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Senior Procurement Specialist

Salary and grade: £59,415 per year, Grade 9
Duration of role: Permanent
Hours per week: 37
Location: The designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon. The councils operate in a truly flexible, and hybrid way where the focus is on outcomes not where you work.

About the role and what we’re looking for

The role will act as the procurement expert/lead across a wide range of procurement activity for both councils providing advice and support to ensure the procurement processes are compliant with the Procurement Act 2023 and any other relevant legislation.

The Procurement function is responsible for circa GBP £75 million non-pay expenditure across the councils and will influence the medium to long term financial strategy through procurement of supplies and services.

Main duties and responsibilities

·Responsible for development of the councils’ procurement strategy in line with strategic objectives using own detailed knowledge.
·Providing procurement direction, advice, and support to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, defining the best approach
·Provide specialist, strategic procurement advice to support and/or lead major projects, including supporting market engagement activities, interpretation of technical specifications, management of stakeholders, management of the various types of tenders.
·Responsible for compliance checks of procurement documentation, publishing, and management of procurement opportunities through the councils’ e-procurement system (Pro-contract).
·In liaison with Legal colleagues advise on contract queries and issue contracts up to £75,000 through DocuSign.
·Ownership of the end-to-end procurement operating model and will be responsible for training staff
·Attend council meetings
·Establish collaborative partnerships with other local authority procurement operations.

About you

Your essential skills, knowledge, and experience

·A minimum of five years procurement experience, managing complex procurements and problem solving, you will be decisive, focused on priorities and results driven.
·Expert understanding of UK procurement legislation.
·Public Sector procurement
·Experience of working in complex political and stakeholder environments.
·Proficient in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of applications
·Experience of using DocuSign and Adobe Pro.
·Excellent written and oral communications skills, being able to communicate in an effective manner with all levels within the councils’ structure.
·Able to produce concise written reports with clear, well-argued recommendations and briefings for senior audiences.
·Excellent commercial acumen and experience.
·Experience of local authority financial management and cost control systems.
·Problem solving, finding creative, workable, and timely solutions.
·Ability to work with a diverse range of partners and comfortable with working with senior managers.
·Strong analytical skills and to be able to evaluate complex issues often with incomplete information and to devise effective, workable solutions
·Experience of developing user training manuals and guides.
·Project management experience.

Your essential qualifications

·Educated to degree level, or equivalent experience.
·A member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (Minimum Level 6).
·Experience of delivering a programme of training people with differing levels of experience.

Your style and behaviours

·Able to take responsibility and be accountable for own actions regarding procurement activities for the councils.
·Self-motivated and enthusiastic leader, who can lead by example. Able to remain effective, whilst adapting to conflicting priorities, in order to achieve agreed deadlines.
·Self-aware. Recognise own strengths and weaknesses.
·Ability to demonstrate empathy to officers who may require more support than others.
·Positive “can do” attitude, flexible with an ability to use initiative and provide solutions.
·Results driven and able to meet tight deadlines.
·Approachable, good team player and customer focused.
·To be a professional and act corporately in all circumstances.
·To be a representative of and an ambassador for the councils.

The benefits we offer

·A basic 25-day annual leave per annum, rising to 30 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.
·Flexible working and annualised hours – a flexible approach to work that our employees love!
·Salary pay awards
·A generous career average pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary.
·The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme
·Various schemes to keep you healthy
·We give you two days per year to volunteer within the local community.

You may have experience in the following: Procurement Manager, Category Manager, Strategic Sourcing Specialist, Contracts Manager, Commercial Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Purchasing Manager, Public Sector Procurement Officer, Tender Manager, Supplier Relationship Manager, Senior Buyer, Procurement and Contracts Advisor, Head of Procurement, Commercial Procurement Specialist, Strategic Procurement Consultant, etc.

REF-(Apply online only)