Interim Procurement and Contracts Manager, initially for  3 month post with likely extension

Summary of Role

• To manage the service team that provides procurement and contract management advice, guidance and support to procuring and contracting services of the Council.

Key Accountabilities

Service Delivery Accountabilities

• Manage a team of procurement professionals in the delivery of the Council’s Procurement Strategy
• Operate the Council’s Procurement Centre of Excellence
• Ensure best practice in procurement and contract management is adhered to across the Council.
• Provide technical assurance and develop internal standards, policies and procedures within the specialist/category area.
• Working collaboratively across the organisation to undertake the provision of guidance, advice, training and where required manage the hands-on support from the specialists to services within the Council
• Ensure the team is current with developments in legislation and best practice relevant to professional area, and develop proposals for organisational improvement as appropriate to level.
• Applying knowledge to lead projects around major procurements within the Council.
• Contribute to the development of corporate policy, strategy and plans including responding to legislative and guidance changes on procurement and contract management
• Working within statutory Council and Government guidelines and ensuring full statutory compliance in the delivery of the service.
• Ensure delivery and management of those corporate contracts under direct control of the Procurement Team.

Management

• Provide functional and/or operational leadership for senior procurement specialists ensuring the provision of professional services that meet customer needs.
• Acting as member of corporate project teams – providing specialist advice and input
• Contributing to strategy, performance and quality control, and service and financial planning for specialist area(s)
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation, Members and managing key relationships e.g. with members, partners, other stakeholders
• Assisting the development of, and ongoing operation of, the Procurement and Contracts Centre of Excellence promoting best practice across the organisation.
• Promotion of best practice in procurement and contract management across all services in the Council through issuance of guidance and training as required.
• Additional Corporate Responsibilities as well as supporting and developing others within specialist area.

Qualifications

• Relevant qualifications or equivalent experience in the specialist area
• Membership of relevant professional body
• Evidence of continuous personal and professional development

Technical Skills

• Good IT skills including office software such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel
• An understanding of large, complex and political organisations
• Well developed written and verbal communication skills with an ability to articulate strategic thinking
• Presentation skills, able to engage an audience
• Effective strategy and report writing skills, able to make recommendations for decision making .
• An understanding of the principles of project and programme management
• Ability to actively listen in order to extract and assess the important information, ask pertinent questions in order to seek clarification
• Able to interrogate & analyse data and information

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience in undertaking commissioning activities overseeing all elements of the commissioning cycle
• Experience of supporting the development and delivery of policies and strategies
• Knowledge and experience of the Category areas, and working in a political environment, with understanding of the issues for local authorities and service users
• Experience of working in a matrix management environment, where cross- team and cross-organisation working are essential
• Experience of delivering projects to achieve strategic goals and service improvements with evidence of success in achieving targets and managing performance
• Experience of writing effective briefings and strategic documents
• Experience of successfully resolving complex cases that require an element of judgement
• Well developed working knowledge of the political landscape, legislative frameworks, and regional and national drivers surrounding the area of specialism
• Experience of identifying, developing and delivery of opportunities for improving the service
• Experience of negotiating and influencing with external stakeholders in order to deliver strategic outcomes