You should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process. When a high volume of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted. Candidates will be invited to interview based on their merit order, with those achieving the highest scores being prioritised. Applicants who score below the adjusted pass mark but still pass will be placed on hold and may be invited to interview at a later date. We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours, and essential skills. Stage 2 – Interview If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert. Interviews will be held online via Microsoft Teams. A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. The Sift will be conducted from 15th October 2026. Interviews will be conducted w/c 9th November 2026. Dates are subject to change. For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment. Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Security Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks. Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard 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)
• 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 Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code 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 . 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 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 . 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.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Contact point for applicants Job Contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment
• Email : scs.recruitment@ons.gov.uk Recruitment team
• Email : scs.recruitment@ons.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 recruitment.complaints@ons.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission