Job title; Procurement Business Partner Location: Manchester Contract length: 4 - 12 month contract Pay rate: £250 - £280 per day (inside IR35) To take overall responsibility for procurement of goods and services within an overall non pay budget of about £28m. This involves providing leadership for the strategic, operational and governance aspects of the supplier and contractor relationships as well as providing professional advice on the managerial and legal aspects of procurement and contract management to management. Responsibilities include, but not limited to - Manage and lead the procurement for assigned business areas Develop and implement policies for managing programmes of work and quality assurance procedures within Procurement and contract management that impact across the organisation Develop, operate and maintain systems and processes to meet the organisation's contract management and procurement requirements. Support contract management groups via business partnering Providing advice and guidance to Directors, managers and other staff on financial and legal issues related to contracts and procurement. Take the lead to ensure the effective co-ordination of resources to support the work programme and strategic objectives. Planning and supporting workloads within the team and ensuring that operations are delivered within the appropriate deadlines and to high standards Managing resources to ensure that they are deployed effectively in line with corporate policies and statutory requirements and that optimum solutions are achieved Critically appraising highly complex tenders and supplier financial information relating to aspects of work and providing key assurances into the quality assurance processes on a regular basis Identify threats to financial viability of contracts and negotiate, agree and monitor corrective action plans. Providing guidance and direction on areas for evaluation and feedback and co-ordinating the production of reports in conjunction with internal staff and in liaison with governance manager Required knowledge and skills: Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of work procedures and practices underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience Knowledge of procurement methods and business analysis techniques Knowledge of developments in commercial law Knowledge of Software as a Service legal implications Good understanding of risk management principles and tools. Ability to identify risk and assess likelihood and impact Solid understanding of corporate governance principles and processes (SOs, SFIs, Cadbury, Greenbury and Hampel) Ability to critically appraise and analyze tender documents both internally and from suppliers Ability to cope with multiple and changing demands, meet tight deadlines and exercise sound judgement in the face of conflicting pressures Ability to manage a portfolio of projects Experience Experience of working in a purchasing setting and undertaking above threshold Procurements Experience of developing strategies to meet changing organisational needs Experience of developing and improving systems and processes Experience of working in partnership with other organisations Experience of making professional judgements on issues where there is no local precedent Experience of project management Experience of staff management and training Experience of managing own workload and that of others amongst competing priorities Experience of effective communication with a range of audiences at all levels Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to provide and explain highly complex, sensitive financial information to non-financial personnel. Randstad Business Support is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.