Associate Governance and Assurance Lead

Birmingham City Council; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking an Associate Governance and Assurance Lead to join the newly established Commercial and Procurement Services. The role strengthens governance and ensures procurement is compliant, transparent and aligned with legislation to benefit Birmingham's residents.

The post is permanent, Grade D (£45,091 – £53,460), 36.5 hours per week, with flexible and hybrid working opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering governance, assurance or risk management within procurement.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex information into practical guidance.
• Excellent written communication and governance documentation.
• Experience interpreting procurement legislation, governance frameworks and policies.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of procurement governance and assurance frameworks across Commercial and Procurement Services.
• Provide expert advice to procurement colleagues and budget holders on governance requirements and best practice.
• Review procurement business cases, reports and documentation, identifying risks and preparing governance briefings.
• Manage the procurement assurance pipeline and coordinate governance activities.
• Identify, assess and mitigate procurement and commercial risks with appropriate escalation.
• Develop guidance, toolkits and resources to ensure consistent governance practice.
• Lead and develop team members while driving continuous improvement through assurance findings.

Skills

Procurement governance

Governance

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Report writing

Influencing skills

Regulatory interpretation

Continuous improvement

Education

Level 5 CIPS Diploma

Job description

Grade D - £45,091 – £53,460

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Equal Pay Programme

Working 36.5 hours per week

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Strengthen governance and ensure procurement is delivered with confidence

Are you an experienced procurement or governance professional with a passion for assurance, compliance and continuous improvement? Birmingham City Council is looking for an Associate Governance and Assurance Lead to join our newly established Commercial and Procurement Services.

Permanent

Grade D - £45,091 – £53,460

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Equal Pay Programme

Working 36.5 hours per week

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Strengthen governance and ensure procurement is delivered with confidence

Are you an experienced procurement or governance professional with a passion for assurance, compliance and continuous improvement? Birmingham City Council is looking for an Associate Governance and Assurance Lead to join our newly established Commercial and Procurement Services.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in strengthening governance across one of the UK's largest local authority procurement functions. You'll help ensure procurement activity is compliant, transparent and aligned with legislation, supporting colleagues to manage risk effectively while delivering ethical, value-driven procurement that benefits Birmingham's residents.

About The Role

As an Associate Governance and Assurance Lead, you'll help embed a culture of strong governance and accountability by:

• Supporting the implementation and continuous improvement of procurement governance and assurance frameworks across Commercial and Procurement Services.
• Providing expert advice and guidance to procurement colleagues and budget holders on governance requirements, compliance and procurement best practice.
• Reviewing procurement business cases, reports and commercial documentation, identifying risks and preparing briefings for governance and decision-making forums.
• Managing the procurement assurance pipeline, coordinating governance activities and ensuring assurance processes are delivered efficiently.
• Supporting the identification, assessment and mitigation of procurement and commercial risks, ensuring appropriate escalation where required.
• Developing practical guidance, toolkits and resources that promote consistent application of governance and assurance standards.
• Leading and developing team members while driving continuous improvement through assurance findings and lessons learned.

About You

We're looking for someone with strong analytical skills, excellent judgement and a thorough understanding of procurement governance. You'll bring:

• Experience working within a procurement, commercial or governance environment, with a strong understanding of the end-to-end procurement lifecycle.
• Experience supporting governance, assurance, compliance or risk management activities within a regulated environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to review complex information, identify risks and provide clear, practical recommendations.
• Excellent written communication skills, producing high-quality reports, briefings and governance documentation.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, building trusted relationships and providing confident advice across the organisation.
• Experience interpreting procurement legislation, governance frameworks and organisational policies to support compliant decision-making.
• A commitment to continuous professional development, with a willingness to work towards a Level 5 CIPS Diploma if not already achieved.

Why Join Us?

At Birmingham City Council, You'll Help Build a Modern Governance And Assurance Function That Underpins One Of Europe's Largest Commercial And Procurement Services. In Return, We Offer

• The opportunity to influence procurement governance and assurance across a large, diverse and complex organisation.
• A collaborative and forward-thinking team committed to integrity, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Opportunities to develop your expertise in procurement governance, risk management and commercial assurance.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities where service needs allow.
• A competitive Local Government Pension Scheme and generous annual leave entitlement.
• Access to a wide range of employee wellbeing initiatives and staff benefits.
• A rewarding career where your expertise will strengthen governance, improve commercial decision-making and help deliver better outcomes for Birmingham's residents.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Job Description and Person Specification - RM-00137526-Associate Governance and Assurance Lead-Job Description.pdf