Buyer

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive NHS salary

37.5 hour working week

27 days holiday + HOLs

Pay enhancements for out of hours

Generous Pension Scheme

Career and salary progression

Car leasing scheme

Free parking across Trust sites

Staff networks

Discounts from organisations across UK

Job summary

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Procurement Buyer to join a friendly team. You will help procure goods and services across the Trust, raise and process purchase orders, and support quotation and tender activities to ensure timely, compliant purchases supporting patient care.

The role is hybrid with home working and Exeter HQ attendance every fortnight. Interviews will be in Exeter.

Qualifications

• Experience raising and processing purchase orders in line with Trust policies.
• Experience with quotation, tendering, and contract award activities.
• First point of contact for procurement enquiries, advising staff and suppliers.
• Support supplier onboarding and registration processes and due diligence.
• Maintain procurement records, contract information, and supplier data.
• Assist spend analysis, reporting and procurement planning.
• Support contract management activities and supplier performance reviews.
• Challenge non-contracted spend and promote value for money.
• Develop relationships with stakeholders to promote good procurement practice.
• Contribute to continuous improvement in procurement processes.

Responsibilities

• Raising and processing purchase orders, ensuring requisitions are complete and compliant with Trust policies and procedures.
• Supporting quotation, tendering, and contract award activities, including the preparation and administration of procurement documentation.
• Acting as a first point of contact for procurement enquiries, providing advice and guidance to Trust staff and suppliers.
• Supporting supplier onboarding and registration processes, ensuring appropriate due diligence checks are completed.
• Maintaining procurement records, contract information, supplier data, and filing systems to ensure information is accurate and accessible.
• Assisting with spend analysis, reporting and the production of management information for procurement planning.
• Supporting contract management activities, including supplier performance monitoring, contract reviews and renewals.
• Challenging non-contracted spend where appropriate and promoting value for money and compliance with Standing Financial Instructions.
• Developing effective working relationships with stakeholders across the Trust to promote good procurement practice.
• Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives to enhance procurement processes, systems and ways of working.

Skills

Administrative skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Data handling

Stakeholder management

Job description

Are you an organised and customer-focused individual looking to develop a career in Procurement within the NHS?

We are seeking a Buyer to join our friendly and supportive Procurement Team.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience across a wide range of procurement activities while helping to support services that contribute to patient care across the South West.

Working with colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders across the Trust, you will support the procurement of goods and services, raise and process purchase orders, assist with quotation and tender exercises, maintain procurement and contract records, and help ensure compliance with Trust policies and procedures. You will also support supplier onboarding, manage procurement enquiries, undertake spend analysis, and contribute to continuous improvement within the procurement function.

This role would suit someone with strong administrative, organisational and communication skills who enjoys problem-solving, working with data, and building effective working relationships. Whether you already have procurement experience or are looking to start a career in the profession, we offer training, development opportunities and support towards professional procurement qualifications.

The team operates a hybrid working arrangement, with home working and attendance at Trust Headquarters in Exeter once every fortnight on a Wednesday.

Interviews will take place in person in Exeter.

• Raising and processing purchase orders, ensuring requisitions are complete, appropriately authorised, and compliant with Trust policies and procedures
• Supporting quotation, tendering, and contract award activities, including the preparation, collation, and administration of procurement documentation
• Acting as a first point of contact for procurement enquiries, providing advice and guidance to Trust staff and suppliers
• Supporting supplier onboarding and registration processes, ensuring appropriate due diligence checks are completed
• Maintaining procurement records, contract information, supplier data, and filing systems to ensure information is accurate, secure, and accessible
• Assisting with spend analysis, reporting, and the production of management information to support procurement planning and decision making
• Supporting contract management activities, including supplier performance monitoring, contract reviews, and contract renewals
• Challenging non-contracted spend where appropriate and supporting initiatives that promote value for money and compliance with Standing Financial Instructions
• Developing effective working relationships with stakeholders across the Trust to promote good procurement practice and ensure business needs are met
• Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives, helping to enhance procurement processes, systems, and ways of working
• Developing procurement knowledge and skills through training, learning, and professional development opportunities

Working for us is an experience like no other. We provide emergency and urgent care, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, operating across the largest ambulance region in England and responding to an average of 2,650 incidents every day.

We remain committed to ensuring that we provide the best possible care for all our patients, which is reflected in our new five-year strategy which has continually improving patient care at its very core.

The role is based in Exeter, one of the most vibrant, attractive and historically interesting cities in England, with excellent transport links and a great mix of independent shops, cafes and bars.

If you embody our values of one team, compassionate and innovative and are looking to make a real difference to peoples’ lives, then we would love to hear from you.

In return we will equip you with the skills and resources you need to thrive in your role.

You will have opportunities to progress to roles across the Trust and enjoy continuous professional development.

Benefits

• Competitive NHS salary
• A standard working week of 37.5 hours
• Holiday entitlements of 27 days per year, plus general and public holidays, rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
• Pay enhancements for out of hours, shift and overtime working
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Career and salary progression
• Car leasing scheme
• Free parking across Trust sites
• Staff networks
• Wide range of discounts from various organisations across the UK

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Tanya Miles Job title: Procurement Contract Manager - Medical & Clinical Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 07787 045276