Defence Commercial Graduate Programme (DCGP)

Job summary

The Defence Commercial Graduate Programme (DCGP) aims to recruit individuals from a range of diverse backgrounds. A diverse group of graduates with varied skills and experiences, which enables the Ministry of Defence (MOD) perform at its best.

If you’re considering a career in Procurement and Contract Management, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) offers a challenging opportunity like no other. The portfolio of MOD’s business is unique. We buy and support an extensive range of equipment, services, and infrastructure to support the Armed Forces; from food ration packs, army boots, and military accommodation facilities, to aircraft carriers and helicopters, and everything in between. Commercial Officers are responsible for the sourcing, purchasing and management of goods, works and/or services on behalf of the MOD.

The DCGP Programme is up to two years, focused on developing the next generation of Commercial Officers. Our Programme will provide you with the experiences, education, mentorship, and professional qualifications you need for a long-lasting career in Procurement.

All degrees and backgrounds are welcome; the only educational requirement is that you have achieved or are predicted to achieve 2:2 (or higher classification) in your undergraduate degree.

What is Commercial?

MOD is made up of smaller, enabling organisations called Delivery Organisations (DO) and Front-Line Commands (FLC) who can focus on developing specialised skills for a variety of procurements, from construction to Submarines and Army Boots to Medical Supplies.

There are three sub-categories to Commercial work:

Pre-Sourcing

Pre-Sourcing activities focus on gaining an understanding of the market to aid the development of an appropriate sourcing strategy for the goods, works and/or services being procured. Examples include defining the requirement, conducting supplier market analysis and early market engagement.

Sourcing

The sourcing strategy is executed in this phase to deliver the requirement. The work of a Commercial Officer during this stage of the Procurement Cycle includes advertising & selecting suppliers, supplier negotiation & dialogue and tender evaluation.

Contract Management

There are three fundamental pillars of Contract Management: effective Contract Administration, Relationship Management and Managing Performance and Service Delivery. Managing the Contract is vital in ensuring a contractor delivers the requirement as detailed in the Contract.

Job description

The DCGP is a structured Development Programme lasting up to two years and aims to develop graduates into high calibre professional commercial officers with the ability to manage the MOD’s innovative and demanding commercial business activities and potentially be future leaders in the Function. It is owned by the MOD Director General Commercial and is centrally governed by the DCGP Management Team.

Upon joining the DCGP you will be sponsored by a specific Business Area for the duration of the Programme, and line managed by a dedicated Sponsor Line Manager within that Business Area. Your first and last placements will be at your designated permanent duty station within your Sponsored Business Area, and at least one other placement will be within another Business Area, which may be based in a different geographical location. (Out of Pocket expenses are payable if you work away from your normal duty station). You will regrade from the Programme to a post within your Sponsored Business Area at your designated Permanent Duty Station.

During your time on the Programme, you will undertake work placements of varying lengths. You will initially undertake 2 x 6 months' placements in the first year, to give you immediate hands-on experience of the fundamentals of contract drafting and placement, Terms & Conditions, and the tendering process. In the second year, there is more flexibility, and placements are between 3 to 6 months' duration to aid development of the full set of the required behaviours, whilst delivering specific outputs for individual teams.

Day-to-day, placements will provide you with the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the procurement and contract management activities undertaken by the commercial officer role. You will be provided with real experience in:

• Developing appropriate contracting methods and strategies
• Agreeing and evaluating tenders against specifications
• Negotiating with Industry, including pricing and payment considerations
• Procurement and Intellectual Property Law
• Supplier relations and contract management
• Risk mitigation and management

Upon joining, you will complete induction training and embark on your Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) and MOD Specific training. You will receive on-going support throughout the Programme from your Sponsor Line Manager, the DCGP Management Team, experienced Mentors, and past and present Programme members.

At the end of the Programme, provided you have achieved the standards expected, you will be offered the opportunity to move into a middle management professional role within your Sponsor Business Area’s commercial function at your designated Permanent Duty Station.

If you are successful and join the DCGP, the location detailed in your offer will be your Permanent Duty Station. Whilst there may be the opportunity for an element of home working, those on Development Programmes and early in their careers should spend more than 60% of their working time in office to get the most out of development and learning opportunities. In particular you will benefit from face-to-face time with your wider placement team and senior colleagues.

All employees are encouraged to take reasonable measures to live within a reasonable travelling distance of their main place of work, although the decision is for the employee to make. Employees are responsible for meeting the cost of their home to work travel and the DCGP does not offer relocation expenses or financial support to travel to your Permanent Duty Station.

Permanent Duty Station locations will be allocated, where possible, based on your personal preferences. However, please note that the number of positions at each location is strictly limited and some locations may only be able to accommodate one or two Graduates. Whilst every effort will be made to meet your personal preferences this is not always possible, and you may be offered a role at a different location. Should this be the case you should consider carefully whether the location offered suits your needs and personal circumstances.

Person specification

We are seeking individuals who:

• Enjoy solving complex problems and can deliver clear and effective solutions
• Have high standards of written and verbal communication
• Are keen on embracing change
• Are willing to share information, knowledge and skills
• Have a strong focus on meeting customer requirements in our support to the Armed Forces
• Can understand the bigger picture whilst dealing with the essential detail
• Are keen to seek out new opportunities for learning, self-development and career development
• Are prepared to commit to up to two years on a fast paced and intensive development programme

If applying on a part-time basis, please be aware that there are substantial study and training commitments whilst on the programme.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a 2:2 degree (or higher classification) or be predicted to achieve a 2:2 or higher degree, by 31st July 2025.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,740, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,905 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

• Learning and development tailored to your role. The Programme provides professional training via the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 4 Corporate Award Practitioner (CAP) and CIPS Level 5/6 Corporate Award Advanced Practitioner (CAAP); successful completion of which results in full membership of CIPS (MCIPS) after 3 years’ experience in a responsible procurement role. You will also have access to tailored workshops and other relevant training.
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25-day Annual Leave allowance, rising to a maximum of 30 days.
• Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Ability.

We will assess you against these behaviours at the application and sift stages:

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

We will assess you against these behaviours during the Assessment Centre:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

An Inclusive employer, the DCGP and the Civil Service at large are strongly dedicated to promoting equal employment opportunity irrespective of your race, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, civil status, sex, or gender identity.

Applications are welcomed and strongly encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds, and we are actively working to establish a diverse workforce across the entire organisation. We are delighted to announce that we are an Equal Opportunities Employer and that we recruit purely based upon the merit of each and every individual applicant.

We pride ourselves on our commitment to ensuring that we recruit the very best individuals and obtain a diverse and inclusive viewpoint to our decision making. We can assure you that we search for all types of talent and are striving to make sure that all social groups are successfully represented.

How to Submit This

After submitting your application, you will receive links to complete the Numerical Reasoning Test (NRT) and Verbal Reasoning Test (VRT). These tests must be completed as part of the initial stage of the application process, and before the end of the closing date 21st January 2025, they are online Multiple-choice tests which are not timed.

All Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) candidates who successfully meet the requirement for the Grade through the on-line tests will be taken forward to the next stage. Please note that evidence of eligibility will be required.

At the next stage, Candidate Behaviour Statements will be anonymous and assessed and sifted by an independent Assessment Services company against the effective indicators for these Behaviours.

Candidates deemed suitable at sift for the Programme (which will be regarded as the minimum selection criteria) will then be invited to a one-day Assessment Centre.

The Assessment Centre will be managed and administered by our independent Recruitment Partner and will be a virtual/on-line solution.

Access to the Virtual Assessment Centre platform will be provided to candidates in advance of their assessment day. Candidates will need to find a quiet, private space to undertake the assessment and are required to be online and on camera for the duration of the assessment event using a stable internet connection.

It is our intention that suitable applicants who perform well at the Assessment Centre, but who fall just short of the required standard for the Graduate Programme, may be offered (Executive Officer) posts in the Department if there are positions available. This is not guaranteed.

The assessment platform should be accessed via a PC or laptop. Devices such as tablets or smartphones are not appropriate to undertake this Assessment Centre. Candidates will need the following available on their desktop PC or laptop:

• Camera / Webcam
• Mouse & Keyboard
• Microphone (built-in microphone, a USB microphone or inline microphone on headphones)
• Speaker or Headphones
• Bandwidth requirements: Minimum bandwidth is 600kbps (up/down) and recommended is 1.5 Mbps (up/down). (Candidates can check their Internet bandwidth using Speedtest if unsure: https://www.speedtest.net/)
• Latest version of the Google Chrome browser (Google Chrome is recommended for best experience; however, Microsoft Edge and Safari may also be used)
• Optimal Operating Systems are: Windows 10, macOS 10.12+

Importantly, please note, the platform does not support any browsers or operating systems for which support has been discontinued by the manufacturer such as Windows 7 and Internet Explorer. DCGP will support all candidates to achieve their best. If you require any support or adjustments through the recruitment process to fulfil this, please let us know as soon as possible.

It is anticipated that the Scheme will commence in late September/early October 2025.

There will be no reimbursement for any expenses (where incurred) for the Assessment Centre.

Please note offers of employment are subject to achieving satisfactory pre-employment and security checks. These include an Occupational Health Assessment and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). As part of this you will need to confirm your identity, employment/education history, nationality and any criminal record (unspent convictions only).

The level of security needed is Security Check (SC) and you should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for 5 years immediately before clearance action commences. If you have lived overseas or travelled extensively during this period, it may affect the length of time to obtain full security clearance and this may affect your offer of employment. It is essential that ALL requests for information are completed fully and timely, as incomplete information may result in significant delays. Offers of employment are also subject to candidates achieving acceptable grades where predicted.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only. You must be a British National to apply for this role. If you hold a Dual Nationality can still apply and this will not impact your application and assessment in any way. If you are successful you will not be expected to give up your non British Nationality, but as a condition of employment there may be restrictions on your placements and eventual Regrade role. (National Security Exemption, Equalities Act 2010).

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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 the Civil 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 initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.