JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Assistant Category Officer, Procurement
REPORTS TO: Category Officer, Procurement
RESPONSIBLE FOR: The delivery of compliant procurement competitions and associated activities and may have supervisory responsibilities for up to 5 members of staff.
This job description is intended to provide an outline of the level of duties that the post holder will be expected to undertake across a number of procurement categories in the Operations and Estates Directorate.
Although the post holder may be assigned to a specific procurement category on appointment, in view of the nature of work, the post holder may be required to undertake duties in other procurement categories to cover peak periods of work or vacancies.
This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
There are 3 Assistant Category Officer Posts and candidates will be required to indicate, as part of the interview process, the location they have a preference to work in; however, if successful, they may be offered a post in any of the EA locations where Commercial Procurement Services are based.
JOB PURPOSE
* Responsibilities for up to 5 members of staff and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of their activities.
* To assist the Category Officer in the provision of best practice procurement and contract management services within a category area or manage a specialist area of work within Procurement Services;
* As an advisor in a specialist role, the post holder will be required to solve problems within a designated procurement category and will provide specialist support and advice to internal and external EA procurement customers and suppliers.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Main Activity Areas:
* Assist in the delivery and management of strategic Procurement
* Procurement Management Information Systems / Administration
* Service Delivery and Supervision of Staff
Delivery of Strategic Procurement
* Provide advice and guidance to clients relating to procurement life cycle from initiation to contract management.
* Provide support and assist in all aspects of the delivery of procurements and contracts.
* Manage and deliver under £30k procurements and assist in the delivery of all procurement services in a specific procurement category to include tender initiation, evaluation, award and contract management, ensuring the most efficient and effective Procure to Pay system is implemented for each contract;
* Tracking and monitoring the progress of procurement processes to ensure that work is progressing in line with agreed key performance indicators and customer needs.
* Contribute to and review administrative systems and procedures to ensure records are accurate and comprehensive and to improve service delivery, including SharePoint, procurement service sourcing register and procurement service Quality Management System.
* Collating and analysing procurement category Management Information to assist and support the work of Category Officers, Category Managers and Senior Category Managers.
* Responsible for ensuring computerised tendering portal (eTendersNI) is utilised and maintained in accordance with agreed procedures.
Procurement Management Information System / Administration
* Responsible for the production of standard and non-standard computerised reports, including from SharePoint and eTendersNI. Provision and presentation of management information to support management decision making.
* Implement and carry out compliance checks on EA Procurement Service Quality Management System and ensure compliance for a particular procurement category.
* Process all tender and contractual data on eTendersNI and relevant tender folders.
* Administration associated with tender challenges and disputes, supplier poor performance procedures, and other legal proceedings.
* All general administration in support of work undertaken including preparation of draft letters, minutes, notes, reports, documentation, contracts, variations to contract etc.
Service Delivery and Staff Supervision
* Supervise the work of staff to ensure effective service delivery in an assigned area of procurement activity.
* Plan, organise and prioritise work to ensure timely completion of tasks and deadlines met.
* Allocate work, check quality and quantity of work and monitor performance.
* Train or ensure the effective training of staff in the procedures, processes and information systems required for effective administration of assigned procurement category functions.
General
* Carry out such training as necessary for all users of the service to ensure effectiveness;
* Prepare correspondence, agenda items and take and compile minutes from meetings
* Provide statistical data to permit the completion of statistical returns to Government Departments;
* The post holder will be required to carry out the duties of any other officer when they are absent or as directed by the Category Officer;
* Dealing with telephone and email queries and engaging in follow-up action where appropriate;
* Any other duties which may be commensurate to the grade.
Other Responsibilities
* Comply with the Authority’s policy on Data Protection (in particular processing sensitive tender information)
* Proactively contribute to a culture of excellence within EA procurement service to ensure retention of Centre of Procurement Expertise status.
* Undertake other related duties within the grade and competence of the post-holder as required.
* The post holder may also be required to work outside normal office hours on occasions.
This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS
1. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
2. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
3. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
4. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
5. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
6. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet any desirable criteria.
Section 1 - Essential Criteria
The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and whichmay also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor Essential Criteria Method of Assessment Qualifications/
Experience
Hold a minimum of NVQ Level 3, BTEC National or two ‘A’ levels or equivalent or higher examination qualifications and two years’ demonstrable experience working in an office environment to include experience using Microsoft packages
OR
have five years’ demonstrable experience working in an office environment to include experience using Microsoft packages.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Knowledge
Knowledge of the functions of the Education Authority.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Other
Willingness to work towards Level 4 Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply qualification.
The successful candidate will be required:
to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion;
OR
be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Section 2 - Essential Criteria
The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.
Factor Essential Criteria Method of Assessment Skills/
Abilities
In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of:
Good organisational skills and the ability to organise a busy workload to deliver effective results on time.
Flexibility to meet changing demands as required and to prioritise and delegate as required.
Ability to work to a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with others as part of a team.
Ability to use own initiative to solve problems and respond to others.
Ability to take a responsive and customer focused approach to work.
Ability to analyse and present data in a written format.
Ability to supervise staff and provide specialist advice and guidance where required.
Excellent IT skills including experience of using Microsoft Word and Excel.
Interview
Values Orientation
Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values. You will find information about our Values here .
Interview
Section 3 - Desirable Criteria
Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
Factor Desirable Criteria Method of Assessment Experience
Demonstrable experience in the supervision of staff.
Shortlisting by Application Form
Our Values
Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.
DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.
In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background.Please note that youWILLbe expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.
Further information can be accessed atNI Director theDepartment of Justice.
APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES
To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here .
To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here
The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
#J-18808-Ljbffr