Procurement Category Manager - Req24855

Job title:Procurement Category Manager
Salary: £48,474.00 - £51,515.04
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Leeds
An excellent permanent opportunity has arisen for a Procurement Category Manager within one of the largest authorities in the country.
Procurement and Commercial Services (PACS) is a trusted internal provider at the heart of procurement and commercial activity within Leeds City Council. PACS is a forward-thinking multidisciplinary service, and our adaptable and outcomes focused staff continually develop innovative and market-leading practice to maximise outputs, add value and help achieve the council’s Best City Ambition.
About the Procurement Category Manager role:
As our next Procurement Category Manager for People Services, you will use the category management approach and provide services with industry insights, knowledge and expertise to help shape procurement activity in relation to Leeds City Council’s £1bn annual external spend.
This senior role will provide you with the opportunity to continue with your professional development within a large Commercial and Procurement team, leading on complex procurement projects and contributing to the development of leading practices.
This role will bring challenge, leadership, team working opportunities and is highly rewarding.
The successful Procurement Category Manager will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provide a professional advisory and management functions in respect of complex procurements across Children and Families, Adult and Health and Regional Projects.
• Support to the category management approach and transformation to ensure efficiencies and best outcomes.
• Provide leadership, support, and challenge to services to safeguard the council’s business plan.
• Provide leadership and management to the Procurement Category team

What we offer you:
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply:
To apply for the role please upload your CV and a personal statement of no more than 500 words to explain why you are suitable for the role.
Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Edwige Moutault, Senior Category Manager – People, Call 0113 3785894 or email Edwige.moutault@leeds.gov.uk.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job Purpose: 

Working as part of the management team, you will live and model values and behaviours to help us to achieve our ambition to become the best city council in the country. Your role will be important in ensuring the council is more enterprising and efficient and ensuring that the authority has in place proper arrangements for the administration and delivery of procurements and procurement projects. The role operates within the context of the Council’s Business Plan being achieved.
The post holder will be responsible for professional advisory and management functions in respect of complex high risk and high value procurements and procurement projects. Supporting very high complexity procurements, advising clients and ensuring compliance with procedures, process, current contractual arrangements and a range of statutory and regulatory undertakings. The role supports a category management approach and will consist of advising members and directorates on contracts procedure rules
The Procurement Category Manager will be able to demonstrate relevant skills and experience in the management of procurements and will be responsible for the management and monitoring of procurements and identified categories to reduce spend and achieve efficiencies.
Responsibilities for Grade: 

Provide leadership and management of a category team; identify, develop, manage and monitor procurements undertaken on a regional and inter-council basis.
Qualifications: 

Degree, CIPS qualification or relevant demonstrable skills or experience.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.
Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate.
1. Degree, CIPS qualification or relevant demonstrable skills or experience

2. Thorough understanding of public procurement law, UK and EU procurement legislation and the principles of contracts procedure rules, with an understanding of the strategic procurement issues facing the public sector

3. Knowledge and understanding of commercial organisations and markets

4. Experience of effectively managing complex procurements and supporting very high complexity procurements in a large organisation to achieve objectives

5. Experience of applying different strategies for solving complex procurement issues

6. Experience of reviewing and/or drafting systems and procedures to improve service delivery

7. Demonstrate drive, energy, resilience and self-management skills as well as integrity, openness and awareness of others

8. Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner using a variety of presentational formats

9. Experience of working in a multi-discipline environment

10. Experience of supporting and developing a multi-disciplinary and occasionally geographically dispersed procurement team.

11. Experience of successful management of change programmes which reflect service needs, provide value for money, and maintain quality

12. Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence, negotiate to form positive relationships

13. Ability to employ a range of management styles which focus on achieving results in terms of outcomes for staff and customers

14. Experience of delivering a high level of customer satisfaction with the quality of service

15. Knowledge, understanding and experience of performance management and project management methodology to drive service improvement

16. A full understanding and practical experience of public sector procurement and commercial approach through all stages of the procurement life cycle

Skills Required

1. Contribute to effective joint working within the council and across the city. Provide direction and support to colleagues, clients and immediate line reports, creating an organisational culture of shared accountabilities, learning and continuous improvement.
2. Promote new ways of working, partnership working and long term relationships with key clients both internal and external to the council, to improve corporate priority outcomes and to ensure that developments and improvements remain focused on delivering outcomes for local people.
3. Promote and support positive solutions to achieve diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of service delivery, community engagement activity and human resource areas.
4. Support and lead where appropriate effective consultation and communications with colleagues, clients, councillors, partners and other stakeholders in accordance with council policy.
5. Support open, responsive and accountable government, ensuring good governance compliance with financial and procurement procedures.
6. Manage all aspects of risk and be responsible for the safety of staff, clients and contractors in accordance with all statutory obligations and relevant health and safety policies.
7. Manage the identifying and resolving of risks and issues in all procurements.
8. Develop, manage and monitor the implementation of category management and category plans across identified categories of spend.
9. Report on and challenge departments regarding off-contract, non-contract and quasi-contract spend, achieving a reduction in such spend.
10. Assist client departments to undertake service reviews, in order to devise and implement strategies for reducing procurement costs and improving efficiency.
11.  Identify, develop, manage and monitor procurements undertaken on a regional and inter-council basis.
12. Deliver training relevant to procurement to a range of internal practitioners; develop the skills and abilities of client based staff to enable them to undertake procurement projects of varying size and complexity.
13. Ensure safety and safeguarding requirements are complied with.
Knowledge Required
1. Advise internal clients on procurement strategy and opportunities, and coordinate associated commercial input to procurements including coordinating legal, technical and commercial inputs.
2. Provide strategic and practical advice to service directorates/divisions prior to the commencement of the procurement, including procurement options appraisal, procurement plan, specification, pricing models, innovative partnership arrangements.
3. Provide post-procurement advice and management, including the Contract Management Plan.
4. Provide strategic and practical advice and management regarding contract extensions, variations and termination of contracts.
5. Contribute to the development of effective demand management.
6. Provide advice and guidance on the implementation of, and ensure compliance with, the council’s Contracts Procedure Rules, relevant legislation, and statutory undertakings.

Experience Required
1. Manage and direct complex high risk and high value procurements and support very high complexity procurements, within a context of budget pressures and funding restrictions, ensuring the delivery and improvement of services which meet the needs of our communities and stakeholders.
2. Provide strategic and practical advice and guidance on procurement matters across the authority to senior officers and other stakeholders.
3. Manage and direct complex high risk and high value procurements and support very high complexity procurement projects at a senior level, contributing to the delivery of the council’s Procurement Category management function as a whole.
4. Coordinate, manage and direct the tender process to Invitation to Tender stage including the development, preparation and review of tender documents, setting of evaluation criteria and methodology (managing input from legal, financial and technical specialists as appropriate), publishing of relevant documentation.
5. Manage, direct and contribute to the procurement process to contract award including evaluation of tenders and drafting and issuing of relevant documentation.
6. At all stages of the procurement process respond to and communicate with bidders on behalf of the council ensuring that robust and transparent clarification processes are in place.
7. Contribute to and coordinate the preparation of contract documentation to ensure that properly drafted contracts are entered into; implement standardised documentation across procurements and categories.
Behavioural & other Characteristics required
Leeds City Council values are at the heart of everything we do. They inform the way we design and deliver our services and the way we all work and behave.  Leeds City Council expects all its employees and councillors to observe our core values and to understand our codes of conduct for ethical behaviour, correct use of the Digital Information Service (DIS) facilities and protection of sensitive information.
They reflect the current needs of the city. In a period of immense change and real challenge we must be both confident and decisive about what we do and how we do it.
Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics
Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.

Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon.

Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.

Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.

Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.

Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.

Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.

Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.

Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.

Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.

The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.