Procurement Manager
Description
- Job grade: Senior Executive Officer
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: VCA - Finance & Resourcing
- Type of role: Commercial, Finance
- Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport. Our purpose is to improve vehicle safety and environmental protection through the delivery of robust testing, certification, and approval services to internationally recognised standards. With more than 40 years of experience, VCA has established itself as one of the largest and most respected vehicle approval authorities in the world.
We are seeking a motivated Procurement Manager to join our Commercial team at Senior Executive Officer (SEO) level. The Commercial team forms part of VCA's Corporate Services function and works closely with Finance and other business areas. The team provides expert procurement and contract management advice across the organisation, ensuring compliance with procurement legislation and government commercial policies. It leads on procurement activities and supports the effective management of contracts throughout their lifecycle.
This role offers an excellent opportunity for experienced procurement and contract management professionals, as well as individuals with strong analytical and transferable skills who are looking to develop their commercial expertise within central government. As a Procurement Manager, you will play a key role in delivering procurement and contract management activities across a diverse range of categories. Working across the commercial lifecycle, you will help secure critical goods and services, ensuring value for money, compliance with regulations, effective risk management, and positive commercial outcomes for VCA.
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 and 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 VCA
Job description
As a Procurement Manager within the VCA Commercial team, you will impart expert pre-procurement advice, undertake procurements, support contract management, contribute to commercial governance, and work closely with internal stakeholders and the Department for Transport (DfT) Commercial team to ensure value for money and strong commercial outcomes.
Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Lead end to end procurement activity across a variety of categories including professional services, technology, operational services, and corporate requirements.
- Develop clear, robust tender documentation including specifications, evaluation criteria and contract terms.
- Manage market engagement, tendering, evaluation, moderation and contract award.
- Apply up to date knowledge of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Procurement Act 2023 and Cabinet Office commercial policy.
- Ensure appropriate use of government wide frameworks (e.g., GCA) and support sound route to market decisions.
- Maintain accurate procurement documentation and ensure complete audit trails.
- Provide timely and professional procurement advice to stakeholders across the agency.
- Support early engagement to shape requirements and challenge specifications to ensure competitive, compliant and value driven outcomes.
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. There is the possibility of line management being part of the role in future.
Flexible resourcing
Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.
For further information on the role, please read the role profile which 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
Qualifications:
- CIPS/MCIPS (or working towards) or equivalent commercial qualification or experience.
You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/licenses at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.
Required experience:
To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:
- Demonstrable experience of delivering end‑to‑end procurement in the public sector.
- Experience developing tender packs and supporting evaluation processes
- Ability to apply commercial thinking to deliver value for money, manage risk, and support effective decision-making, including experience of balancing cost, quality and delivery considerations.
- Working knowledge of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023 (or completion of training modules ahead of its implementation).
- Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Proficiency in e‑procurement systems and Microsoft Office applications.
Additional Information
You will be required to undertake the Foundation e-learning module of the Contract Management Capability programme once in role, unless this accreditation is already held.
Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements
Full-time roles consist of 37 hours per week.
Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part-time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.
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.
Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.
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 are currently unable to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
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, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
- 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
- Access to the staff discount portal.
- Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPS, Prince2, etc.
- 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
- Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).
You can also read more in our candidate pack.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
How to apply:
Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.
The selection process for this role will be:
Stage 1: Sift of CV, behaviour and personal statement
Stage 2: Interview
You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.
Stage 1: Sift
At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
- Behaviour – you will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on the following Behaviour: Making Effective Decisions
- Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your experience of the following:
- Demonstrable experience delivering end to end procurement in the public sector.
- Experience developing tender packs and supporting evaluation processes.
- Experience of applying commercial thinking to deliver value for money, manage risk, and support effective decision-making, including balancing cost, quality and delivery considerations.
- Working knowledge of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023 (or completion of training modules).
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour: Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
The sift will take place week commencing 16/11/2026.
Stage 2: Interview
At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
- Behaviours – (Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace)
- Experience
You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.
The interviews will take place week commencing 07/12/2026 and 14/12/2026.
This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).
Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change
Further information on the selection process
We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.
Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).
If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
Pre-employment Checking
If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:
- Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
- Threats or acts of violence
- Illegal activity or substance misuse
- Sexually explicit material
- Extremist views or affiliations
Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Olaide Pearce
- Email : olaide.pearce@vca.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here
Attachments
| 16455 Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 177kB) |
| 16455 VCA_Candidate_Pack_Finance_and_Resources_Rev0 Opens in new window (pdf, 6072kB) |
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