Commercial Category Manager

Can you lead and manage the full commercial cycle — from early supplier engagement through to tender evaluation, contract award, and ongoing contract management?

Have you worked within public sector procurement frameworks, including Public Contracting Regulations 2015, The Procurement Act 2023, CCS frameworks, or the Digital Marketplace?

Are you confident in navigating complex procurement environments to deliver value, compliance, and strong supplier relationships?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) helps keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably. We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

We’re working hard to:

• make roads safer
• improve services for our customers
• make road transport greener and healthier
• harness the potential of technology and data
• grow and level up the economy

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 DVSA.

Join DVSA as a Commercial Category Manager and help deliver best‑practice government commercial services. You’ll lead activity across the full commercial lifecycle, driving value through cost savings, improved processes, and effective category management. Working collaboratively with stakeholders and suppliers, you’ll shape category strategies, influence decision‑making, and support the transition to a more efficient, holistic commercial approach. This role offers the chance to develop policy, enhance processes, and contribute to a high‑performing, strategically focused commercial function.

Support the Senior Category Manager & leadership team as they work to embed the new DVSA Commercial Strategy and the Category Management approach, delivering year on year improvements. This will include the development, planning, delivery, management, and continuous improvement of their assigned commercial sub‑category. Provide advice on the essentials of public procurement regulations and the impact they have on all stages of the procurement process.

Support a strong commercial focus and a persuasive future vision based upon the new DVSA commercial strategy. Provide advice on the latest developments in public sector procurement in relation to their assigned category. Actively supports the standards to eliminate corruption, fraud and unethical behaviour in supply chains and the actions required in the event of any alleged breach of standards.

Adopt a Management Information (MI) regime to drive improvement and utilise MI to help inform commercial strategy decisions. Adopt a Management Information (MI) regime to drive improvement and utilise MI to help inform commercial strategy decisions. Execute management responsibilities effectively and in line with DVSA policies and processes, working with, leading and acting as a role model for team members and colleagues in line with Civil Service values.

Determine and plan their team requirements, including allocating resources and prioritising activities, over the short to medium term by fully understanding the business environment in which the team operates, the overall team objectives, ensuring their team fully understands and works to these requirements.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

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.