Procurement and Contract Services Portfolio Manager

at  Scottish Government

National Records of Scotland (NRS) is Scotland’s record keeper. Our purpose is to collect, preserve and produce information about Scotland’s people and history and make it available to inform current and future generations.
The post holder will work to the NRS Chief Purchasing/Procurement Officer (CPPO) and will in the future likely have line management of a Senior Procurement Specialist, but where requested will provide advice and support to the Senior Procurement Specialists, Procurement Specialist and 4 Procurement Officers managed by the Deputy Chief Purchasing/Procurement Officer.
This post qualifies for the Procurement supplement, currently £4,250 pro rata. Pay supplements are temporary payments designed to address recruitment and retention issues caused by market. For staff not currently in receipt of the allowance it is payable after successful completion of the qualifying period, normally 9 months. Pay supplements are subject to regular review.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement and manage professional procurement and contract services for NRS on specified projects and programmes, in particular leading our procurement strategy for the future of population statistics programme and other projects directed by the CPPO, policy, delivery and implementation of strategic contract management methodologies, to ensure good governance and compliance with audit and legislative requirements, application of best practice and a focus on value for money optimisation and risk management.
• Manage high risk/value procurements and the procurement operations on allocated programmes/projects ensuring commodity strategies/reporting requirements comply with Scottish Procurement Regulations, as directed by and on behalf of the Chief Purchasing/Procurement Officer, to monitor procurement resource allocations on those programmes/projects ensuring business delivery timescales are met.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders and contractors ensuring systems and services are delivered on time, within budget and to high quality standards. Provide expert internal advice on all aspects of Procurement, Contracting and Commercials.
• Lead on allocated work streams to progress procurement policies in accordance with Procurement legislation as directed by the Chief Purchasing/ Procurement Officer to ensure they are fully implemented.
• Managing, monitoring, recording and reporting benefits delivered through the procurement and contract management process on the allocated projects/programmes. Contributing to the preparation of the Annual Procurement Reports and revisions to the NRS Procurement Strategy, successful NRS management of risk, quality, delivery, forecasting and budget control, ensuring best value for money in whole life cost terms, instilling a commercial mind-set into buyers.
• Prepare bespoke contracts and agreements, and contract change control notes for contract variations, for complex and diverse service requirements to properly protect our organisation and to ensure risks are managed and mitigated.
• Lead responsibility on the programmes/projects allocated for any contractual issues including potential contractual breaches; determining or terminating contracts; and engaging appropriate legal advice where necessary. Working with the Commercial Contract Management Team on supplier performance reporting arrangements to track performance, deliverables, benefits, forecast and budget management, resource management and reporting to ensure best value for money in whole life cost terms.
• Collaborating with Information Governance team on the systems of control for the protection of NRS data and leading on the preparation of relevant and bespoke data processing and sharing agreements.