Procurement Specialist

Procurement Specialist

Department: Finance & Procurement

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London, England, United Kingdom; Birmingham, England, United Kingdom; Leeds, England, United Kingdom

Reporting To: Procurement and Supply Chain Manager

Compensation: £50,000 / year

Description

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 / week

Salary: circa £50,000 depending on experience

Location: Birmingham, Leeds or London

WFH policy: Employees are required to attend the office 2 days/week

Flexible working: Variety of flexible work patterns subject to line manager discretion e.g., Compressed 9-day fortnight.

Reports to: Procurement & Supply Chain Manager

Deadline Note: We reserve the right to close the advert before the advertised deadline if there are a high volume of applications.

Role Summary: The Procurement Specialist will support and mentor the associate Procurement Specialist and report to the Procurement & Supply Chain Manager and will also deputise for the Procurement & Supply Chain Manager during periods of absence.

The role will work closely with the Legal, and Finance teams to support and lead on the end-to-end procurement processes, the supply chain management activities, and to deliver the wider needs of the business.

The Procurement Specialist will be the primary go to person for advice on procurement timelines and potential routes to market. In addition they will partner with Heads of service to review specifications (scope of requirements), deliverables and scoring methodologies/weightings.

The procurement Specialist shall work closely with the Procurement & Supply Chain Manager to ensure an efficient and effective pipeline of procurement activities is maintained.

Key Responsibilities Procurement

• Provide Tendering support and expertise during the planning of tendering activities.
• Work collaboratively with departments to develop procurement forms with full justification for the proposed route to market.
• Undertake reviews of scopes of requirements to ensure that they are comprehensive and include clear deliverables. To review the scoring methodologies and weightings to ensure that value for money is realised.
• Draft tender, RfQ, EoI documentation and response formats for individual procurements.
• Set up evaluation teams and moderation sessions to ensure consistent scoring of bidder responses.
• Draft contract documentation, draft/propose amendments to Terms and Conditions and publish all required notices on the central digital platform.
• Be responsible for the updating of tender progress on Jira.
• Produce Procurement Dashboards for Finance, Heads of Service and the wider business as required.
• Manage the process for completion of and review of the Procurement Contract Check List and DPIAs for new suppliers and existing suppliers being awarded contracts.
• Accountable for maintaining the procurement information held on the intranet, such as templates, guidance, procurement hub data and team site contents. Undertaking regular reviews to ensure they cross reference correctly and that they take in to account changes in department initiatives such as Data Protection compliance, Cyber Security and No PO = No Payment.

Management

• Mentor/Coaching the Associate Procurement Specialist on a day to day basis providing support, knowledge sharing and guidance to aid their personal and professional development.
• Supervise the Finance Apprentice (if required) while working on the Procure to Pay processes. Work with the Accounts Payable team to ensure invoices are matched to the correct Purchase Orders.

Reporting

• Providing timely reports to DESNZ as required by the Procurement & Supply Chain Manager which may include Pipeline, SME, Savings and Commercial standards, any associated reporting in relation to the Cabinet Office/DESNZ spend controls.
• Reporting and updating contract management records (e.g. contract management plan/operation summary, contract performance, audit, and risks etc).
• Download data and produce reports incorporating spend data, contract values, and other related procurement/financial information.
• Prepare the Procurement Dashboard Data for the Management Information Pack and regular updates for the Board Members and Heads of Teams.

Compliance

• Ensuring audit and data protection requirements are fulfilled, completing key procurement/data protection documents, checking documents with appropriate approvals, and ensuring the Data Protection (DP) team are included in any Procurement Form Signoffs.
• Responsible for the vetting and checking of all new suppliers, including Companies House, D&B and account checks. Maintaining records for Audit purposes.
• Work collaboratively with DP team and IT to ensure that all new contracted suppliers and New Suppliers comply with LCCCs Cyber Security requirements and Secure by Design.
• Collate and circulate updates to colleagues on Cabinet office consultancy/ digital spend controls, latest Procurement Policy Notices, and public procurement regulations.
• Supporting the team/service users with operational supplier performance management and developing key relationships with stakeholders.
• Process and present data to facilitate the effective monitoring of contracts, reviewing and recording the commercial benefits, status of procurement projects, cost -benefit analysis and commercial risks.
• Ensure all contracts, Variations, Procurement Forms and associated paperwork are current, signed and filed correctly.
• Collaborating with service users/stakeholders and undertaking/leading on appropriate procurement processes under the guidance of the Procurement & Supply Chain Manager.

Advisory Services

• Working with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate procurement projects.
• Undertaking sourcing activities and market research, through desk top activities and stakeholder engagement.
• Undertaking due diligence checks (D&B, annual reports & companies house checks) on new suppliers, carrying out supplier reviews as required.
• Assisting the business to track invoices against POs and contracts.
• Support the P2P and AP teams with day-to-day operational activities.
• Using the company's systems provide support to the procurement and finance team (e.g. Sage, e-tendering portal, Jira etc).
• Deliver operational training to the business (e.g. new starter training, eProcurement mandatory Training, use of e-tendering portal, Sage PO system etc).
• Chair the Procurement Committee, if required, in the absence of the Procurement & Supply Chain Manager.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

• Certified in Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations, and have a clear understanding of how it should be implemented.
• Educational Background: CIPS qualified to level 3 or equivalent experience.
• Experience in working with/in public sector organisations, in a Procurement based role.
• Extensive knowledge of Public Procurement Rules.
• Knowledge of the procurement cycle and the common procurement routes for public sector organisations.
• Detailed knowledge of the full Tendering cycle including EOI & RfQ etc.
• Understanding of contractual terms and conditions, contract law and latest thinking in procurement.
• Familiar with public and EU/ FTS (Find a Tender) procurement regulations.
• Experience in using procurement/contract management/finance systems.
• Good administrative/organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Skills in Office/MS suite.
• Demonstrable ability to work alone and as part of a team to complete projects and drive through change.

Employee Benefits

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn't rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. Key benefits that may be available depending on the role include:

• Annual performance based bonus, up to 10%
• 25 days annual leave, plus eight bank holidays
• Up to 8% pension contribution
• Financial support and time off for study relevant to your role, plus a professional membership subscription
• Employee referral scheme (up to £1500), and colleague recognition scheme
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave and shared parental leave
• Free, confidential employee assistance, including financial management, family care, mental health, and on-call GP service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• Season ticket loan and cycle to work schemes
• Family savings on days out and English Heritage, gym discounts, cash back and discounts at selected retailers
• Employee resource groups