Procurement Manager

Reference
1094680

Branch
University of Warwick

Start date
01/04/2025

Duration
3 Months

Hours and days
Full time - 36.5 Hours

Dress code
Smart Casual

Rate of pay
£21.82

Holiday rate
£2.63

Role

To support the University’s procurement function in the provision of an efficient and responsive service, in relation to project and commodity based procurement.

Manage a defined portfolio of spend. Undertake procurement strategies to deliver best value contracts and continuous improvement solutions which result in value for money, savings and contribute to the University’s Procurement Strategy.

Work closely with stakeholders to review current supply chain solutions and implement optimum procurement arrangements taking account of operational contexts, regulatory or funder compliance and applicable funder deadlines.

Support non-procurement staff to obtain value for money through support and training. Support the dissemination of best procurement practices across the University.

The key expectations will be to pick up IT Procurement Projects and work with IDG and other departments to guide them through a Procurement process in line with University Policies and Procedures to the point of contract sign-off

Please note the rate per hour is between £18.50 - £23.93

Duties and responsibilities

Category / Project Strategies

• Develop, implement and monitor routine category ! capital project procurement strategies to achieve strict savings targets ! budgets, timescales.
• Support achievement of Procurement Office KPIs operating within the defined
• Category Management framework, across spend areas of up to circa £10M p.a.
• Ensure procurement recommendations and continuous improvement initiatives support the University’s strategic goals.
• Produce and present reports and KPIs analysis.

Competitive Procurement Processes

• Plan, lead and award routine procurement processes, contracts and framework agreements to achieve optimum savings, value for money and timescales.
• Comply with the University’s financial regulations ensuring good governance across procurement activities in compliance with statutory obligations.
• Ensure funding conditions are met and procurement is conducted with full and compliant audit trails. Where required, comply with the Public Contracts Regulations
• Support stakeholders in the development of routine specifications for incorporation into market engagements and tender exercises.
• Review contracts and licence agreements to identify and address risks prior to submission for senior colleague review.

Contract Negotiation

• Undertake routine negotiations to ensure commercially optimum contracts, mitigating financial and legal risk (for example total cost analysis, management of payment terms, import, currency, liability and IPR risks).
• lead ongoing contract management of operational agreements to ensure benefits
• realisation, effective supplier performance management and exploit innovative opportunities from the supply chain.

Cross Functional Process Improvements

• Manage cross functional project teams ! Category Improvement Groups ! formal process improvement groups (for example the University’s Simplify, Collaborate, Deliver Programme) across a variety of stakeholder groups predominantly at operational level to support implementation of optimum procurement solutions
• Support the change process.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Designated Procurement link to one or more operational departments, undertake procurement activity and provide advice to predominantly operational members of staff. Facilitate greater visibility of the procurement pipeline.
• Build effective collaborative relationships with departments, promote a responsive, agile and professional image of the Procurement Office.
• Work on a collaborative basis with external bodies (e.g. other HEIs, funders, consortia)
• Support the Office’s overall training programme through dissemination of procurement best practice across the wider University.
• Staff Management and Development
• Support the development of more junior team members.
• Where applicable, manage one or more junior members of staff.

Any other duties as determined by Director of Procurement and Insurance or direct line manager.

Skills and experience

• Good standard of education, particularly Mathematics and English
• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Full MCIPS (level 6) or ideally working towards or relevant equivalent work experience.
• Demonstrable experience within a procurement environment, with an established record of delivering procurement strategies, managing spend up to circa £10m and realising savings in line with targets.
• Leadership: Able to manage cross functional teams and meetings largely at an operational level.
• Strategy Development: Able to develop and implement routine category ! capital project plans to strict budgets ! savings targets, timescales and KPI frameworks. Supported by senior colleagues in more complex and strategic areas. Awareness of the University’s strategic goals.
• Relationship Management: Able to foster effective relationships across a range of internal and external groups, predominantly at operational level. Influencing skills, collaborative approach and strong ability to work as part of a team.
• Category and Supply Chain Management: Understanding and application of Category and Supply Chain Management and procurement best practice across dedicated category areas.
• Change Management: Able to identify opportunities for improvements with category areas. Able to plan and implement change projects as directed by senior colleagues.
• Negotiation (including legal and financial risk management): Able to plan and lead routine negotiations, supported by senior colleagues in more complex and strategic areas. Understanding of commercial and legal risk management, financial assessments and ratio analysis.
• Procurement Processes: Able to deliver robust, auditable and effective procurement processes. Knowledge and application of competitive, cradle to grave tendering approaches, specification development, total and whole life cost analysis, contract award and management. Knowledge and compliance with key regulatory requirements.
• Market Knowledge and Options Analysis: Developing commercial acumen, understanding of market dynamics and cost drivers. Ability to prepare options appraisals and business case recommendations for operational spend
• Systems Capability: Understanding of P2P and wider procurement and corporate systems. Confident in analysing large volumes of data to support strategy formulation.
• Communication: Effective and confident communicator across a variety of internal and external stakeholders, at a range of seniority levels, both written and face to face.
• Organisation, Attention to Detail and Results Focus: Strong organisation, planning and prioritisation skills, ability to adapt and be flexible. Strong numerical and written attention to detail. Ability to work under pressure to strict timescales.
• This role is to cover the IT Category, so experience in this category will be essential, some professional services experience would also be advantageous. Familiarity with public sector frameworks such as CCS or more specific ones in the HE Sector such as SUPC would also be advantageous, please see the Job description for further details.

 

Desirable

• Working knowledge and experience of EU Procurement Directives / Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as updated from time to time).
• Staff Management and Development: Desirable: Capable of managing small teams (one or more) mainly junior staff members. Ability to delegate appropriate activities, support and manage staff development and performance.         
• Experience of working within the public sector and/professional services

Location
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday on site, Tues & Fri working remotely

Additional information
Advert closes on 31/03/25

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