Strategic Procurement Officer

Buckinghamshire-Council; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on Cafés, restaurants, shops

Costco membership

Gym memberships

Travel discounts with Arriva

Generous Pension Scheme

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a Strategic Procurement Officer to support commissioning and procurement across the organisation. You will work with commissioners and service teams to deliver compliant, commercially focused solutions aligned with operational needs and strategic objectives.

You will influence procurement from early planning through to contract award, while supporting social value initiatives and sustainable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Candidates have a degree level qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience in procurement/commissioning and familiarity with procurement legislation preferred.
• Experience with eSourcing and contract management systems is beneficial.
• Strong planning, organisation and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement exercises for goods, works and services in line with regulations and best practice.
• Develop specifications, procurement plans and category management approaches with stakeholders.
• Conduct market engagement and gather intelligence to inform decisions.
• Support delivery of social value, sustainability and risk management across projects.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Organisation

Communication

Analytical thinking

Education

Degree level education

CIPS Level 4 or equivalent

Tools

eSourcing platforms

Contract management systems

Job description

Looking for a role where you can make a real impact behind the scenes? Join our Commercial & Procurement team and help shape how essential goods, services and works are delivered across the Council.

As a Strategic Procurement Officer, you'll play a key role in delivering procurement projects that drive value for money, support sustainable outcomes and create positive social value for our communities. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a wide range of stakeholders, influence key decisions and contribute to projects that make a difference every day.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

About the role

As a Strategic Procurement Officer, you'll support the commissioning and procurement of a diverse range of goods, works and services across the organisation. Working closely with commissioners, service teams and stakeholders, you'll help deliver compliant, effective and commercially focused procurement solutions that meet both operational needs and strategic objectives.

This is a varied and rewarding role that offers the opportunity to work on multiple procurement projects, build strong relationships across different service areas and contribute to innovative approaches that deliver value for residents. You'll have the chance to influence procurement activity from the early planning stages through to contract award, while supporting social value initiatives and sustainable outcomes.

You'll be part of a professional and collaborative team, helping to ensure procurement activities are delivered in line with legislation, best practice and organisational priorities. No two days are quite the same, making this a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys variety, problem-solving and working with people.

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• Managing procurement exercises for goods, works and services in line with procurement regulations and best practice.
• Working with stakeholders to develop specifications, procurement plans and category management approaches.
• Conducting market engagement activities and gathering market intelligence to inform procurement decisions.
• Supporting the delivery of social value, sustainability and risk management objectives across procurement projects.

For a full list of responsibilities, please refer to the Job Description.

Any-Desk:

As an 'any-desk' worker, you'll need a desk, screen a keyboard to get your job done. You'll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We're looking for someone who is commercially minded, organised and passionate about delivering great outcomes. You'll be a confident communicator who enjoys building positive relationships and working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders. Equally, you'll be comfortable challenging constructively, analysing information and finding practical solutions to complex problems.

You'll bring relevant procurement or commissioning experience, alongside a strong understanding of procurement legislation and best practice. Experience of managing procurement projects, developing tender documentation and working within a regulated environment would be particularly valuable. We're also looking for someone with excellent planning and organisational skills, the ability to manage competing priorities and a commitment to delivering high-quality services.

Ideally, you'll be educated to degree level (or hold equivalent experience) and will either possess or be working towards a relevant professional qualification such as CIPS Level 4 or equivalent. Experience of eSourcing and contract management systems would also be beneficial.

Most importantly, you'll share our values, take pride in your work, embrace opportunities to learn and improve, and enjoy working collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for our organisation and communities.

Why Join Us?

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your procurement career within a supportive environment where your work will have a genuine impact. You'll gain exposure to a broad range of projects, work with experienced professionals and help deliver services that matter to local communities.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.