Associate Procurement Operations Specialist

Birmingham City Council; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 67,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Hybrid working

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking an Associate Procurement Operations Specialist to lead procurement operations across the council, ensuring policies, governance, and performance frameworks enable strong commercial outcomes.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Procurement Operations, you will lead a high-performing team, drive compliance, and embed best practice while shaping the Council's Procurement and Commercial Strategy.

Qualifications

• Full MCIPS membership or equivalent with recognised leadership experience.
• Senior leadership experience in commercial procurement, governance or operations.
• Experience developing procurement policy, governance and operating models.
• In-depth knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023 and public sector governance.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and strategic partners.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and embedding continuous improvement.
• Strong strategic thinking, communication and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Procurement Operations function with a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Drive the implementation of the Council's Procurement and Commercial Strategy to deliver value and ethical use of public funds.
• Develop procurement policy, governance, assurance and capability frameworks across services.
• Ensure compliance with the Procurement Act 2023, including transparency and governance requirements.
• Provide strategic leadership for business planning, performance, capability development and professional standards.
• Act as Assurance Lead for CPAC, providing expert scrutiny on high-value, high-risk commercial activity.
• Build relationships with senior leaders, elected members and external partners to shape commercial strategy.

Skills

MCIPS membership

Leadership experience

Procurement governance

Procurement Act 2023 knowledge

Influence senior stakeholders

Team leadership

Strategic thinking

Education

MCIPS qualification or equivalent

Job description

Grade 7 - £66,627 - £85,845

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.

Lead the future of procurement across one of the UK's largest local authorities Birmingham City Council is transforming the way procurement supports the city, and we're looking for an exceptional leader to help shape that future.

Permanent

Grade 7 - £66,627 - £85,845

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.

Lead the future of procurement across one of the UK's largest local authorities Birmingham City Council is transforming the way procurement supports the city, and we're looking for an exceptional leader to help shape that future.

As Associate Procurement Operations Specialist, you will provide strategic leadership for procurement operations across the Council, ensuring our policies, governance, performance and capability frameworks enable outstanding commercial outcomes. Leading a high-performing specialist team, you'll drive compliance, innovation and continuous improvement while embedding best practice across the organisation.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Procurement Operations, you will:

• Lead and develop the Procurement Operations function, creating a high-performing culture focused on collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Drive the implementation of the Council's Procurement and Commercial Strategy, ensuring procurement supports organisational priorities, delivers value for money and promotes ethical use of public funds.
• Lead the development of procurement policy, governance, assurance and capability frameworks, embedding consistent standards across Commercial and Procurement Services and the wider Council.
• Oversee the Council's compliance with the Procurement Act 2023, including transparency requirements, social value, governance, commercial risk management and audit assurance.
• Provide strategic leadership for business planning, organisational performance, capability development, communications and professional standards across procurement.
• Act as the Assurance Lead for the Commercial and Procurement Assurance Committee (CPAC), providing expert advice and scrutiny on high-value, high-risk commercial activity.
• Build influential relationships with senior leaders, elected members and external partners to shape commercial strategy, drive organisational improvement and champion procurement excellence.

About You

• Full MCIPS membership (or equivalent professional expertise) together with recognised leadership experience or qualifications.
• Significant senior leadership experience within commercial procurement, governance or procurement operations in a complex, highly regulated environment.
• Extensive experience developing procurement policy, governance, assurance frameworks and operating models that deliver organisational improvement.
• In-depth knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023, public sector procurement legislation and commercial governance.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, elected members and strategic partners while navigating complex political and organisational environments.
• Strong experience leading multidisciplinary teams, developing capability and embedding a culture of continuous improvement and professional excellence.
• Excellent strategic thinking, communication and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex legislation, policy and organisational priorities into practical solutions.

Why Join Us?

• A rare opportunity to shape procurement strategy and governance across one of Europe's largest local authorities.
• A senior leadership role with genuine influence over commercial policy, organisational performance and public value.
• The opportunity to lead the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023 and help define the future of procurement across Birmingham.
• Ongoing investment in your professional development, leadership capability and career progression.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities where service needs allow.
• A competitive Local Government Pension Scheme and generous annual leave entitlement.
• The opportunity to make a lasting difference by ensuring every pound of public money delivers the greatest possible value for Birmingham's communities.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim.

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-00137101-Associate Procurement Operations Specialist-Job Description (1).pdf