Vacancies

Procurement Manager * Open to Internal Candidate Only*

About the role

The procurement manager plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation and financial success of the Council by overseeing the entire procurement process from start to finish. The procurement manager is responsible for developing and implementing strategic sourcing plans and building strong supplier relationships.

The procurement manager must have a keen understanding of the Council's needs and be able to forecast future demand to optimise inventory levels and avoid supply chain disruptions. Analytical skills are essential for this role, as the procurement manager must continuously analyse spend data, market trends, and supplier performance to identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.

Additionally, the procurement manager ensures that all procurement activities comply with relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. Strong leadership and communication skills are also crucial, as the procurement manager frequently collaborates with cross-functional teams and must effectively communicate procurement strategies to senior management.

There are two roles available:

Procurement Manager Place Services

The types of contracts / services which fall into this cluster include:

Environmental Services (Regulatory services)
Facilities Management
Highways
Housing (including building new properties and repair & maintenance of current stock)
Leisure
Libraries
Parks
Planning (including building control)
Property Services
Transport
Waste

Procurement Manager People Services

The types of contracts / services which fall into this cluster include:

Children and Families
Education
HR
Legal and Democratic
Prison Services
Public Health
Social Care
Northamptonshire Children's Trust

This vacancy is open to internal applicants of North Northamptonshire Council Only

What will you be doing?

To provide strategic guidance to senior officers in delivering service objectives by designing procurement processes to ensure value for money contracts. To inform service re-design and innovation projects with relevant advice on procurement strategy and evaluation tools and to ensure that all procurement activity is compliant with UK legislation and case law, best practice and delivers on Council priorities.
Manage procurement projects to ensure that best practise is used to maximise opportunities for efficiencies and service improvement. Design and manage procurement project plans for individual projects including developing tender documents and evaluation processes and identifying risks and issues for specific contracts to ensure that contracts are delivered on time and budget in a way that is most likely to deliver improved benefits and savings for customer service areas.
To lead on and be accountable for advice on all aspects of procurement strategy reflecting the policies of the Council’s Executive Committee. To reflect the policy and strategy of Council and Children's Trust Boards in their support and advice to officers in developing the most appropriate procurement strategy and reflecting this within tender documents and the relevant Committee reports
To provide one to one or group training and development to officers across the Council and partner organisations to embed procurement best practices and a culture of improvement. Manage the balance across a range of different and often conflicting priorities relating to areas like balancing aggregation of spend, promoting local economic growth, mitigating commercial and legislative risk, and delivering financial savings
To establish an in-depth knowledge and understanding of all categories of requirement, from Care Services to Construction, ICT and other complex areas. Carry out any other duties which fall within the broad spirit, scope and purpose of this job description and which are commensurate with the grade of the post. Including representing the Council at Regional and National Procurement Events and to deputise for the Head of Procurement.
Develop and implement robust relationships with service areas, to identify future procurement needs and allow adequate time for delivery. Lead on developing, implementing and subsequently reviewing procurement strategies for the whole procurement cycle in a designated business partner spend area ensuring this approach is agreed with relevant stakeholders.
Fully utilise, operate and report on the procurement e-procurement tools available to the team. To maximise personal productivity, minimise duplication and errors; and manage our information efficiently and securely to reduce risk, though effective use of Microsoft Office 365 and our internal IT systems and applications.
Research best practice and benchmark the costs of services against top quartile performance. Analyse and interpret data to enable the development and implementation of the most appropriate sourcing strategies. Research and identify innovative procurement solutions across the public and private sector that can be implemented within a specific category of spend. Determine and continually monitor current supply market positions in the specific spend areas to identify both over and under capacity. Implement both supplier rationalisation programmes and contract strategies to develop new sources of supply as appropriate to optimise competition
Manage a team of procurement professionals. Demonstrate awareness and understanding of other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs and ensure that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons.

About you

Degree and/or holds studying for full professional Membership of the chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS).

Extensive specialist/technical knowledge and understanding of Procurement.

Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Procurement Legislations, the requirements of the Local Government Act 1999 and Contract Law.

Ability to identify opportunities, identify and balance risks and benefits and take appropriate actions to deliver the most beneficial outcomes within procurement projects.

Explain complex problems and issues in a concise and understandable way to a wide range of stakeholders.

Sound understanding and awareness of political issues and sensitivities, policies and developments and how they influence the requirements of the post.

Knowledge, understanding and successful experience of leading on multiple procurement projects including projects that are multi-stakeholder, collaborative or complex in nature.

Sound understanding an experience of managing supply chains including supplier development, drivers of costs in the supply chain, understanding of subcontract markets and supply relationship management.

Extensive understanding of procurement processes and experience with using e-procurement tools to procure, contract manage and reducing costs.

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

a competitive salary
a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

We aim to be a carbon neutral Council by 2030.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)

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