Job summary
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.
Main duties of the job
Duties and responsibilities
Work with senior management to contribute to team planning and the development of future strategies, implementing innovative approaches
Foster a culture of commercial awareness, delivering value for money for the council
Manage high risk contracts, managing their performance and developing strategies to mitigate against risks.
Lead and line manage a team, coaching and motivating them to ensure high performance
Ensure compliance with regulations, drive savings and provide accurate and up to date reporting
Engage stakeholders from across the council effectively, maintaining strong working relationships to achieve procurement objectives
Responsible for theidentification, development, management and delivery of the annual contract management action plan, including the identification of contract savings, for all 3 master category areas.
Ensure appropriate advice, guidance and training is available to the whole Council on Supplier contracts and to work collaboratively with directorate contract managers, contract owners, the service and legal services.
About us
With the council spending around £650m annually across various services, you will play a vital role in leading on the development of the councils contract management strategy and delivering operational plans to embed sound contract management principles. You will collaborate with senior commercial managers to ensure that commercial motivations and market drivers are taken into consideration when decisions are made. Overseeing all contract management activities across our three master category areas (People, Place and Professional), you will identify and manage contract management actions and objectives. As a key player in the Procurement management team, you will ensure the contracting team are held accountable for timely and budget-compliant delivery. You will line manage a team of procurement professionals, motivating them to ensure that the strategic objectives of the council are achieved.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post-holder will undertake line management responsibilities and will
be expected to work closely with the Senior Commercial Managers in managing and
allocating resource to deliver the councils core workplan and traded contract 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.
The postholder will be a leader
within a centre of expertise for 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.
A key element of the role is the
strategic management of a team of Contract Managers, Officers and Support
staff.
The postholder will have a lead role in working
with suppliers and key stakeholders within service areas.
The role will be the strategic lead for the future contract
management strategy and activity across the council. The postholder will lead
the contract management action plan delivery across all 3 Master Category areas
and will need to use problem solving techniques and innovative thinking to
propose solutions and challenge results.
The postholder will have a leading role in helping
to procure, performance manage and review contracts currently worth up to £100m.
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 Line Manager
or Head of Procurement and Contract Management.
As
other contracts come under the responsibility of the procurement service, the Senior
Contract Manager will be required to be flexible in ensuring these requirements
are suitably managed and delivered by themselves or from within the wider
contracting team.
Responsible
for the service providing Contract Management support in respect of specific
contracts, and/or in respect of a particular Directorate requirement.
Working
as a member of the procurement service, developing and utilising Best Practice
arrangements for the development and ongoing maintenance of the strategic
relationships between the Council and the Contractors and/or Sub-contractors as
appropriate.
Working
with the service to ensure that the strategic objectives of the Council are
achieved, as far as possible, through the effective management of the contract
management resources, ensuring value for money is achieved, realisation of
benefits is maximised, robust commercials are in place and risks are managed
and mitigated as appropriate.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional Qualifications
- Relevant degree, or a professional qualification related to procurement (CIPS), or equivalent knowledge or experience.
- Be prepared to complete the Government Commercial Function Practitioner and Expert accreditation.
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable evidence of achievement at a senior level in a large complex organisation.
- Demonstrable evidence of leading contracting teams to deliver challenging outcomes, including high risk contracts.
- 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 managing a range of contracts 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 in a large complex organisation.
- Demonstrable knowledge of risk management within a medium to large complex organisation.
- Knowledge of the People, Place and Professional related markets and supply chains, and how they operate.
- Experience of Procurement and Contract Management including commercial negotiation of significant value and/or complexity of risk.
- Evidence of leading and promoting contract management best practice and policies.
- The development and implementation of plans relating to the achievement of targets and objectives in order to drive improvements across a service.
- Evidence of high-level performance in either Procurement or Supply Chain Management.
- Evidence of undertaking complex contract disputes and resolutions.
- Programming of contracting activity.
- Use of HR systems.
- Experienced in the co-ordination, collation, analysis and reporting of complex information from numerous sources to diverse audiences.
- Experience of programme management across multiple category areas.
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.
- A detailed awareness and understanding of the whole life cycle of procurement including market analysis, procurement strategy, tendering, contract management and relationship management.
- 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.
- Developing strategic and tactical approaches and delivering on key policies in relation to contract management, 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.
- 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, including chairing multi- stakeholder meetings.
- 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.
- Ability to adapt to changing situations and respond professionally, proportionally and positively, working with others to find solutions.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
- 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