Procurement Officer
Fixed Term, Full Time
£28,203 to £33,180 Per Annum
Location: Chelmsford
Closing Date: Tuesday 12th November 2024 at 11.59pm
Please note this vacancy is available as a Fixed Term Contract or Secondment opportunity for up to 24 months.
This role will be filled on a hybrid basis. This means you can work remotely part of the working week with an expectation to attend the office at least 1 day per week. Any journeys to the office would be at your own expense. More specific details about this can be discussed at the interview stage should you be invited to interview.
The Opportunity
This role will enable the Procurement Officer to support and deliver a wide range of procurements for Brentwood and Rochford Councils, bringing fantastic variety in the categories of procurement being supported and the stakeholders being engaged with. Working across different levels of Local Government the post holder will get a unique understanding of how Local Government works.
Accountabilities
* Manage responses to supplier queries, co-ordinating the support to market engagement events and providing contract administration.
* Lead on the delivery and development of contract and supplier amendment and update processes including, contract novations, price uplifts and on boarding new suppliers to ECC, liaising with internal and external stakeholders as appropriate.
* Manage contracts to ensure that performance standards are achieved and any contractual, commercial or market risks are identified, and appropriate mitigations put in place.
* Deal effectively with supplier correspondence, ensuring that messaging is conducted in a fair, transparent, and auditable manner.
* Lead the delivery of low risk sourcing processes, ensuring compliance with the Authority's Procurement Policy and Procedures.
* Lead the development, planning and delivery of improvement projects, ensuring effective stakeholder management and compliance with existing contractual requirements.
* Adopt a continuous improvement approach to systems and processes to support the development of best practice for wider department benefit.
* Plan and implement a risk-based programme of contract compliance audits in conjunction with specialist areas of the organisation such as Internal Audit, Corporate Health and Safety, Corporate Risk, and Information Governance.
The Experience You Will Bring
Essential:
* Educated to 'A' Level standard and/or qualification by experience of working in a commercial environment.
* Experience of running low level tenders with a working knowledge of public sector procurement law and experience of managing lower-level contracts and monitoring and improving performance and mitigating risks
* Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel with solid working knowledge of PowerPoint and MS Word.
* Appreciation of working in a political environment and an ability to understand and respond to different perspectives.
Desirable:
* Strong communication; verbal, written and presentation skills.
* Strong customer focus with a drive to provide a valued service.
* A positive attitude: a 'can do' approach, good work ethic and willingness to learn
* Interest in pursuing a career in procurement and either studying for or wishing to study for CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) accreditation.