Procurement Manager

Abingdon Road, Culham, Abingdon
Full-time
Salary: £51,293 (inclusive of £5,000 if fully MCIPS qualified) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
Division: Procurement
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
Confirmed Grade: Level 5
Department: Procurement

Company Description

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, which will be supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

As an employee of UKAEA, you will benefit from:

- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
- Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
- Flexible working options, including family-friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
- Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
- Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days of Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
- Wide range of career development opportunities.
- A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

The salary for this role is £51,293 (inclusive of £5,000 if fully MCIPS qualified).

Job Description

UKAEA’s pay arrangements and grading structure are currently under review as part of a transformation project and proposed multi-year pay deal. UKAEA aims to introduce a new grading structure in 2024. This will enable us to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefits. Now is a great time to join the Organisation and be part of the journey.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

The Role

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Procurement Manager, you will be pivotal in supporting the Strategic Procurement Business Partner and Department Heads. Deliver procurement support across the organisation, providing advice and guidance and completing large procurements for the growing R&D portfolio with UKAEA. Provide mentoring and development for procurement team members, supporting them in delivering a first-class procurement service to the organisation. Ensuring UKAEA is compliant with UK directives for procurement in the public sector. Supporting the organisation in achieving its own milestones and impacting the achievement of DESNZ targets and milestones.

Additional Responsibilities:

- Coordinate procurement support to enable the delivery of major projects, deliver required support within the time parameters to meet project milestones and targets, collaborate with others to define the project scope, and take into account public contract regulations.
- Responsible for pre-qualifying contractors, interviewing tenderers, assessing tenders, and negotiating contracts as required.
- Manage, monitor, and control the contractual progress of projects in terms of adherence to contract terms, considering time, cost, and quality.
- Identify opportunities for improvement and propose solutions to contribute to continuous improvement within UKAEA. Using analytical and constructive thinking, make final recommendations for the development of new solutions.
- Assistance with creating, applying, and implementing procurement strategies for site-specific initiatives where appropriate.
- Understand, influence, drive and negotiate with internal and external customers, suppliers and colleagues.
- To provide procurement leadership in large or complex procurement projects.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

- MCIPS qualified.
- Experience in Public Sector Procurement and knowledge of PCR2015.
- A good technical appreciation of the range of procurement categories.
- Good procurement strategic knowledge and experience.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Ability to negotiate at the highest levels with suppliers.
- Commercially astute and customer-focused.
- Excellent negotiation skills with some understanding of NEC forms of contract.
- Process strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence at senior levels.
- Be a good team player who can work effectively in the Group Procurement Team.

Additional Information

For a full list of benefits and to apply, select the apply button to be taken through to the UKAEA careers pages.

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.