Lead Buyer

**What's involved**:
**Department**:
National Resourcing

**Salary**:
£35,000

Do you want to make a difference and be part of an organisation that has been helping save lives for more than a century? As one of the country’s best-loved charities, St John Ambulance is playing a vital role in responding to the pandemic as well as ‘everyday’ health emergencies, first aid training, supporting communities, and improving young people’s lives.

Reporting to the Head of Central Procurement, this is an exciting, newly created role and a fantastic opportunity to make the role your own whilst helping to steer the strategy and direction of the Procurement department. As part of a friendly and supportive team you will play a key and pivotal role to save St John Ambulance money by sourcing new products and services as well as tendering for new and existing national contract arrangements.

The role benefits from a competitive salary, generous pension, 33 days holiday (including bank holidays) this will be pro rata, training opportunities, options to buy and sell holiday, Blue Light and NHS discounts, life assurance, eye care and mental health, wellbeing tools and volunteering days. It will also provide opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do.

**This role is a fixed term contract for 6 months.**

**Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply)**

**About You**:

- You will already hold CIPS (Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply) level 4 or above.
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience of working within a Procurement function
- Experience within Medical supply chain and are demonstrable in building relationships with suppliers and holding them accountable
- Proven track record of negotiation pricing and driving cost savings
- It would be desirable that you had experience of writing tender documents
- Excellent interpersonal and negotiating skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels

**About the Role**:

- Manage the day-to-day sourcing requirements for goods and services required across several departments within the charity in relation to medical supplies to ensure best value for money and maximising savings potential
- For each tender, create a team of key stakeholders and cross functional representatives
- Carry out full end-to-end tender exercises on medical related products and services
- Ensure all goods and services are under contract, with service level agreements and key performance indicators put in place which can be measured, and suppliers held accountable
- Undertake supplier visits for audit inspection and evaluation where applicable

**About Us**:
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,700 employees and over 30,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.

St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately about equity, diversity and inclusion.