Senior Procurement Manager

Medr; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector organisation in Wales is seeking a senior procurement professional to deliver a high-quality procurement service. In this role, you will manage procurement processes, engage with stakeholders, and ensure compliance with procurement regulations. Ideal candidates will have significant procurement experience and be MCIPS qualified. The position offers a salary of £47,519 plus benefits including a civil service pension and a work-life balance environment.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Cycle to Work Scheme

Diversity and inclusion culture

Qualifications

• Significant knowledge and experience in procurement under legislative constraints.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Line management experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage high value/high risk procurement processes.
• Interact with stakeholders to build strategic relationships.
• Provide support on procurement policy and contract management.

Skills

Procurement management

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Risk management

Education

MCIPS qualified

Tools

e-procurement tools

Job description

Overview

We are an arm’s length body of the Welsh Government, responsible for the strategy, funding and oversight of: further education; higher education including research and innovation; apprenticeships; adult community learning; and local authority maintained school sixth forms. We work in close collaboration with our partners to enable a tertiary education and research system which is centred around the needs of learners; society; and economy with excellence, equality and engagement at its heart.

Our values matter to us and help shape the culture of our organisation:

• Dysgu (to learn; to teach; to educate) — learning is at the heart of everything we do. We believe curiosity fuels innovation and helps expand our horizons.
• Cydweithio (to work together; to collaborate; to co-operate) — we can achieve far more together than we ever could alone.
• Cynnwys Pawb (to include everyone; to involve everyone) — we are passionate about inclusion, seeking to create the right conditions for everyone to achieve their full potential.
• Rhagori (to exceed; to excel) — we have high aspirations for tertiary education and research in Wales and always set high standards for ourselves to be the best we can be.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and accredited as a Living Wage employer.

Location

Our headquarters is in 2, Capital Quarter, Cardiff, designed to meet our needs. This is where most colleagues will meet to collaborate, both with each other and with stakeholders. We operate across Wales and have limited office space in Welsh Government offices in Llandudno Junction, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.

Main Purpose of the job

Medr is seeking to recruit a senior procurement professional to join its Procurement team. You will deliver a high quality and professional procurement service, obtaining the best value for money for the public funds entrusted to us.

Working closely with colleagues across Medr, you will deliver procurement solutions to enable everyone to successfully achieve our objectives and contribute to the development of a strong tertiary education sector in Wales. You will manage the procurement process to ensure Medr is compliant with current and new procurement regulations in Wales, the UK and internationally. You will drive forward Medr’s procurement policies and strategies so they reflect best practice, are sustainable and are embedded across the organisation.

What you'll be doing

• Manage procurement processes, including high value/high risk procurements, setting and agreeing tender strategies, supplier engagement, developing specifications and terms & conditions, tender evaluation, contract award, and handling contractual changes, with clear approval mechanisms to demonstrate value for money.
• Interact with internal and external stakeholders at all levels to build strategic relationships.
• Provide advice, support and guidance on procurement policy, procedures, requirements and contract management.
• Deputise for the Head of Procurement and contribute to the collective development of the procurement team.
• Line management of the procurement manager.
• Identify and manage/mitigate risks throughout the procurement and contract life cycle.
• Utilise and develop e-procurement sourcing tools.
• Provide analysis of finance/procurement data to aid strategic and senior decision making.
• Help develop and implement a revised procurement strategy, policy and procedures aligned with Welsh Government and UK-wide changes; work with stakeholders to implement changes efficiently.
• Support ongoing development of procurement policy, processes and systems, including e-procurement tools; communicate policies to staff, suppliers and stakeholders.
• Maintain continued professional knowledge in procurement, paying attention to new public sector procurement legislation and applying it to Medr’s activities.

Key Challenges

• Maintaining attention to detail in a changing environment due to new procurement legislation in the UK and Wales.
• Challenging conclusions while maintaining effective relationships with staff, suppliers and stakeholders.
• Leading high value/high risk projects and producing reports/data independently while keeping stakeholders informed.
• Leading procurement knowledge transfer, support, guidance and training effectively and timely.
• Managing expectations of internal and external stakeholders while building strategic relationships.

About your team

The procurement team sits within the Procurement, Payroll and Finance section, managed by the Head of Procurement and supported by two senior procurement managers (one of whom is this post) and a procurement manager. This is an exciting time to join as we roll out new procurement policies and procedures and address new challenges.

Your Line Manager

Karen Wolliner, Head of Procurement. Karen has worked in public sector procurement for more than thirty years and is a Fellow and Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Purchase and Supply. She has experience in local government and education since 2001 and emphasises safeguarding the public purse and achieving value for money.

Person specification

What you'll bring

Attributes

• Act with Integrity — You consistently act in the best interest of the organisation and its stakeholders and take responsibility for your decisions.
• Agile — You drive improvements through collaboration, embrace new technologies and foster continuous learning.
• Drive — You lead by example with dedication and resilience.
• Motivate — You set ambitious goals and inspire others to strive for excellence and continuous improvement.

Experience

• Significant knowledge and experience of working in procurement, with ability to operate under legislative constraints. Clear and concise information delivery and risk identification with mitigations.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills, ability to work with staff at all levels and with external stakeholders and suppliers; data-driven to drive improvements.
• Line management experience.

Welsh Language Requirements

Welsh language requirements for this post are Desirable; this means Welsh language skills are useful but not an assessment criterion and not having them will not disadvantage you in recruitment.

Qualifications

MCIPS qualified

Benefits

Salary: £47,519 plus £13,766 employer contribution to Civil Service Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 33 days annual leave a year (pro rata)
• Work-life balance environment
• Diversity and inclusion culture
• Dedicated well-being time each week
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Additional Support

• Employee assistance programme with remote and in-person support
• Special leave policy for difficult times

More than just a workplace

• 5 days paid leave per year to undertake voluntary work
• Opportunities to grow networks across Wales, the UK and internationally
• Active social committee with flexible participation

Personal and professional development

• Onboarding and personalised development plans
• Career conversations and clear development objectives
• Support for Welsh language learning

Selection process details

We assess attributes at sift and interview. To apply, please submit via Civil Service Jobs. The attributes assessed include:

• Agile, Drive, Motivate, Experience as described above.

We will not accept late applications, incomplete information, or personal statements over 1,250 words. The deadline is Sunday 5 October. Applications may be made in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than English submissions.

All applications will be notified of outcomes via Civil Service Jobs. An online exercise will be used to assess behavioural and personality preferences, followed by an interview on Thursday 23 October. Additional attributes will be assessed at interview.

We welcome person-centred adjustments; please contact s.rstripmedr[at]medr.cymru (replace with proper contact in official channels).

Next steps: a virtual information session on Wednesday 24 September at 14:30 via Microsoft Teams. To attend, register by emailing [e-mail]. Feedback will be provided after interview or assessment.

Security and nationality

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Nationality requirements apply; details are provided in the posting. We encourage applications from UK nationals, Irish nationals, Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, and eligible EU/EEA/nationalities and family members as applicable to the Civil Service.

Working for the Civil Service: The Civil Service Code sets out standards of behaviour. We recruit on merit and uphold equal opportunities; Disability Confident Scheme is available for candidates with disabilities.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining and investing in talent from all backgrounds. See the Civil Service People Plan and Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.