Procurement Specialist

ECL Person-centred Care; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

55p paid per mile tax-free

Up to 32 days annual leave a year

Fully paid induction and training

Career development opportunities with\

Job summary

ECL Person-centred Care in Chelmsford is seeking an experienced Procurement Specialist to lead end-to-end procurement, drive strategic sourcing, and build strong supplier partnerships. The role is permanent, based at head office with hybrid remote options across Essex.

You will deliver compliant processes, provide expert guidance to stakeholders, and pursue value for money and sustainable outcomes.

Qualifications

• CIPS Level 4 or equivalent centralised procurement experience.
• Knowledge of procurement law.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement and tendering activities for goods, works, and services.
• Produce high-quality procurement documentation to support tender evaluations and award recommendations.
• Conduct market research and benchmarking to identify opportunities, drive innovation, and inform category strategies.
• Provide expert guidance and up-to-date procurement advice to colleagues, managers, and suppliers.
• Develop strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure effective contract and supplier management.
• Support the delivery of category plans and procurement strategies that align with organisational priorities and objectives.
• Ensure all procurement activities are compliant with relevant legislation, regulations, and organisational policies.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Excel

Education

CIPS Level 4 or equivalent

Knowledge of procurement law

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Salary: £40,000 - £47,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Location: The role is primarily based at ECL Head Office in Chelmsford but will work remotely (hybrid) including working flexibly across other ECL sites in Essex as and when required.

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Are you an experienced procurement professional with a passion for delivering value, driving strategic sourcing, and building strong supplier partnerships?

We are looking for a proactive and commercially minded Procurement Specialist to join our team.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering a consistent, strategic approach to procurement across the organisation. You will contribute to achieving excellent commercial outcomes while ensuring robust systems, processes, and governance are in place to support business objectives.

As a key member of the team, you will work collaboratively with stakeholders across the organisation, providing expert procurement advice and leading procurement activities that deliver quality, value for money, and sustainable outcomes.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading end-to-end procurement and tendering activities for goods, works, and services.
• Producing high-quality procurement documentation to support tender evaluations and award recommendations.
• Conducting market research and benchmarking to identify opportunities, drive innovation, and inform category strategies.
• Providing expert guidance and up-to-date procurement advice to colleagues, managers, and suppliers.
• Developing strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure effective contract and supplier management.
• Supporting the delivery of category plans and procurement strategies that align with organisational priorities and objectives.
• Ensuring all procurement activities are compliant with relevant legislation, regulations, and organisational policies.

To be considered as a Procurement Specialist, you need:

Key Skills and Competence

• Supportive of change, showing flexibility and reliability at all times.
• Strong negotiation, communication, analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Work collaboratively across structural boundaries as part of cross functional teams, and in support of key functional outputs.
• Detail-oriented and be able to build strong relationships with both internally and with external suppliers.
• High level competence in Microsoft excel and other office packages.

Education and qualification

• Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) minimum Level 4 or equivalent knowledge and experience in a centralised procurement environment preferably within the public sector.
• Knowledge of procurement law.

Skills and Experience (all essential)

• Commercially focused with a keen eye for detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organisational, time management and communication skills (both verbal and written).

What we can offer you as a Procurement Specialist:

• 55p paid per mile tax-free
• Up to 32 days annual leave a year (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Fully paid induction and training with ongoing support
• Career development opportunities with access to paid for qualifications
• Annual salary reviews
• Annual performance-related bonus
• Enhanced DBS and renewals paid for by ECL
• Company pension - Enhanced contributory NEST scheme - we contribute up to 6%
• Healthcare support scheme via Healthshield paid for by ECL
• Employee Loyalty Scheme with long service awards
• Enhanced employee referral program - earn up to £350 for referring a friend
• Access to Blue Light Card
• Mental health first aiders in every service
• Reimbursement of professional membership related to your role