Lead Divisional Buyer

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust; Blackburn; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust invites applications for a Lead Buyer within the One Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Procurement team, flexible across all One LSC sites.

The role leads procurement projects across clinical and non-clinical areas, delivering cost reductions, advising on contracts, and ensuring compliance with NHS procurement guidance.

The post offers hybrid working with a minimum of two days in the office, requiring strong stakeholder engagement across multiple Trusts.

Responsibilities

• Lead a range of clinical and non-clinical procurement projects across trusts, planning and executing strategies and tenders.
• Provide professional procurement advice to senior managers, ensuring compliance with NHS guidance and financial instructions.
• Manage high-value contracts (£100k to £5m+) from planning to sign-off, ensuring value for money.

Job description

The One Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Procurement team are seeking applications for a Lead Buyer to be flexible and work across all One LSC sites.

The Procurement & Supplies Team Is Embarking On An Exciting Period Of Change As We Start Our Journey To Become a Single Procurement Department Across The Lancashire And South Cumbria Region. The Five Trusts Are Currently Served By Three Procurement Teams Who Are Coming Together And Forming One LSC Procurement. The Team Will Provide Services To

• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust plus Atlas BFW Management Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals).
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
• North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.
• Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

The Lead Buyer role is required within the Clinical / Non Clinical Teams, working with key stakeholders including clinicians, nursing colleagues, estates and facilities, Corporate and IT, to lead a range of procurement projects. The role briefly consists of leading on self-identified and allocated projects under the direction of the Senior Procurement Manager, delivering against agreed timescales and outcomes for the specified areas across all or some of the Trust’s within the scope of the Integrated Procurement Team.

• Lead a range of clinical and non clinical procurement projects including planning and selection strategies; tendering and commercial dialogue. Involving close engagement with staff, including clinicians, nursing colleagues, finance, estates and facilities, Corporate and IT and external stakeholders to achieve a cost effective procurement of materials and/or services.
• Plan, negotiate and deliver a cost reduction work plan for materials and/or services, working closely with clinical staff including senior managers and external stakeholders without compromising quality of service.
• Assess and advise financial implications of contract awards to all stakeholders, reporting formally on the implications of supplier, service and product changes. Influence key internal stakeholders to accept any recommended product/service changes or if no agreement, elevate to the relevant senior team member.
• Provide professional advice to Trust staff including senior managers in respect of the procurement process, including Public Procurement Legislation, UK Law, Trust Standing Financial Instructions and NHS Procurement Guidance.
• Responsible for the tendering of complex and high value contracts typically from £100k to in excess of 5 million for services and materials, ensuring value for money and statutory procurement requirements are adhered to and achieving project sign off for all procurement decisions.

Created in November 2024, which superseded the Lancashire Procurement Cluster created in 2017, The One LSC Procurement team provides strategic procurement, commercial, logistics and supply chain services to the Trust Partners – Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.

The Organisation Is a Shared Service Model, Hosted By East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. The One LSC Procurement Has Four Distinct Service Lines

• Procurement
• Strategic Relationship Management
• Systems & e-Commerce
• Logistics and Supply Chain

The Lead Buyer role can operate on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of 40% or two days per week in the office. Owing to the need to develop high level working relationships with Trust stakeholders and suppliers, there is a requirement to work flexibly with regards to site working and be able to work from/attend meetings at sites across One LSC network.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Priscilla Mulenga Job title: Senior Procurement Manager Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 07970984847

Sarah Jackson | Senior Procurement Manager - Clinical

Mobile: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

Michael Dyer MCIPS | Associate Director of Procurement

Email: [e-mail]