Procurement Advisor

Suffolk County Council; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Generous pension

Life assurance

Flexible working

Agile working

Cycle to Work

Rail discounts

Health & wellbeing

Learning culture

Modern office

Job summary

West Suffolk Council seeks a Procurement Advisor to join the Governance and Procurement Service, advising on the purchase of goods, services and works. You will support services to achieve value for money and compliance, developing procurement knowledge and progressing towards professional qualifications where eligible.

Permanent contract, 37 hours weekly, Band 4–5 Career pathway. You will work with data, generate practical guidance, and build strong relationships with internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Interest in procurement and delivering value for money outcomes.
• Ability to build positive working relationships and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Organised, detail-oriented and able to manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards of accuracy.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other IT systems.

Skills

Stakeholder communication

Relationship building

Attention to detail

Prioritisation

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

• West Suffolk Council
• Address: West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP33 3YU
• Salary: Band 4 £30,515 - £33,673 per annum on a career pathway or Band 5 £34,237 - £39,481 per annum, plus excellent employee benefits package (see below)
• Hours: 37 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent
• Reference: 0917

Ahead of the exciting opportunities that a new era of local government will bring, West Suffolk Council are seeking to recruit a Procurement Advisor who will join our Governance and Procurement Service to support and advise services on the purchase of goods, services and works necessary to operate and serve the council and its communities.

We are seeking an individual who either holds, is working towards, or is willing to work towards a recognised professional procurement qualification (such as CIPS - Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply), or who can demonstrate an equivalent level of relevant experience.

Appointment will be made within either:

• Career pathway opportunity starting at Band 4 (£30,515 - £33,673), with progression to Band 5 (£34,237 - £ 39,481) subject to meeting the required development milestones. This is for candidates who are developing their procurement knowledge and experience. You will be supported to undertake and achieve a recognised professional procurement qualification, such as CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply).
• Full Band 5 (£33,143 - £38,220) for candidates with relevant local government procurement experience and professional qualifications.

What you will need:

You will have an interest in procurement and delivering value for money outcomes.

You will be able to demonstrate the ability to build positive working relationships, communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and provide clear, practical advice and guidance. You will be organised, detail-oriented and able to manage competing priorities whilst maintaining high standards of accuracy.

You will have experience of using Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, together with other IT systems, although training will be provided. You will have a keen eye and be comfortable working with data and information to support planning, decision-making and continuous improvement.

Experience of local government procurement requirements including commissioning, governance, compliance or a related professional discipline would be advantageous. Knowledge of public sector procurement requirements and experience of procurement systems, publishing notices or delivering training would also be beneficial, but support and development will be provided for the right candidate.

Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details of this opportunity.

Why work for us?

Our benefits include:

• holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval)
• generous pension scheme – contribute between 5.5% and 6.8% (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 16.4%
• life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary
• flexible working options to enable work/life balance
• agile working - ability to work in the office and from home
• access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops, holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services
• salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest free and repay through your monthly salary)
• rail and bus staff discounts
• Health and Wellbeing initiatives including an employee assistance programme
• culture of learning inspiring staff to focus on continuous learning
• modern office accommodation.

For more information

For an informal discussion please contact Ben Smith, Service Manager Governance and Procurement on 01284 757101 or email [e-mail]

Closing date: 23 September 2026.

Interview date: 1 October 2026.

West Suffolk Council has been rated in the top 10 district councils for climate action (Climate Scorecards 2023) and as a member of UK100 has demonstrated its commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. The council has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2039.