Procurement Specialist,

**_Do you have strong negotiation and influencing skills?_**

**_Are you able to deliver fully auditable savings as per targets within your area of responsibility?_**

If you answered yes to both of these questions, this role could be perfect for you

Our Procurement department are looking for someone to join their team as a Procurement Specialist.

Salary £29,330, full time/part time welcome, working in a hybrid capacity at one of our three sites in Swindon, Newport & Billingham.

Purpose: Provide specialist advice to customers and colleagues at a professional level with support and guidance from SME’s.

**Key responsibilities will include**:

- Ensuring that the defined best practice procurement processes and policies are followed to deliver maximum use of UK SBS systems and processes and optimise savings opportunities.
- Communicate with operational organisation to keep them appraised of relevant information and progress with projects.
- Monitor supplier performance and help in the design, implement, and manage necessary supplier continuous improvement programmes.
- Analyse expenditure and market data to identify opportunities for improvements in dealings with suppliers, quality improvements and/or cost savings.
- Support the Category Manager with cross-functional project teams in the planning and implementation of procurement initiatives through partner and supplier forums, ensuring involvement of all interested parties in key decisions concerning procurement.
- Delivery of procurement initiatives sourcing a range of products/services.
- Maintain accurate and up to date records of documentation concerning contractual agreements and supplier communications within area of responsibility and in accordance with Government guidelines and legislation.
- Operate within a category management structure.
- Deliver fully auditable savings as per targets within your area of responsibility.
- Develop close co-operative relationships with internal partners to: leverage their expertise, understand local market conditions, support their specific aims and objectives, and deliver value adding services and agreements.
- Complete e-sourcing activities.
- Support the Category Manager with any ad-hoc and strategic activities.
- Gather and analyse internal and external data relating to procurement activity across the supplier base to gain an understanding of purchasing trends and spend profiles to inform category strategy.
- Identify opportunities for improvement in procurement processes and supplier dealings to deliver cost savings and service enhancements. Assist the Category Manager with Category leadership activities.
- Independently prepare pre-tender and tender documents, following this through the full procurement sourcing life cycle.

**Skills/Experience**:
**_Essential:_**
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
- Experience of building and maintaining good stakeholder relationships with a wide range of internal and external clients.
- Ability to manipulate and analyse data using appropriate tools.
- Substantial experience of Outlook and Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Excel, Word) and can demonstrate using Excel for analytical purposes.
- Experience of managing and running medium value procurement projects from initial customer engagement through to selection and award of contract.
- Demonstrable experience in the preparation and management of tenders and contracts.
- Experience in the use of e-Procurement Tools, purchasing platforms, market Intelligence, supplier performance and spend data to inform and drive Category strategies.
- Previous experience of supporting a Category Manager (or similar role) in the delivery of best practice procurement, ensuring processes and policies are followed, the use of eProcurement systems and processes to optimise savings opportunities.
- Ability to interpret information to place short
- and medium-term procurement strategies with support from the Category Manager.
- Adopts and displays UK SBS core Values.

**_Desirable:_**
- Member of or working towards Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
- Previous procurement experience with a good understanding of EU Directives or similar.
- Knowledge and experience of procurement processes in the Public Sector.
- Managing continuous supplier management and improvement programme.
- Experience in or supporting contract management within area of spend.
- Experience of providing support in supplier management and development.

**General Role expectations**:

- Act as a point of contact for your specialism to provide complex advice and guidance through to resolution, with support from the Senior Specialist.
- Prioritise and manage own workload effectively, with support from Senior Specialist and SME.
- Develop professional relationships with stakeholders and colleagues to share and utilise information, advise and influence Senior Management Team.
- Work collaboratively on cross-team/pillar tasks and projects to achieve business objective.
- Proactively look for way to improve processes and contribute effectively to the business
- Responsible for improving own knowledge of specialism.
- Support the overall risk management and governance of your team(s) and the wider business.
- *The above list is not intended to be exhaustive, and you will be expected to be flexible and carry out other relevant duties (not specifically listed) as and when required to meet business needs. You will deliver your job aligned with UK SBS Values,Behaviours, Policies and Processes._