Procurement Assistant

**About The Role**
The Procurement Assistant will play a key role in supporting the development of Vivergo’s supplier relationships to drive improved performance and reduce costs. The incumbent will assist with the co-ordination of Vivergo’s Chemicals contracts and additionally be responsible for obtaining quotes and identifying opportunities to make tactical purchases and/or award low value business to underpin Vivergo’s procurement strategy.

**Key responsibilities**

The Procurement Assistant will be responsible for supporting the procurement department with tenders, sourcing plans, supplier audits, and managing supplier relationships for one or more categories. Other key accountabilities include:

- Tactical consideration of low value purchases and contracts.
- Developing additional improvements for existing contracts to secure better value and to ensure delivery on time, and in full.
- Observing the sourcing, negotiating, supplier management, executing purchases & contracts, and supporting as and where required.
- Support the department in embedding the procurement strategy with the emphasis on implementing and promoting policies & procedures.
- Maintain and monitor the approved supplier lists and support the category lead with supplier audits.
- Maintain and monitor the contracts register.
- Maintain strong working relationships with Vivergo suppliers.
- Review purchasing agreements with suppliers and maintain open lines of communications with those suppliers
- Develop an active process for measuring supply inventory and determining purchasing needs based on quarterly and annual numbers
- Stay up to date with industry trends and establish long-term purchasing arrangements with suppliers when it is beneficial to the company
- Compare product deliveries with issued purchase orders and contact suppliers when there are discrepancies

**About You**

**Knowledge - skills and experience required**
- Experience of identifying procurement strategies and business change by understanding the market position.
- Ability to develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders, tactfully challenge the status quo.
- Contract Management experience. (Desirable)
- Experience of competitive bidding, contract negotiation, execution and management (Desirable).
- Excellent Team player in multi-functional teams (Essential).
- Confidence in negotiating with contract terms and conditions and involving external legal support when required (Desirable).
- Educated to degree level or equivalent and willing to undertake CIPS qualifications.

**Personal attributes**
- Results-focused: The ability and drive for achieving and surpassing targets against an internal or external standard of excellence. This is about showing a passion for improving the delivery of services with a commitment to continuous improvement in Vivergo’s procurement process.
- Professionalism: The ability to think carefully about the likely effects on others of your words, actions and behaviour. Ability to select words and actions most likely to have the desired effect.
- Analytical skills: The ability to visualise, articulate, and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems and concepts and make decisions that make sense based on all available information. Particularly important in the selection of suppliers.
- Relationship management: The ability to leverage interpersonal skills to establish rapport and develop relationships with all key stakeholders: suppliers, customers & colleagues.

**About Us**
Vivergo Fuels Ltd is part of the AB Sugar group of companies within ABF.

The business operates a world scale wheat to bioethanol & animal feed plant which is based on the Saltend Chemicals complex in Hull.

Location: S039 Saltend, Kingston upon Hull HU12

**Salary**: £26,000.00-£32,000.00 per year