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Procurement and Contracts Manager - R&D

Salary: c. £60,000
Bonus: Discretionary
Location: Kings Cross, London (Tuesdays-Thursdays - 3 days in our office, Monday + Friday - anywhere)
Employment Type: Permanent, full time

About ARIA

ARIA is a new kind of R&D funding agency. We fund scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of the possible. From climate change to AI, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK’s world-class R&D in new ways, so we can meet these head on.

We are growing our team to develop bold new approaches that can scale – from programmes to systems, processes and everything in between. If that sounds fun, come and build ARIA with us.

Learn more about how we work here.

Role Summary

ARIA is seeking a dynamic Procurement & Contracts Manager to join our research and development procurement, contracts and grants team, where your expertise and drive will be invaluable as you will be a crucial aid to the wider team. You'll be involved in every aspect of the procurement life cycle, from pre-market engagement to contract closure and renewals.

What you’ll do

The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:

• You'll be responsible for defining and running research and development procurements in line with ARIA commercial and grant models. This will include evaluating proposals, ensuring that value for money is always obtained and the negotiation and agreement of appropriate commercial agreements alongside legal.

• You'll be engaged in ongoing proactive management of predominantly grants and also suppliers and contracts - working closely with colleagues and suppliers to ensure that delivery is always on time and that any potential issues are identified and addressed before they become problems.

• Providing general support and advice on procurement matters across the organisation, as well as contributing to the evolution of the procurement and contract policies and working practices.

• You'll be collaborating with colleagues across ARIA to ensure a shared understanding of work requirements and progress.

• As you identify opportunities for improvement, you'll be proposing innovative solutions that will help drive continuous improvement and success within ARIA.

• You'll be responsible for ensuring that all decisions are accurately recorded, audit trails are maintained, and records are managed.

Who you are

A successful candidate will bring many of the following skills/experience to the role:

• Good procurement knowledge and experience in multi-disciplinary environments covering pre and post-contract activity.
• Commercially astute and solutions-focused.
• Comfortable with uncertainty and takes a problem-solving approach.
• Experience of managing contract/commercial risk and associated mitigations.
• An eye for detail with strong verbal, written and numeracy skills and an ability to communicate the complex in simple ways.
• Open communication and collaboration skills with an ability to adapt to different levels and stakeholders.
• Good negotiating and influencing skills.
• A highly organised individual who can manage a large workload, whilst being adaptable in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working within the research and development environment.
• Experience of grant management.
• Experience in both the public and private sector.

Qualifications

• Membership of a professional body such as CIPS or working towards.

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days.
• Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home.
• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities.
• Enhanced family leave arrangements.
• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme.
• Life Assurance.
• 2 days of paid volunteer days.
• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• An excellent office location in Kings X, London.

Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Don’t worry! If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We want to attract the broadest array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to the field, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to this role.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.

ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility. You can read our policy here. Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those here.