Associate Commercial Practitioner

Job summary

Can you support commercial activity and build strong working relationships across a large organisation?

Have you worked within policy, governance, or commercial frameworks to ensure compliance and deliver quality outcomes?

Are you organised, adaptable, and keen to develop your commercial expertise while supporting wider business priorities?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

The Commercial Directorate supports the Agency in delivering value for money and achieving its strategic objectives. As an Associate Commercial Practitioner, you will support commercial activity across the organisation, ensuring compliance with legislation, policy, and best practice. Working with a variety of stakeholders, you'll contribute to commercial delivery while supporting wider corporate and Agency priorities.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at: DVLA – Home , Civil Service Careers

Job description

As an Associate Commercial Practitioner, you will play an important role in supporting commercial projects and procurement activity across the Agency. Working closely with a range of stakeholders, you'll help deliver effective commercial solutions, contribute to business objectives, and gain valuable experience within a professional and collaborative environment. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your commercial skills while making a meaningful contribution to public service delivery.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• To proactively engage with business areas to ensure that the contract management activity is undertaken in line with Best Practice.
• To proactively work with all stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of sourcing activity.
• To ensure compliance with the Agency’s commercial obligations as a Public Body.
• To identify and escalate commercial risk for all contracts within scope of the category.
• To maintain and update relevant systems with accurate contract management information pertinent to the successful management and delivery of the category portfolio.
• Oversees creation of commercial files and audit/assurance activities.
• Develop an awareness of own and staff’s strengths, skill gaps and career aspirations and understands how to build capability.
• To undertake corporate managerial responsibilities commensurate with the grade e.g. recruitment, grievance, and disciplinary cases.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Building and maintaining effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Drafting, reviewing and managing accurate documentation with a high level of attention to detail.
• Communicating clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
• Managing competing priorities, organising your workload effectively, and delivering outcomes independently and as part of a team.

Additional Information

We welcome applications from candidates who can speak Welsh and English. Welsh language skills could be useful in this role, but it is not an assessment criterion, so it won’t put you at any disadvantage during recruitment if you aren’t a Welsh speaker. Please note that the application and assessment process will be held in English.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

This campaign is recruiting to 4 roles: 2 full-time and 2 part-time positions. Full-time roles are 37 hours per week. Part-time roles require a minimum commitment of 28 hours per week worked over 4 days.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part-time basis, there is a business requirement for candidates applying for the part-time positions to be able to work a minimum of 28 hours per week over 4 days.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Government Commercial Function - People Standards for the Profession (Version 3.0)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,485, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contributes £8,831 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave