Deputy Head - Major Projects - Air-CommercialJobsGoPublic
Job summary
Join Air Commercial's Senior Management Team at an incredibly exciting time! We're committed to transforming our operations and investing in our people, processes, and relationships. Our support is in high demand across the entire commercial lifecycle, both operationally and strategically, as we deliver cutting-edge capabilities and support services for the Royal Air Force.
This role offers a unique chance to make a real impact on the Royal Air Force and UK Defence's capability, efficiency, and effectiveness. You'll lead a talented commercial team and be part of a broader network of professionals across the MOD and Government. As a Senior Leader within Air Commercial, you'll manage key stakeholder relationships, ensure we deliver a well-understood commercial service to Air Command, and maintain our credibility and reputation with industry and government.
Moreover, this position provides exceptional career growth opportunities. You'll have the chance to develop your leadership skills, expand your professional network, and gain valuable experience in a high-impact role. If you're an experienced commercial leader with the passion and drive to shape the future of the Royal Air Force through top-notch leadership and commercial practices, we want to hear from you.”
Senior Leadership Team, Air Commercial
Department Overview
The Air Commercial team is a Front-Line-Command Commercial Branch, part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Commercial Function and the Government Commercial Function (GCF). Embedded within the Royal Air Force (RAF) Headquarters at High Wycombe, with strong regional representation across the UK, we operate in a fast-paced, strategic, and progressive Military Headquarters. Here, the Air Commercial team delivers innovative commercial solutions and maximizes value for the RAF and wider Defence.
We play a crucial role in supporting Defence outputs by contracting across a diverse portfolio of requirements and mechanisms, aiding the Royal Air Force Headquarters and Space Command. Our work ensures aircraft take off and land safely, trials warfighting capabilities, and trains new recruits.
Currently, the Air Commercial Team manages a contract portfolio of £4Bn and over 200 live contracts, plus active procurements of £5.7Bn.
At Air Commercial, you will be part of a highly capable team that will challenge you and support your development. We are committed to helping you enhance your skills, knowledge, and experience. We employ talented individuals who thrive on challenges and excel in best-in-class practices.
Job description
This position falls within the Air Commercial Major Projects and Procurements Team, responsible for handling procurements exceeding £20 million and upto 1bn within the current portfolio. This includes developing a solid commercial strategy aligned with the Treasury Green Book, formulating tender documents, engaging in negotiations, and meeting requirements. The role demands adept management of stakeholders, complex intergovernmental relationships, and delivery of a diverse portfolio of activities on behalf of the RAF.
The focus is on commercial delivery and the complete procurement lifecycle of services. You will use your commercial skills to drive innovative outcomes, ensure value for money, and manage commercial risks and opportunities throughout the delivery process. As the Commercial Lead, you will oversee key commercial activities supporting the achievement of objectives and ensuring benefits are realised.
You will collaborate closely with project and programme teams while establishing extensive networks across Defence, Government, and Industry. Developing a detailed understanding of strategic commercial risks and opportunities relevant to your market and area of responsibility will be crucial. Your efforts will help Air Command achieve greater value and reduced lead times through consistent, efficient, and effective contracting approaches.
As part of the Air Commercial Senior Management Team, beyond your immediate responsibilities, you will also take on an important leadership role within Air Commercial. This includes supporting ongoing commercial transformation within Air Command and MOD and contributing to broader government commercial initiatives.
Locations
The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace.
Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance.
This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities.
Person specification
The successful candidate will:
Operate as part of the Air Commercial Senior Management Team, working collegiately to deliver Air Commercial's leadership objectives.
Manage and oversee a commercial team and portfolio of activity, sourcing of innovative and complex major projects through to transfer to contract management activities.
Support the production of business cases including ensuring the commercial case is drafted in line with project plans and objectives.
Lead the lifecycle of the procurement process to enable projects to achieve their objectives and demonstrate value for money.
Lead negotiations of projects with bidders.
Representing projects to industry including testing commercial options to inform robust commercial strategy and maintain market appetite.
Commercial landscape mapping both internally and externally to ensure market position and drivers are understood and Pan MOD and government LfE is being applied.
Provide commercial leadership to project teams, energising others to deliver high quality commercial outcomes.
Develop and contribute to a pan MOD and government network, share learning, and experience and ensure consideration and alignment with other relevant initiatives and projects.
Contribute to the Government Commercial Function and the Defence Commercial Function through participation and support of key initiatives.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Proven ability to identify and articulate commercial risks in project delivery including understanding appropriate risk allocation and the behaviors and strategies this drives in commercial negotiation.
Confidence to represent and defend Air Commands position in dealings with industry and other key stakeholders, ability to learn from setbacks in delivery and respond with adjusted courses of action when required.
Proven ability to develop and deliver commercial, procurement, and market management strategies that drive competition and ensure lifecycle VfM. Essential experience in running tender activities and managing complex contracts.
Demonstrates ability to develop and critically assess a range of commercial options and sourcing models to deliver project objectives and enable enduring project performance. Can communicate and articulate requirements in a market ready position.
Experience of negotiating effectively at senior levels with suppliers to maximise value for money, drive innovation and continually improve services.
Benefits
As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK.
For existing Civil Servants: For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack. Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers.
Kindly refer to the following link for the GCF Rewards and benefits page.
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-benefits/
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 Experience and Technical skills.Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.
Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Monday 12th October 2026 and will require a full day's attendance.
If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team on [email protected] as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.
For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the attached candidate pack.
Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the Technical Skills (essential criteria) and your Job History (CV) that you will be asked to provide during the application process. Further help and advice on our application and selection process can be found at this web address https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-how-to-apply/
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.
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/
IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: [email protected]
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (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 (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 theCivil 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 : Sean Kelly
Email : [email protected]
Recruitment team
Email : [email protected]
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should direct this to the Head of Commercial Resourcing Hub at the following email [email protected] quoting the vacancy reference number (if applicable) and the details of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission via the following web page: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…
Attachments
Guaranteed Interview Schemes (GIS) Opens in new window (pdf, 64kB)480373 CL2632 - Deputy Head - Major Projects - Air-Commercial - Candidate Pack.docx Opens in new window (pdf, 473kB)