Contract Support Officer (Procurement)

Positive Employment; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Positive Employment is seeking a Contract Support Officer in Southampton to support contract management and procurement activities for a local government organisation. The role is hybrid and initially a 3-month contract with the potential to extend.

The post holder will manage contract relationships with third-party suppliers, handle invoicing and requisitions, coordinate meetings, and support senior management with governance and reporting to achieve best value for money.

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent qualification required.
• At least three years’ experience in a relevant role.
• Experience in contract management, procurement or a commercial service delivery role.
• Experience establishing relationships with commercial partners to support value-for-money and high quality performance.
• Good IT literacy and ability to use self-service/digital platforms and MS Office.
• Desirable: procurement in the public sector.
• Desirable: legal/commercial experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop, monitor and maintain the programme of key projects/activities within Contracting and Procurement.
• Manage generic Contracting and Procurement inboxes and distribute emails/enquiries to Contracting and Procurement Team accordingly.
• Allocate reactive requests to the appropriate team member and work with them to develop responses/solutions.
• Organise meetings, issue agendas and papers, take and issue minutes, and support the Director and Senior Management Team.
• Organise team meetings and team diaries, taking minutes and following up actions.
• Coordinate sign-off of formal decision-making processes.
• Check invoices and ensure payments are made on time.
• Raise Requisitions/Purchase Orders/Goods Received Notices/invoices and ensure budgets are aligned to correct budget holders.
• Deal with contract administrative activities for strategic and key managed contracts.
• Notify suppliers/third parties of changes to Contracting and Procurement team representation.
• Manage Freedom of Information requests and ensure timely responses.
• Oversee information governance compliance.
• Maintain team structure information and filing of contract data.
• Report data to corporate body in support of council indicators.

Skills

Contract management

Procurement

Relationship building

IT literacy

MS Office

Education

GCSE or equivalent

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Positive Employment is currently recruiting for a Contract Support Officer for our client, a local government organisation based in Southampton.

The successful post holder will provide an effective support service for the management of contract relationships with the organisation's third-party suppliers to help ensure that our contracts are delivered and operated in a manner which ensures that the organisation achieves service excellence, the outcomes it requires, and the best value for money possible.

Undertake administrative activities with regards to the organisation's contract register.

Coordinate key Contracting and Procurement projects and activity in support of the Senior Management Team

This role is a contract position with an initial contract of 3 months, with the possibility to extend. This role is hybrid working.

Duties and Responsibilities but not limited to:

• Develop, monitor and maintain the programme of key projects/activities within Contracting and Procurement.
• Manage generic Contracting and Procurement inboxes and distribute emails/enquiries to Contracting and Procurement Team accordingly.
• Allocate reactive requests/requirements (e.g. Members’ requests, Freedom of Information requests) to the appropriate team member and work with them to develop responses/solutions.
• Organise, diarise (and where required, attend) meetings with relevant parties including issuing agendas and papers and taking and issuing minutes including support to the Director of Contracting and Procurement and the Senior Management Team.
• Organise team meetings and team diaries including taking minutes and following up actions.
• Coordinate sign off of formal decision making processes.
• Check invoices received by Contracting and Procurement and ensure payments are made on time.
• Raise Requisitions/Purchase Orders/Goods Received Notices/invoices and ensure budgets are aligned to correct budget holders.
• Deal with contract administrative activities for the strategic and key managed contracts.
• Make suppliers and third parties aware of any changes to Contracting and Procurement team representatives.
• Manage Freedom of Information requests relevant to the team including ensuring timely responses are issued.
• Oversee information governance requirements to ensure team is compliant.
• Maintain team structure information. Maintain filing structure of strategic and key managed contract information.
• Report required data to the corporate body in support of council strategic indicators

Personal Requirements:

• As a minimum a good standard of GCSE or equivalent qualification.
• At least three years’ experience in a relevant role.
• Experience in contract management, or procurement or a commercial service delivery role.
• Experience in establishing relationships with commercial partners to support value-for-money and high quality performance.
• A good standard of IT literacy to be able to use self-service, digital user platforms and applications and MS Office.
• Knowledge and/or experience of procurement within the public sector is Desirable.
• Legal/commercial experience is Desirable.

Pay:

£21.01 - £23.83 per hr

Working Hours:

9:00am - 17:00pm / Monday to Friday

Please note this role is within the scope of IR35, and pay will be via an umbrella company.