Job summary
You will
have overall responsibility for an allocated category of spend (approx. £250m)
and will lead creation of a sourcing strategy for that category. You will
develop and implement a sourcing strategy that aligns with the councils
procurement strategy, including the delivery of procurement and contracting
requirements across different directorates. You willManage a team of
specialist procurement and contract management staff who are themselves middle
managers, ensuring their accountability for the service strategy and plan. As a
centre of expertise for procurement and contract management, you will provide
effective leadership, support, and advice. This role is of key importance in
delivering our procurement vision: Working collaboratively to deliver efficiencies,
value for money and sustainable quality through a proactive commercial approach
to procurement and commissioning for the communities of North Yorkshire.
Main duties of the job
Working with the Head of
Procurement to develop team plans and achieve agreed category objectives.
Lead a team of procurement and
contract management specialists.
Coordinating the procurement and
contracts program for external suppliers.
Manage high-profile and complex
procurements from inception to operational handover.
Keep abreast of supplier market
developments.
Support future strategy and
policy development.
Identifying challenges and
develop innovative solutions.
Lead the implementation of
innovative market approaches.
Managing complex procurement
issues and mitigating associated risks.
Providing training and
development opportunities for the team.
Collaborating with internal
stakeholders to identify savings and efficiencies.
Develop strategic relationships
with various stakeholders.
Addressing feedback and managing stakeholder relationships effectively.
About us
The procurement team are
responsible for ensuring that all procurement and contract management
activities (commercial arrangements) provide the very best value for money for
the council. We provide professional advice, guidance and insight regarding
markets, suppliers, and contractual options to help support service delivery
and improvement. We are a well-respected and award-winning service with a
reputation for excellence. Joining us, you will be inspired by new
opportunities and the exposure and experience to develop your skills
professionally. You will join a highly experienced and collaborative team and
will be supported to work in a commercially minded fashion, building excellent
working relationships with colleagues across the organisation, all united in
their motivation to deliver the best outcomes for our council.
What we can offer
The service has embraced modern
work practices, enabling colleagues to work from home, as well as coming
together as a team for development, connection, and collaboration two days a
week. You will be provided with technology to enable efficient and effective
work, ensuring that you are connected and well supported. You are provided with
a comprehensive benefits package with an excellent employer defined pension
scheme, enhance holidays, flexible working to help you thrive at home and well
as work.
You will have the full support
of the service to enable you to develop both knowledge and skills to help
further progress your career.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Context
The Procurement and Contract Management Service (PCMS) are
responsible for ensuring that all procurement and contract management
activities (commercial arrangements) provide the very best value for money for
the council. We provide professional advice, guidance and insight regarding
markets, suppliers, and contractual options to help support service delivery
and improvement.
The council spends approximately £650m pa across a wide portfolio
of services.
The prime purpose of this role is to oversee and have overall
responsibility for a master category of spend and to lead the creation of a
Category Sourcing Strategy. Develop and implement a sourcing strategy for
the category that sits within and aligns to the councils procurement
strategy. This will include the delivery
of the procurement and contracting requirements within the category across
different directorates.
Ensuring compliance with procedures, process, and current
contractual arrangements.
You will report into the Head of Procurement &
Contract Management and will be required to work with the other Senior
Commercial Managers and the Senior Contract Manager in order to ensure the
Category Sourcing Strategies take account of market drivers and commercial
motivations to inform decisions and approaches.
You will lead on the identification, development and
implementation of appropriate commercial and performance management,
procurement, and contract process management (including risk management),
supplier relationship management and governance, ensuring this is in place and
applied to procurement projects and over the life of the contracts.
You will be responsible for the strategic planning, management
and oversight for all procurement and contract management activity across their
Master Category area. This will include
the development of the category sourcing plans for the service, ensuring the
procurement and contracting teams within their portfolio are held accountable
for delivery on time and within budget.
You will work as part of a professional team to support the
delivery of value for money across the council, operating within the framework
of the councils procurement strategy, ensuring compliance with procedures and
processes.
You will undertake line management responsibilities
and will be expected to work closely with the other Senior Commercial Managers
in managing and allocating resource to deliver the councils core workplan and
traded procurement and contracting projects in a timely and effective manner.
Our ambition is summed up in our procurement vision: Working
collaboratively to deliver efficiencies, value for money and sustainable
quality through a proactive commercial approach to procurement and
commissioning for the communities of North Yorkshire. This role will promote, and effect change to
ensure delivery of this vision.
You will be a leader within a centre of expertise for procurement and contract
management, ensuring at all times that there is proper compliance with the
overall Category Sourcing Strategy, the Councils Procurement and Contract
Management Strategy, Procurement and
Contract
Procedure Rules, Financial Regulations, and UK Legislation on procurement and
contract management.
Responsible for providing procurement category leadership, support,
and advice to assist in the management of approximately £250m of the Councils
yearly expenditure.
Develop
and implement a strategy for the category which ensures continuous improvement
in costs and quality, and implementation of best practice procurement. The strategy will include:
- portfolio
analysis;
- detailed
market intelligence;
- cost
modelling;
- sourcing
options;
- internal
and external supply chain policies.
A key element of
the role is the operational management of a team of middle managers within the
service, ensuring the team are held accountable for the timely delivery of the
service strategy and service plan.
You will have a lead role in working with suppliers and key
stakeholders within Directorates. The
post hold will be required to brief Members and Directorate management teams,
as necessary, on key strategic issues within their category area.
You will be instrumental in the development of proposals for the
councils procurement & contract management strategy and the service plan,
and the subsequent activity across the council. The postholder will lead a
specified element of the strategy and service plan.
Ensure
that at all times there is proper compliance with the Category Sourcing
Strategy, Councils Procurement Strategy and Contract Procedure Rules,
Financial Regulations, European and UK Legislation on procurement.
Develop
relevant category information in order to get the most from the supply market
and to be aware of market trends, inflation and commodity indices including
supplier appraisal. Ensure effective use
of market intelligence to continuously improve category performance.
Represent the Council externally on procurement issues particularly in relation
to Category Management when so required.
Ensure as
far as practicable the use of standard formal documentation and procedures
throughout the Council.
Monitor
and evaluate spend, throughput on contracts and contractors to identify high or
aggregated expenditure which can then be addressed in line with the developed
category strategy.
Market the
benefits of the category management approach to Senior Stakeholders including
Directorate Leadership Teams.
Take the lead in identifying and delivering
savings and efficiency gains to meet any Council identified targets for the
category.
Take the lead in maximising collaborate
opportunities within the category and drive forward sub-regional and national
procurement initiatives where appropriate.
Identify
appropriate performance indicators for the category and provide statistical
returns as required. The provision of appropriate category spend information
and the preparation and submission of reports as required e.g. Corporate
Procurement Board, Audit Committee etc.
Contribute to service and budgetary planning
and to take the lead in relation to the category.
The above is not exhaustive and the post holder will be expected
to undertake any duties which may reasonably fall within the level of
responsibility and the competence of the post as directed by the Head of
Procurement and Contract Management.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant degree (i.e. Supply Chain Management), or a professional qualification related to procurement (CIPS Level 6).
- Active membership of the professional body Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
- Commitment to CPD.
Desirable
- Significant experience of leading Procurement teams
Experience
Essential
- Fully CIPs qualified.
- Demonstrable evidence of leading Procurement teams to deliver challenging outcomes.
- Demonstrable evidence of achievement at a senior management level in a large complex organisation.
- In depth knowledge and understanding of procurement legislation, including Public Contract Regulations 2015.
- Good understanding of public sector purchasing organisations and the current social, economic, legislative, and political environment in which they operate.
- Expertise in procuring and managing a range of categories that are typical to a Local Authority.
- Good understanding and practical application of procurement project management processes.
- In depth knowledge and understanding of procurement systems (e-tendering).
- In depth knowledge and understanding of various current forms of contract, contract documentation, systems, and processes for multiple procurement categories.
- Knowledge of risk management within a medium to large organisation.
- A detailed awareness and understanding of the whole life cycle of procurement including market analysis, procurement strategy, tendering, contract management and relationship management.
- Experience of Procurement and Contract Management including commercial negotiation of significant value and/or complexity of risk.
- Experience of promoting procurement best practice and policies.
- The development and implementation of plans relating to the achievement of targets and objectives to drive improvements.
- Evidence of high-level performance in; either Procurement or Supply Chain Management.
- Evidence of undertaking complex procurement projects.
- Programming of procurements and contracting activity.
- Experience of effective resource management in challenging and competing work demands.
- Use of e-tendering systems.
- Use of HR systems.
- Experienced in the co-ordination, collation, analysis and reporting of complex information from numerous sources to diverse audiences.
- Experience of working at a regional or national level with peers in the development of procurement practices.
Desirable
- Knowledge of North Yorkshire Council contract procedure rules.
- Knowledge of North Yorkshire Council line managers responsibility.
- Contract management.
- The local government context.
- Significant experience of Supply chain management.
Occupational Skills
Essential
- Excellent commercial acumen. Substantial skills related to procurement and contract management demonstrating abilities in procurement / contract practice and procedure and knowledge of legal principles.
- Analytical skills covering written, graphic, numeric, and statistical information and involving risk assessment.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills.
- Strong people management skills and leadership qualities.
- Team working skills including the ability to develop and motivate others.
- Proactive, self-motivated and works from own initiative.
- Development, monitoring and application of procedures to ensure consistent quality of service.
- Excellent communications skills, verbal and written, especially in writing guidance and reports and presentation.
- Developing strategic and tactical approaches and delivering on key policies in relation to procurement, involving work with officers in other Directorates and partners across the wider public sector at all levels.
- Prioritisation of practices and processes to meet objectives and targets, especially in relation to planning, programming, and organising workload, meeting targets and deadline.
- Evidence of the ability to develop and maintain stakeholder relationships at all levels of a customer organization.
- Demonstrable achievement and understanding of equality and diversity in employment and service delivery within a comparable organisation.
- Effective problem-solving skills.
- Decision making skills.
- Emotional intelligence and resilience.
- Oral communication - face to face where appropriate, ability to communicate with varied audiences.
- Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to different needs of key Council stakeholders including within the Service.
- Flexible approach with the ability to respond effectively to changing circumstances, without losing focus or direction.
- Persuading, influencing, and negotiating skills Successfully persuades, influences and/or negotiates with internal stakeholders and suppliers.
- Ability to adapt to changing situations and respond professionally and positively, working with others to find solutions.
- Analytical skills.
- ICT skills - Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams (or equivalent software).
Employer details
Employer name
North Yorkshire Council
Address
County Hall
Racecourse Lane
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL7 8AE