Buyer

Kent County Council; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent County Council is seeking a Buyer to join the Sourcing Support Team in Maidstone. You will review and process purchase orders, set up new suppliers and support procurement of low value goods and services, while researching spending data and driving process improvements.

You will work closely with the Senior Sourcing and Procurement Office and Manager, with opportunities to study towards Level 4 CIPS and develop your procurement career within the council’s mission to deliver best value for

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a team player with initiative.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Positive, problem-solving mindset.
• Confidence in analysing and interpreting data.
• Genuine interest in Procurement and developing your career.
• Willingness to study towards Level 4 CIPS if the role becomes permanent.
• Ability to prioritise your work.
• Confidence in communicating with a wide range of people.

Responsibilities

• Review and process purchase orders.
• Set up new suppliers.
• Support procurement of low value goods and services.
• Analyse spending data to identify patterns and savings.
• Contribute towards continual improvements in procurement processes and spend control.

Skills

Teamwork and initiative

Attention to detail

Problem-solving mindset

Data analysis

Procurement interest

Willingness for Level 4 CIPS

Prioritising workload

Communication across stakeholders

Education

Level 4 CIPS (certification)

Job description

Would you enjoy a busy and varied role, with a range of routine and project-based tasks? The Sourcing Support Team are looking for a Buyer to join their team at an exciting time in Local Government. You will be responsible for reviewing and processing purchase orders and setting up new suppliers, as well as supporting the procurement of low value goods and services, including those most commonly sourced by the council. Working closely with the Senior Sourcing and Procurement Office and Sourcing Support Team Manager, you will undertake research, review spending data, solve problems and contribute towards continual improvements in our processes, many of which support spend control and delivering best value for the wider council. To join us you will have, The role of the Buyer is varied and focused on delivering 'best value'. By 'best value', we mean much more than value for money and delivering savings. We are committed to delivering wider social, environmental, and economic benefits to Kent communities and supporting the Kent economy., This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

• Proven experience of being a team player, who can use their own initiative.
• Keen attention for detail.
• A positive, problem-solving mindset
• Confidence in analysing and interpreting data.
• A genuine interest in Procurement and developing your career within it.
• A willingness to study towards Level 4 CIPS, if not already held, should the role become permanent.
• The ability to prioritise your work
• Confidence in communicating with a wide range of people.
• Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.