Job Title: Procurement Manager (2 posts)

Salary range: £44,601- £45,947 (under review)

Grade: Assembly Grade 5

Directorate: Legal, Governance and Research

Business Area: Procurement Office

Accountable to: Head of Procurement Office

Accountable for: Clerical Supervisor

Job Purpose

The Assembly Commission employs a Secretariat to serve the Assembly. Procurement Managers work within the Procurement Office, which is part of the Legal, Governance and Research Directorate. The Procurement Office is responsible for the conduct of all procurement exercises over a value of £30k and it will be the main role of these post holders to lead these procurements. In addition, the Procurement Office develops policy and guidance in relation to procurement processes throughout the organisation and the post holders will be expected to support the development and monitoring of these.

Job Description:

Main duties and responsibilities of the job.

• To provide a high quality, effective and professional procurement service which delivers value for money solutions for the Assembly Commission;
• To deliver procurement services to a range of stakeholders;
• To assist the various business areas to define their operational needs as they relate to third party support (suppliers);
• To develop procurement and contract strategies in accordance with statutory and policy requirements (including the incorporation of sustainability aspects);
• To ensure that all practices, policies and procedures in the Procurement Office are compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations and to keep these under review;
• To lead staff to successfully deliver agreed objectives;
• To manage staff who report to this post;
• To ensure that there is an emphasis on continuous learning and development in the Procurement Office;
• To effectively manage resources to meet business objectives;
• To provide advice on public procurement policy and legislation;
• To be fully conversant and lead the utilisation of e-procurement technologies, in particular those systems deployed by the Assembly Commission i.e. e-sourcing and e-evaluation and interface with the purchase to pay systems;
• To contribute to the development, management and monitoring of the Assembly Commission’s procurement policies and procedures;
• To engage with relevant industry groups and representatives to improve market knowledge;
• To undertake the procurement advisor role in complex and strategic procurement projects working in conjunction with client teams and external advisors;
• To effectively manage corporate and project specific risks in accordance with best practice techniques;
• To provide support to Secretariat business areas to manage, monitor, evaluate and review contracts to ensure quality, value for money and compliance to contract terms and conditions;
• To support and assist the Head of Procurement in the provision of a contract management service ensuring compliance across the Secretariat including involvement in contract reviews where the contracts are managed by lead buying areas and subsequently manage debriefing;
• To support and assist the Head of Procurement in the engagement of external interests and potential contract / supplier organisations in procurement information seminars to alert them of forthcoming procurement exercises and the service requirements of the Secretariat business areas and subsequently ensuring a customer focus is maintained and Assembly Commission Customer Service Standards and Values are adhered to at all times;
• To develop and maintain regular and effective communication with clients, particularly via the procurement liaison officer role;
• To support and assist the Head of Procurement and the Director in ensuring the provision of Procurement Office assistance to internal stakeholders, to support the identification of the best method to meet the procurement need and advise and support Secretariat business areas on all aspects of procurement including business case development, specification writing, sourcing issues, competition protocols and risks and contract management;
• To support and assist the Head of Procurement in the provision of Procurement Office support for Secretariat business areas with contract risk management tools and provision of stewardship statements in compliance with best procurement practice to ensure probity, efficiency, value for money and compliance with the Assembly Commission’s legal obligations;
• To support and assist the Head of Procurement in relation to the duty to provide procurement related information and assurance to the Director of Legal, Governance and Research Services and to Secretariat Management Group (SMG) that all projects to develop, implement and monitor strategies are being managed, to the expected standards and targets;
• To support and provide assistance in overseeing the management of financial, manpower and IT requirements of the Procurement Office to maintain continuous improvement of service levels and standards including determining, bidding, controlling and evaluating effective use of Assembly Commission resources;
• To develop process mapping to provide key process guidance;
• To provide support to the Head of Procurement in the interface between the Assembly Commission and external customers through provision of information including Assembly Questions and Freedom of Information requests in relation to procurement services;
• To encourage and maintain professional membership of The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and attend as required by the Head of Procurement, the NI Public Procurement Practitioners Group, and Parliamentary Procurement Forum;
• To comply with the Assembly Commission’s Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures; and
• To carry out such other duties as the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.

Essential Criteria:

1. Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) and at least 2 years’ experience in each of the areas detailed at (a) – (d). Applications will also be considered from applicants who have membership of accredited procurement organisations considered to be equivalent to MCIPS.

OR

2. At least 4 years’ experience in each of the areas detailed at (a) – (d).

The experience specified above at 1 and 2 must be in the following areas:

(a) Successfully leading and managing procurement exercises with individual values greater than £100,000 which were conducted under Public Procurement Regulations.

(b) Business case and specification development in professional support, understanding and defining of a client’s needs. This should include advising clients, at a senior level* within an organisation, on business cases, specifications, procurement strategies and risk management.

(c) Managing and prioritising a diverse workload including the use of technologies.

(d) Managing, developing and motivating staff to ensure effective service delivery and specific outcomes.

AND

3. A thorough knowledge and understanding of the relevant law, regulations and guidance relating to procurement e.g. Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and evidence of providing advice on these at a senior level* within an organisation.

Please note the successful applicant will be required to achieve Membership of CIPS within 18 months of appointment.

Shortlisting Criteria:

Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:

Demonstrable experience of procurement policy development, implementation, monitoring and review.

*Senior level is defined as a Project Board,Director, Head of Business, NICS Grade 7 or company board member or equivalent.

Skills & Behaviours:

The following Assembly Skills and Behaviours will be assessed during the selection process:

Delivering a quality service

…is about providing a high-quality and efficient service to our customers. It is thinking ahead, managing resources effectively and delivering work on time and to a high standard. It is also using professional or technical expertise to enhance service delivery.  

Building relationships and effective communication

…is creating and maintaining positive, professional and respectful internal and external working relationships through effective and appropriate communications.

Initiating improvement and delivering change

…is looking for and being open to new and innovative ideas and improvements to the service provided. It is being flexible and adapting positively and professionally to sustain performance when the situation changes, workloads increase or priorities change. It is about forming sound, evidence-based decisions and being accountable for results.

Managing & Leading Self and Others

… is setting high standards for ourselves. It is about guiding, motivating and developing others to achieve high performance. It is about engaging others in delivering a corporate vision of excellence, expertise and innovation in support of the Assembly as a legislature.