R2R103262 - Senior Procurement Advisor

at  South End City Council

Your New Organisation:
Southend on Sea City Council is a Unitary local authority, providing vital services to meet the needs of the local community. We employ around 1,800 staff who are working alongside our partners and local communities to deliver the city vision and make lives better for the people of Southend.
Working for Southend on Sea City Council offers a challenging and rewarding career in local government within a collaborative and innovate environment, with the benefit of flexible working practices to support a positive work life balance. As a Unitary Authority we are responsible for all local government functions ranging from social services, transport, public health and parks through to planning, trading standards, community safety and education, so we offer a wide range of career opportunities. The diversity of our economy and communities and investment in a number of exciting regeneration projects makes our Council a great place to work, learn and make a difference.
Your new role:
Southend on Sea City Council is seeking a Senior Procurement Advisor to join the Procurement team on a full time, permanent basis. This role is offered on a hybrid basis, combining remote working with occasional office visit. As a Senior Procurement Advisor, you will be responsible for the strategic Procurement lifecycle for People (Adults & Childrens), Public Health, Communities and Environment & Place Directorates. You will regularly audit, monitor and measure the team’s performance to ensure they comply with the councils contract procedure rules, procurement toolkit (including utilising procurement systems), UK Public Procurement Regulations and any wider council policies.

You will also supervise, organise, line manage and coach a team of procurement advisors to:

• Collaborate with Corporate Directors and Heads of Service to deliver procurement and contract management requirements.
• Provide professional and proactive expert procurement advice, together with excellent customer service to internal and external customers.
• Delivering planned and unplanned procurements in accordance with the councils contract procedure rules, procurement strategy, procurement toolkit (including utilising procurement systems), UK Public Contract Regulations and any other Council policies.
• Deliver the annual procurement plan (agreed by cabinet) and organising contract management responsibilities
• Implement robust commercial and contractual terms in the best interests of the council 6. Deliver agreed savings targets
• Work in partnership with contract managers to performance manage contracts over a certain threshold by ensuring a regular review meetings actioned

WHILE THE ROLE IS PRIMARILY REMOTE, YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO ATTEND MONTHLY TEAM MEETINGS IN SOUTHEND. WE MAINTAIN A SUPPORTIVE AND INCLUSIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT, WITH FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS TO HELP YOU BALANCE YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE. OUR TEAM CHARTER GUIDES OUR COLLABORATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE WORK CULTURE.

What you’ll need to succeed:
To be successful in this role, it is essential that you have extensive knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023, Provider Selection Regime & Public Contract Regulations 2015. It is essential that you have good understanding of public sector / local government procurement, wider regional / national public procurement and commercial world.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE YOU MUST:

• Be a Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or working towards or appropriate professional institute or relevant experience
• Have Project and Programme Management (Prince 2 methodology desirable)
  What you’ll get in return:
  When joining the council, you can enjoy a range of benefits including: 25 days annual leave, flexible working and excellent training and development opportunities. They are committed to ensuring that you are supported in this varied and challenging role with the appropriate level of training. A full list of benefits provided by Southend Council can be viewed on the “Why Work For Us?” tab.
  What you need to do now:
  If you are interested in this role, please click ‘apply online’ to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.
  If you would like a copy of the Job Description please click here
  Please note: Applications for this vacancy may close prior to the date advertised above so you are advised to apply as soon as you are able to.
  The Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications, regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, age or religion or belief.