Procurement Officer

UK Research and Innovation; Daresbury; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension

30 days annual leave + public holidays

Employee discounts and offers

Job summary

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is seeking a Procurement Officer at Harwell, Oxfordshire, on a 12-month fixed-term contract. The role supports a wide range of procurement projects across R&D, professional services, and data/tech, with hybrid working and a minimum in-office presence of two days per week.

You will lead tender processes, advise on contracts, and help shape commercial strategy while developing your own procurement expertise in a supportive team.

Qualifications

• Experience in a commercial role in a regulated environment.
• Experience using IT systems in a commercial role.
• Experience updating and keeping organised records.
• Clear written English for accurately drafting contracts.
• Understand the context and meaning of terms and conditions.
• Be customer focused and able to handle stakeholder questions.

Responsibilities

• Draft and publish tender documents compliant with public sector regulations.
• Maintain contract folders with a clear audit trail.
• Undertake procurement sourcing/ contracting actions per policy.
• Provide advice to the shared service centre when needed.
• Support managers in tender evaluation moderation meetings.
• Assist end-users with procurement tasks of varying value and complexity.

Skills

MCIPS Qualified

Regulated environment

IT systems in commercial role

Record keeping

Contract drafting

Stakeholder management

Job description

Job Description

UK Research & Innovation

Salary: £37,841 per annum, plus £2,500 Specialist Allowance if MCIPS qualified

Band: UKRI Band D

Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 Months)

Hours: Full-time (Flexible working available)

Location: Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire - Hybrid working available (Min 2 days per week in the office)

Closing Date: 25th August 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 14th September 2026

Job Overview:

UK Research & Innovation has a mission to build a thriving, inclusive research and innovation system that connects discovery to prosperity and public good. An important part of this mission is procuring the goods, services, and partners critical to achieving these aims. If you are interested in contributing and helping to shape the UK's world class research and innovation system to benefit lives, then UKRI has an exciting opportunity for a procurement professional to join the team supporting UKRI in all its procurement activities!

As a Procurement Officer, you will be joining an established, supportive team and will be involved in a wide variety of projects ranging from Research & Development, Professional Services, and Data and Technology. You will have the opportunity to shape commercial strategy, develop your own skills & experience, and contribute to projects that may have wide-ranging positive impacts for all.

About the role

UKRI are recruiting a Procurement Officer based at Harwell, Oxfordshire. This role is supporting world class cutting-edge scientific research at the UK's leading research campus.

Key Responsibilities:

Procurement Officer, working with and reporting to Procurement Managers, support research staff on all their complex procurement projects. Procurement Officers play a key part in ensuring that procurements are run in the correct manner and that our organisation obtains maximum benefit.

This Procurement Officer role will add to the wider, decentralised UKRI team. The role will be responsible to:

• Draft and Publish Tender Documents compliant with UK Public Sector Procurement Regulations.
• Maintaining Contract folders in a regulated environment with clear audit trail.
• Undertake multiple procurement sourcing/contracting actions as required using the most appropriate route to market in line with UKRI Procurement Policy.
• Provide advice when requirement must be directed to the shared service centre.
• Support Procurement Managers in Tender Evaluation Moderation Meetings.
• Provide local expertise and support to end-users to undertake a range of procurement tasks (varying in both value and complexity) including sourcing and contracting.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Qualifications

• MCIPS Qualified or relevant experience or willingness to work towards MCIPS (S).

Essential

• Experience of working in a commercial role in an organisation in a regulated environment, working to standard operating procedures (S).
• Experience of using IT systems in a commercial role (S).
• Experience of updating and keeping organised records (S&I).
• Clear written English for accurately drafting contracts (S).
• Understand the context and meaning of terms and conditions (S).
• Be customer focused, able to deal with key stakeholder questions and queries (S&I).
• Willingness to adopt new practices in a changing regulatory environment (I).
• Accountable and forthcoming in communication to solve problems as a team (I).

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning.

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options

Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance.

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [e-mail].

About Us

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.