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Associate Director – Supplier Relationship Management
G6 Up to £74,091 per annum
Welcome letter
Supplier Relationship Management is a relatively new but vital service for DBS as we progress our ambitious 2020-2025 Strategy. We will need sound strategic management experience in this function to help us build and deliver on our aim to develop an effective “intelligent client function”, supporting the DBS to become more business-like, and as a result enhancing our ability to make recruitment safer.
Taking a more commercial approach across DBS will be pivotal to helping us achieve that, and the creation of the role of Associate Director: Strategic Supplier Relationship Management is key to embedding this new approach across the business, and effectively engaging with all DBS colleagues and stakeholders to build the profile of the service and ensure efficient and effective delivery.
The Associate Director: Strategic Supplier Relationship Management is also key to supporting me as DBS Commercial Director in leading on the development and delivery of the DBS Commercial Plan, which links three key functions in Commercial (contracting and procurement); Commercial Development; and Supplier Relationship Management.
This new role of Associate Director: Strategic Supplier Relationship Management will be vital in helping to develop and implement a DBS Strategy that delivers lasting sustainability for our organisation. You’ll be working as a member of the #OneDBS team, as well as supporting the best the DBS has to offer in a rapidly changing economic and cultural environment, building on, and harnessing, the pride in their work that all our colleagues consistently demonstrate. It is also about engaging with colleagues to integrate business-like behaviour and developing a strategic approach to the way in which we engage with our key suppliers to effectively support excellent DBS service and product delivery. It’s also about supporting me as DBS Commercial Director in raising DBS’s understanding of the needs of all our customers, so that we can improve the quality of our services to all our customers and partners, within the overall aim of making recruitment safer.
I need someone with a commercially astute focus who can help me introduce best in class Supplier Relationship Management practices. Someone who is a collaborative and influential individual who can build a high performing team and can ensure through this that our customers receive high quality services and products that meet their needs. Someone who is a great communicator, with excellent interpersonal skills, and who understands the importance of effective strategic relationships with suppliers in the development and delivery of new and improved products and services. And you’ll be adept at managing, measuring, and monitoring good customer relations and business intelligence, and can introduce the tools that will help DBS in doing that.
Are you that person? It’s an exciting time to join my team! I’m looking forward to meeting you.
Penny Fell
DBS Commercial Director
Job description
Reports to Commercial Director
Directorate Finance and Corporate Services
Location Liverpool based with remote working
Line management Yes
Job purpose
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Provide expert supplier relationship management professional support, guidance, and advice to the supplier relationship management team and across the business.
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Measure, manage, maintain and enhance the supplier management framework and supporting processes so that they are fit for purpose for DBS requirements including development of supplier segmentation methodology, and a clear approach to oversight of supplier due diligence, assurance and performance.
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Manage the supplier relationship management strategy ensuring it meets the business and commercial needs of the organisation.
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Manage changes to the supplier strategy and plans, at a tactical or strategic level, in order to mitigate any evolving issues or supplier risks, or to align more closely with the corporate strategy
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Accountable for maximising value out of supplier relationships by working closely with suppliers to achieve trust, challenge unnecessary business demands, deliver robust and efficient communication and collaboration, and identify and resolve in a timely and effective way any conflicts and tensions.
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Manage effective supplier governance oversight including ensuring all forums are fit for purpose.
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Ensure all suppliers across the DBS supplier estate are managed effectively and appropriately, in alignment with business needs
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Undertake effective performance oversight including monitoring, trending and reporting on KPIs by establishing processes and controls covering service levels, key obligations, deliverables, SIPs, rectification plans, risk management and security.
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Establishment of key supplier scorecards covering their respective end to end delivery of transformational projects, thereby reducing the time required to agree new work requests and ensure delivery of positive post implementation outcomes.
Corporate duties
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Promote DBS as a safeguarding organisation with internal and external stakeholders.
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As part of the DBS Commercial and Marketing and Business Development Strategic Plans, design and oversee the implementation of supplier relationship management objectives and activities, ensuring they meet the business and commercial needs of the organisation.
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Fully engage stakeholders and customers in the DBS and work collaboratively with key stakeholders to deliver the supplier relationship management objectives and activities of the DBS Commercial and Marketing and Business Development Strategic Plans.
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Play an active part as a member of the Directorate Management Team and undertake corporate duties on behalf of the Commercial Director.
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Contribute to ongoing corporate development by playing an active role in business design and planning, and deliver cultural change through setting direction and modelling desired supplier relationship management performance outcomes.
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Support the DBS Board and committees as required by the Commercial Director.
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Work as part of wider Commercial Directorate bringing together supplier relationship management skills and expertise into a coherent and enabling Directorate, establishing and managing risks, audit, business planning and financial management as required.
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Support the Commercial Director in creating efficient and effective innovation plans that are aligned to the DBS’s overarching strategy.
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Work flexibly, effectively and efficiently, adapting priorities and workloads to deliver against the needs of the business dependent upon the requirements of the role.
Person specification
Ability
Essential
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Exceptional management skills and ability to operate in a matrix management environment.
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Strong at delivering with remarkable resilience.
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Thinks long-term and doesn't get dragged into the day-to-day.
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Demonstrable ability to build effective internal relationships at multiple levels.
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Create and maintain positive, collaborative, and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation.
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Knowledge and understanding of, and the ability to operate effectively in, the statutory, regulatory, and guidance-based policy and service delivery framework within which the DBS and wider public sector operates.
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An expert people manager with the ability to both lead and develop team working, engage others, and deliver the required KPI and wider OneDBS performance outcomes.
Desirable
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An understanding of Government structure and the ability to build internal relationships at multiple levels
Technical
Essential
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Evidence of coaching and mentoring senior stakeholders in strategic supplier performance management.
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Actively engages with, and provides value to, senior business partners (Commercial, Transformation, HR, Finance, Disclosure, Safeguarding & Barring, Strategy and Performance)
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Effective presenter - able to articulate ideas and concepts extremely well.
Desirable
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Maintains a wide and varied personal network.
Experience
Essential
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Expert practitioner in strategic supplier relationship management and demonstrable experience of leading a supplier management capability in a range of settings.
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Expert knowledge in complex commercial relationship management and contracting processes.
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Outstanding relationship management capabilities, and a track record of negotiations, at executive and senior levels.
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Proactively forges new relationships with senior stakeholders in all key supplier organisations, investing time in maintaining such relationships.
Desirable
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Experience of working in and across Government structures
Behaviour profile
The Civil Service has defined a set of behaviours that, when demonstrated, are associated with job success. For this role you should demonstrate the following Civil Service Behaviours:
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Making Effective Decisions: Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
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Communicating and Influencing: Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
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Working Together: Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
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Seeing the Bigger Picture: Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
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Changing and Improving: Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
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Leadership: Show pride and passion for public service. Create and engage others in delivering a shared vision. Value difference, diversity and inclusion, ensuring fairness and opportunity for all.
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Developing Self and Others: Focus on continuous learning and development for self, others and the organisation as a whole.
Success profiles
During the application for this role, we will be using the new Civil Service Success Profiles.
You may find it helpful to read through Success Profiles online, where you can find various links which sets out the five elements of the Success profile: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
