Procurement Administrator

The MDU, and in particular its IT and Procurement functions have been transitioning through a period of change, with the adoption of more strategic processes and a more proactive approach to procurement. As part of this change, a need has been identified to introduce a new role of Procurement Administrator to the department.

The role will help meet the growing demand for effective procurement governance and supplier management arising from increased use of third-party suppliers.

This role is an opportunity for the right individual to gain valuable experience in the procurement sector and gain valuable training and coaching to further their career.

Main Responsibilities

• Contract management and procurement administration
  • Being a first point of contact for procurement related enquiries from across the business, including monitoring and managing the Procurement Tasks queue.
  • Raising purchase orders and, from time to time, expediting these orders with supplier representatives.
  • Responding to queries in a prompt and professional manner, resolving where possible, otherwise redirecting or signposting as appropriate.
  • Maintaining the contracts register and managing a regular review cycle, ensuring contract renewal activity is identified and progressed in accordance with contractual terms and conditions.
  • Responsibility for managing contracting documentation, storage and organisation and ensuring records are kept up-to-date or archived/removed as necessary.
  • Liaising with other departments, such as Legal, Risk and Data Protection to ensure contracts remain compliant with the MDU's expectations and requirements.
• Assisting the team in the execution of various steps in the end-to-end procurement processes
  • Preparing contracts using approved templates, under appropriate guidance and review.
  • Assisting the team in the planning and preparation of procurement documentation, such as RFI, RFP.
  • Liaising with bidders throughout a procurement process, ensuring queries are dealt with in a timely fashion and the project stakeholders are kept informed.
  • Supporting the onboarding process for new suppliers, liaising with other departments and colleagues to ensure the process is compliant with the MDUs policies as well as FCA regulations.
  • This role will significantly contribute to two major projects intended to transform the procurement ways of working; firstly the procurement and implementation of a Contract Management System, secondly the procurement and implementation of a Purchase Order processing system.
• Research and analysis
  • Assisting stakeholders across the organisation in selecting appropriate existing suppliers and engaging to obtain competitive quotations to suit the need or requirement.
  • Making use of a wide variety of research tools and platforms, providing market insight into current and potential third-party suppliers for the purposes of procurement strategy planning and risk management.
  • Conducting spend reviews, providing insight into the MDU's supplier base and allowing the team to have a strategic and informed approach to procurement.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders that builds trust within the business and enhance the reputation of the Procurements and Contracts team.
• Work with the procurement team to further develop its value proposition and ensure this is communicated to the stakeholders.

Skills and Experience Experience and understanding

• Higher Education qualification, equivalent to an apprenticeship level 4 or above or an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Have demonstrable experience in a procurement related role with a functional understanding of procurement processes, procedures, practices, and rules.
• Have a good understanding of databases and methodical storage of information such as contracts.

IT Literate

• Excellent understanding of the Office365 suite, particularly Excel, Word and Outlook.

Excellent communicator and influencer

• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills able to develop strong relationships with internal and external key stakeholders / Suppliers.

Numeracy and analytical approach

• Mathematics (GCSE or equivalent)
• Ability to analyse data and provide accurate reports, summaries and conclusions.