Purchasing Officer

Oldham Council; Chadderton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

LGPS pension scheme

Discounted gym membership

Staff discount scheme

Salary sacrifice for home/electronics

Cycle to Work

Wellbeing support

Staff recognition

Peer support groups

Job summary

Oldham Council is seeking a Purchasing Officer to support Children’s Social Care services by managing day-to-day financial and purchasing activities. You will set up and monitor budgets, analyse data and ensure accurate payments while contributing to service improvement.

The role emphasizes care for accuracy, timely payments, and data reporting, with a focus on safeguarding and collaborative working within a committed team.

Qualifications

• Analytical and research skills to gather and collate information from a range of sources and make recommendations to aid decision making
• Excellent ICT skills to be able to word process and use electronic recording systems to keep payments recording up to date, and to run payment cycles and produce statistical reports and analysis
• Organisational skills to prioritise own work, working under pressure to potentially conflicting deadlines, whilst maintaining quality and performance standards
• Experience of working in a financial role.
• Ability to maintain clear and accurate financial and audit records.

Responsibilities

• Administrate and deliver the day to day financial and purchasing function for Children’s Social Care services.
• Set up, maintain and monitor a range of financial and budget information, analysing statistical and financial data.
• Undertake standard checks and means testing to ensure that the right people are receiving the correct amounts of money
• Conduct regular quality checks on financial payments in line with procedures.
• Reconcile and track invoices are paid in a timely manner.
• Run data reports, and identify, analyse and correct errors.
• Co-ordinate and minute finance decision making panels.

Job description

Purchasing Officer

Ref: 001619

Contract Type: Fixed Term (18 Months)

Salary: £31,537 - £34,434 p.a.

Hours per week: 36.66

Location: Oldham Council Offices, Spindles Shopping Centre, Oldham, OL1 1HD

Closing date: Sunday 6th September 2026

Hiring manager contact details: Janette Molloy, Business Services Manager, [e-mail]

Role overview

This is an exciting time to join Children’s Services in Oldham. We’re looking for a committed and motivated person to provide high quality professional support to frontline children’s social workers and managers to help families keep children safe. If you’re looking to make a real difference, Children’s Social Care Services are looking for people like you,, to provide effective and comprehensive Purchasing Officer , ensuring service financial support needs are met efficiently and effectively and contributing to continuous service improvement.

If you join us, we will ensure that you have everything needed to do your job well and support you to progress in your career. We have a loyal, supportive, and enthusiastic workforce who will give you a very warm welcome.

Key responsibilities

• Administrate and deliver the day to day financial and purchasing function for Children’s Social Care services.
• Set up, maintain and monitor a range of financial and budget information, analysing statistical and financial data.
• Undertake standard checks and means testing to ensure that the right people are receiving the correct amounts of money
• Conduct regular quality checks on financial payments in line with procedures.
• Reconcile and track invoices are paid in a timely manner.
• Run data reports, and identify, analyse and correct errors.
• Co-ordinate and minute finance decision making panels.

Key requirements

To succeed in this role, you will be able to:

• Analytical and research skills to gather and collate information from a range of sources and make recommendations to aid decision making
• Excellent ICT skills to be able to word process and use electronic recording systems to keep payments recording up to date, and to run payment cycles and produce statistical reports and analysis
• Organisational skills to prioritise own work, working under pressure to potentially conflicting deadlines, whilst maintaining quality and performance standards
• Experience of working in a financial role.
• Ability to maintain clear and accurate financial and audit records.

About us

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our values and behaviours

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘Proud, Ambitious, and Together’, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:

• Work with a resident focus
• Support local leaders
• Committed to the borough
• Delivery high performance
• Take ownership and drive change

You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page

Our benefits package

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

• 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
• The option to purchase additional annual leave.
• An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
• Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
• Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
• Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
• Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
• Staff recognition and celebration events.
• Peer support groups

Inclusive recruitment

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you have lived or worked abroad for 3 months or more in the last 5 years or 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years whilst aged 18 or over, please refer to the link below for details for how to obtain your Certificates of Good Character. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer, someone who has served in the Armed Forces, or you’ve participated in the GM Elevate Programme, and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under ourGuaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and privacy

For details of how we use your data please see our Privacy Notice

Important information

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

Right to Work in the UK from 1st July 2021.doc

Supporting Documents

Job Description & Person Specification

Right To Work