Procurement Officer - Req24678

This Procurement Projects Officer role is currently advertised as part of the Construction & Housing Category Team, delivering procurement activity on behalf of Housing Leeds, Leeds Building Services, Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation (BITMO) and other internal council departments requiring construction procurement advice and guidance.

This role, and the Construction & Housing team have close links with the council’s Procurement and Commercial Services department (PACS), particularly in relation to professional development and wider strategic aims in relation to procurement - as such there may be some flexibility required to deliver procurement activity for a wider breadth of services for the council in line with strategic aims and priorities.

We are seeking a self-motivated, experienced procurement practitioner with relevant professional qualifications and demonstrable skills or experience in identifying, developing, managing and monitoring procurements undertaken on a regional and/or local authority basis. 

The post holder will be responsible for providing and leading professional advisory and management functions in respect of procurements which are of moderate complexity, risk and value, supporting complex procurements advising clients and ensuring compliance with procedures, process, current contractual arrangements and a range of statutory and regulatory undertakings, supporting a category management approach and advising elected Members and directorates on related commercial activity. 

As part of the Construction & Housing category team, you will support and/or directly deliver a range of procurement projects that make a difference to the lives of our residents and have positive outcomes for the city.

Housing Leeds manages approximately 54,000 council homes in Leeds, investing in and maintaining these properties through a mix of external contracts, the council’s direct labour force, and two Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts.

The Construction & Housing Category Team is currently working hand in hand with service managers to deliver a number of strategic priorities and complex projects, procurements and contracts for Housing, including embarking on priority schemes that contribute to the decarbonisation of the housing portfolio, making significant contributions towards the council’s ambitious environmental target of working towards a net zero carbon city by 2030.

The role will work in close partnership with service managers across Housing, other areas of the council and with our external contractors; making sure that key stakeholders including elected Members, our tenants and leaseholders are appropriately engaged, implementing robust governance, approvals and decision-making processes.

The role also has staff management responsibilities, the successful candidate will be in a position to share knowledge and support junior members in their career development.

Skills, abilities and experience

Candidates will need to demonstrate how they meet the key criteria detailed in the attached person specification.

In particular, the right candidate will demonstrate that they:

• Are an experienced individual with relevant professional qualification, (degree, CIPS qualification or equivalent experience in procurement / category management) and demonstrable skills or experience in identifying, developing, managing and monitoring procurements.
• Have an understanding of public procurement law, UK and above threshold procurement legislation, the principles of contracts procedure rules and an understanding of the strategic procurement issues facing the public sector.
• Have knowledge and understanding of commercial organisations and markets, ideally within the construction & social housing sector.
• Experience of effectively managing procurement activity to achieve objectives.
• Are self-motivated, with a ‘can do’ approach, with drive, energy and resilience
• Can communicate clearly and effectively, including explaining complex information verbally and in written reports and can successfully manage competing priorities and workloads,
• Can respond quickly and appropriately to changing needs and demonstrating excellent organisational skills.

This Procurement Projects Officer role provides an excellent opportunity for the right candidate to join a professional, dedicated and passionate category team to deliver key procurement activity, progressing their career with the Council and helping to deliver real improvements and make a difference.

If this post is of interest to you and you think you have got the skills and knowledge we are looking for, we would love to hear from you. For an informal discussion please contact Sami Dean (0113 3785963) or Eleanor Lomas (0113 5351648).

The role offers the opportunity for flexible working and a generous annual leave entitlement. Leeds City Council is a member of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund.

The position is advertised at 37 hours but part time working may be considered.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is an Inclusive employer, ranked 70 on the Stonewall top 100 employers 2023 list. 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 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 supporting complex procurements. The role operates within the context of the council’s Business Plan Objective to increase efficiency. 

The post holder will be responsible for providing and leading professional advisory and management functions in respect of procurements which are of moderate complexity, risk and value, supporting complex procurements advising clients and ensuring compliance with procedures, process, current contractual arrangements and a range of statutory and regulatory undertakings, supporting a category management approach and advising members and directorates on related commercial activity. 

The Procurement Project Officer will be able to demonstrate relevant skills and experience in the management of procurement projects and will be responsible for supporting the management and monitoring of procurements within identified categories to reduce spend and achieve efficiencies. 

Further responsibilities also include: 

• Developing and monitoring procurements undertaken on a regional and inter council basis.

Responsibilities: 

• Provide advice and guidance on procurement matters across the authority to senior officers and other stakeholders. 
• Manage procurements of moderate complexity, risk and value, and support complex 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. 
• Support effective joint working within the council. Provide guidance and support to colleagues, clients and immediate line reports, creating an organisational culture of shared accountabilities, learning and continuous improvement. 
• Support new ways of working and partnership working 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. 
• 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. 
• Support effective consultation and communications with colleagues, clients, councillors, partners and other stakeholders in accordance with council policy. 
• Support open, responsive and accountable government, ensuring good governance compliance with financial and procurement procedures. 
• 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. 

Specific Responsibilities  

• Manage procurements of moderate complexity, risk and value, and where appropriate support procurements which are more complex and /or of higher risk and higher value, contributing to the delivery of the council’s procurement category management function and commercial approach as a whole. 
• Contribute to the identifying and resolving of risks and issues in specific procurements. 
• Assist the Procurement Category Manager in providing advice to service departments prior to the commencement of the procurement, including procurement options appraisal, procurement plan, specification, pricing models, innovative partnership arrangements. 
• Coordinate and manage the tender process to Invitation to Tender stage including contributing to the development and preparation of tender documents for signoff, setting of evaluation criteria and methodology, publishing of relevant documentation and coordinating input from legal, technical and financial specialisms. 
• Contribute to, and where appropriate manage, the procurement process to Contract Award including evaluation of tenders and drafting and issuing of relevant documentation. 
• Provide post-procurement advice and management, including the Contract Management Plan. 
• Provide advice regarding contract extensions, variations and termination of contracts. 
• At all stages of the procurement process respond to and communicate with bidders on behalf of the council. 
• Assist with the development, management and monitoring of the implementation of category management and category plans across identified categories of spend. 
• Report on spend and proactively advise departments regarding off-contract, non-contract and quasicontract spend, achieving a reduction in such spend.   
• Assist in reducing procurement costs and improving efficiency by identifying areas suitable for corporate contracts and e-procurement, and developing other appropriate contractual arrangements. 
• Maintain a record of the savings achieved through the introduction of more efficient and economic procurement arrangements. 
• Contribute to and guide the preparation and authorisation of contract document to ensure that properly drafted contracts are entered into; implement standardised documentation across procurements and categories. 
• Develop and monitor procurements undertaken on a regional and inter-council basis 
• Help develop the skills and abilities of client based staff to enable them to undertake procurement projects of varying size and complexity. 
• Provide advice and guidance on the implementation of, and ensure compliance with, the council’s Contract Procedure Rules, relevant legislation, and statutory undertakings. 
• Ensure safety and safeguarding requirements are complied with.

Behavioural & other Characteristics required

• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equality & Diversity Policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health & Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills, and continuous professional development
• Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct.

Equality and Diversity 

Equality and diversity in the council is about making sure that everyone can fully join in the social, cultural, political and economic life of the city. 

The City Council is committed to its value of Treating People Fairly; this includes our staff and the people of Leeds. We will make sure that we do not discriminate against people because of their age, impairment, ethnic origin, nationality, religious belief, social class, gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, responsibility for dependants, trade union activity or for any other unfair reason. 

Health and Safety 

The council believes that ensuring the safety, health and well-being of employees, contractors, service users (including learners) and all others affected by our activities is essential to accomplishing our ambition and values. As a large employer we are committed to being an exemplar for good practice and committing to the wider health agenda by ensuring that work doesn’t contribute to poor health, using the workplace to improve health and well-being, and supporting our workforce to be “Happy, Healthy and Here”. We expect all employees to contribute to their own individual safety and well-being and to that of others who may be affected by their actions.