Assistant Procurement Manager

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA); Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

EV car benefit scheme

Healthcare plans

28 days annual leave + option to buy

Job summary

West Midlands Combined Authority seeks an Assistant Procurement Manager to help build on award-winning procurement work across infrastructure and corporate services. You will manage procurement activity from planning to contract award and work with internal teams to secure value for money.

The role requires leading tender processes, advising stakeholders, and maintaining governance and records. The position is based in Birmingham with part of the time in the office and offers a comprehensive

Qualifications

• Experience leading purchasing and procurement processes, including invitation to tender documentation and supplier debriefs.
• Ability to influence senior management to adopt procedures, systems and governance.
• Experience working with stakeholders to achieve shared procurement goals.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail when presenting information.
• Effective time management and ability to work both independently and in a cross‑functional team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support procurement activity across infrastructure and corporate services, from planning through contract award.
• Develop and implement procurement processes that deliver value for money and robustness.
• Manage tendering, supplier engagement, evaluating submissions, clarifications, debriefs and awards.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, Legal, Finance and framework providers to ensure timely delivery.
• Maintain accurate procurement records, trackers and governance documentation in line with regulations.
• Monitor progress, identify risks and opportunities, and support continuous improvement.

Skills

Procurement processes

Stakeholder engagement

Tender management

Analytical thinking

Time management

Attention to detail

Job description

Do you want to join a nationally award-winning Procurement Team? At the West Midlands Combined Authority, our team has been recognised as Procurement Team of the Year at the GO Awards 2024/25 and, most recently, won the 2026 CIPS Excellence in Procurement & Supply Award for Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supply Base. These achievements reflect our commitment to delivering innovative, responsible procurement that creates opportunities for businesses, supports our communities and ensures public money delivers real value for the West Midlands.

As Assistant Procurement Manager, you will play an important role in helping us build on this success. Our Growth Plan sets out an ambitious vision for a stronger, more prosperous region, and effective procurement is essential to making that ambition a reality. Working across infrastructure and corporate services, you will support and manage procurement activity that helps WMCA secure the goods, services and partnerships needed to deliver its priorities. From managing tender processes to working with stakeholders and suppliers, your work will help ensure procurement decisions are compliant, commercially sound and deliver meaningful value for the organisation and the region.

What you’ll be doing.

• Lead and support procurement activity across infrastructure and corporate services, managing allocated procurements from initial planning through to contract award.
• Develop and implement procurement processes that support business priorities, deliver value for money, encourage innovation and establish robust contractual arrangements.
• Manage tendering activity, including supplier engagement, preparing tender documentation, evaluating submissions, bid clarifications, award recommendations and supplier debriefs.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders, suppliers, Legal, Finance and framework providers to coordinate procurement activity, provide advice and ensure requirements are delivered within agreed timescales.
• Maintain accurate procurement records, trackers and governance documentation, ensuring compliance with relevant procurement legislation, WMCA policies, financial regulations and approval processes.
• Monitor and report on procurement progress, identify risks and opportunities for collaboration or savings, and support continuous improvement across procurement processes and systems.

What’s essential.

• Purchasing/Procurement processes is essential; demonstrates experience of leading purchasing processes and supporting on tender processes; formuluating Invitation to Tender documentation, evaluating tender responses, undertaking bid conditioning and bid clarification, debrief of suppliers, awarding contracts, managing supplier relationships.
• Experience of advising and influencing senior management to accept procedures, systems, governance and methods of working.
• Experience of working effectively with stakeholders to achieve and communicate shared goals.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure, trouble-shoot, and to meet short and long-term deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Able to effectively present information with a strong attention to detail.
• Effective time management skills and ability to work independently as well as a member of a cross‑functional team is essential.

For a full list of duties and essential criteria, please refer to the job description attached.

Location.

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

There may be a requirement to work outside normal office hours on occasion to meet work deadlines, attend meetings or work within stakeholder and partner offices across the WMCA constituent area.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team ([e-mail]).

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year‑on‑year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e‑bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest‑free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big‑name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costco membership through the WMCA.
• Boundless unlocks unlimited entry to top‑rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• Eye Care Scheme, offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser‑focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters. Your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people’s lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

Fostering an environment where people feel valued, included, supported, and proud to contribute to our region is important to us at the WMCA. Our behaviours are more than statements; they guide how we work, make decisions, and treat one another – they set the standards we hold ourselves to and the experience we want others to have.

• Collaborative - We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.
• Driven - We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.
• Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.
• Innovative - We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We’re a Disability Confident Employer with ‘Leader’ status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not