Commercial Policy, Assurance & Capability Manager


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£44,913 to £53,230 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Edinburgh
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	15 Oct 2026
Closing date:	10 Nov 2026

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Summary

This is an opportunity to join BIST Commercial’s Policy, Capability and Assurance team at a time of significant organisational and policy change. The team provides a joined-up service that translates government commercial policy into practical departmental requirements, builds the capability needed to apply them effectively, and operates proportionate assurance to support compliant, high-quality commercial delivery.

The successful candidate will work flexibly across the three disciplines, taking ownership of defined workstreams while helping the team align policy, learning, standards and assurance activity. The role will suit someone who is confident with stakeholder engagement, delivery of capability interventions, and evidence-based review of commercial practice.

The postholder may lead on topics such as procurement policy implementation, commercial standards, contract management capability, Partner Organisation engagement, approvals and assurance processes, reporting, or the development of guidance and training. Priorities will evolve, so the ability to understand the wider business context, identify practical impacts and deliver at pace will be important.

The purpose of the role is to connect policy intent, capability and proportionate assurance so that BIST colleagues can deliver commercial activity confidently and compliantly. As interest in commercial matters continues to grow across BIST and its Partner Organisations, the role will operate in a dynamic environment, balancing policy development, capability improvement and assurance activity to support effective commercial delivery.

Act as a flexible member of the team, supporting priority commissions and providing resilience across policy, capability and assurance as business needs evolve.
Support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of BIST commercial policies, standards, templates and guidance, ensuring that government requirements are translated into the BIST Commercial Toolkit.
Own or support defined policy workstreams, including consultation, impact assessment, stakeholder input, governance, communications and implementation planning.
Help maintain coherent commercial toolkits for applicable procurement regimes and ensure policy, capability and assurance products remain aligned as requirements change.
Develop and co-ordinate capability interventions as required, such as guidance, briefings, induction, learning sessions and practical resources for commercial and non-commercial audiences.
Support BIST Commercial colleagues, wider departmental teams and Partner Organisations by responding to enquiries, providing advice, signposting relevant requirements and maintaining effective engagement forums.
Support proportionate commercial assurance and governance activity, including reviews, approvals, compliance checks, audits, functional assessments, performance returns and implementation of relevant sourcing and contract management playbooks.
Use evidence from assurance activity, stakeholder feedback and performance information to identify recurring risks, capability gaps, unnecessary bureaucracy and opportunities for process improvement or automation.
Contribute to the design and streamlining of assurance processes, making them efficient, visible and proportionate while maintaining appropriate controls and standards.
Represent BIST in departmental and cross-government working groups, build productive networks, share good practice and ensure BIST delivery considerations are reflected in policy and standards development.

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