Senior Business Lead - Purchase To Pay - Req24884

Job title:Senior Business Lead - Purchase to Pay 

Salary: £57,176 - £62,695 

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds

As our Purchase to Pay (P2P) Lead, you’ll thrive on finding innovative solutions to help us transform the way we work. 

You’ll be at the heart of our finance and procurement operations, ensuring that efficient, effective and compliant P2P processes are in place across the council.

This role isn’t only about maintaining the service's efficiency, it's also about having a clear vision for improving it, ensuring we’re getting the most out of our people and technology.

You’ll be a confident and enthusiastic leader with excellent influencing and communication skills to ensure you bring colleagues and key stakeholders along with you through change. 

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As our P2P Lead you will bring to the role:

• Significant experience as a public sector accountant, auditor or procurement professional and/or of managing or transforming P2P operations
• Knowledge and understanding of the legislation and processes that underpin effective and efficient P2P operations within a local government setting
• Experience of planning and delivering successful transformational and operational change 
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence others to change the way they work
• Evidence of building relationships with colleagues, partners and key stakeholders to drive successful partnerships that enable the council to deliver its priorities 
• Ability to work at various levels including strategic/planning as well as detailed process reviews

About the role 

The council delivers over 500 different services to citizens with wide-scale operational activities related to procurement, purchasing and payments to suppliers. Many processes are currently offline and manual in nature, and as our P2P Lead you’ll be at the forefront of streamlining, improving and digitising our ways of working.

You’ll also be responsible for strengthening the financial control and adherence to the council's Purchase To Pay processes, providing training and monitoring compliance.

You’ll be a crucial part of our Core Business Transformation (CBT) Programme, a council-wide programme working to transform the way our core business functions operate. We are currently implementing a new finance system (Microsoft Dynamics F&O) and will soon be embarking on procurement of a new ‘source to contract’ solution. You’ll help us get the most out of the new systems. 

As our P2P Lead, you’ll be based in Financial Services, but will also work in collaboration with other teams such as the CBT programme team, procurement & commercial services, accounts payable team and business administration to achieve seamless end-to-end P2P processes. 

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

Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words

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 Suzanne Hopes, Core Business Transformation Programme Manager. Email Suzanne.hopes@leeds.gov.uk. 

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 The post holder supports the Chief Officer (Financial Services) to deliver programmes of strategic significance to the Council in order to deliver services to customers in line with Council priorities. They will be responsible for the development and delivery of the service plan objectives and drive continuous improvement initiatives through leading and contributing to cross Council projects.

The postholder will be responsible for working collaboratively with colleagues across the Council to ensure efficient, effective and compliant Purchase to Pay processes are in place.  The postholder will be the organisational process owner and be responsible for ensuring all officers involved in purchasing of goods and services and payments to suppliers are adequately trained and knowledgeable in relation to statutory requirements and organisational policies (e.g. Financial Regulations, No PO No Pay Policy) – are aware of upstream and downstream activities and consequences of non-compliance.  The post-holder will drive continuous improvement, efficiency and compliance by establishing monitoring and reporting arrangements and working closely with Chief Officers and Service Managers and other Stakeholders (e.g. Procurement / Contract Managers / Business Administration / Business Support Centre) to ensure seamless business operations and that adequate controls, checks and management information are in place that enables and supports compliance with statutory obligations, organisational policies and procedures. 

The postholder will work as part of multiple teams – mainly Financial Services but also closely with the Core Business Transformation Programme Team and Procurement & Commercial Services and will play a pivotal role in developing communication channels and appropriate relationships between Commissioners, Contract Managers, Requisitioners and Shared Services (including schools staff) to ensure purchases and payments are made in accordance with Terms & Conditions in contractual arrangements and that ‘value for money’ is achieved in terms of process and purchases.

The postholder will also play a vital role in embedding the use of Microsoft Dynamics Finance & Operations across the organisation as well as contribute to the successful integration to new Source to Contract technology – ensuring the two solutions can work together along with automated invoice payment solutions to ensure seamless processes and modern and digital ways of working that ensures compliancy in relation to Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Regulations – exploring and recommending ways to implement features such as contract links, catalogues, products and price lists, supplier portals. The postholder will also be required to work with Procurement, Finance and Shared Services to support development and deployment of a suite of KPI’s and management information that ensures service managers can easily monitor purchasing and payment activities.

As process owner, the postholder has an authoritative role and will be acting on behalf of the Chief Officer of Financial Services to ensure compliance with Financial Regulations, but will be required to work positively, constructively and collaboratively, listening to and working pro-actively with colleagues and service-based staff to aid design and delivery of successful business process change activities. They will be responsible for the implementation of proposals and recommendations articulated in strategies and action plans that have been developed as a result of working with partners such as EY and KPMG.

The postholder will be responsible for helping services to review and re-design operational processes and standardise where possible, developing additional cases for change that articulate proposals and recommendations for change and improvement, including cost/benefit analysis, option appraisals, reviewing service delivery models, using well developed communications and influencing techniques to gain support and buy-in, whilst maintaining open and positive working relationships with other internal transformation teams to ensure an informed and joined-up approach. 

As well as leading your own workstream, the post-holder will also be required to work in collaboration with other workstream/change leads as part of corporate transformation plans, ensuring a joined-up approach to communications, engagement, and training.  The post-holder will be responsible for ensuring that engagement and training solutions are suitable for all types of learners and service-users and worker-types (e.g. in-person, hybrid, remote) ensuring equality, inclusivity and accessibility are at the forefront of designs and plans.  The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that training solutions are developed to meet a variety of training needs and suit varying levels of knowledge, skills and abilities and can be delivered at scale and pace where required.

Key Requirements 

Significant knowledge, understanding and experience of working within legislation and organisational policies, procedures and processes that underpin effective and efficient Purchase to Pay operations.

Understand the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the end-to-end Purchase to Pay process and develop and deliver training and be the ‘point of contact’ for advice and support to ensure staff can operate with optimum efficiency

Ability to drive change and transformation in a positive and collaborative manner, developing and maintaining positive working relationships, with ability to listen and understand service complexities and requirements whilst also achieving the aims of corporate transformation plans. 

Appropriate professional qualification in the field of Public Sector Accounting, Procurement, Supply Chain Management or Auditing or equivalent substantial knowledge gained through significant change, operational and/or managerial experience across the process area.

Ability to undertake effective detailed business analysis to identify problems and inefficient ways of working and design and facilitate business process change workshops to improve operations

Work collaboratively with external transformation/implementation partners to ensure successful design and implementation of digital solutions that achieve the vision and ambitions of the CBT programme as well as meet service user needs; ensuring the full digital capabilities of new technology solutions are exploited to achieve full return on investment

Ability to develop compelling ‘cases for change’ including undertaking research, sourcing relevant case studies, liaising with colleagues, external organisations and professional bodies to gather data and intelligence around leading practice that can help shape business cases that include options appraisals and invest to save proposals.

Ability to manage and monitor contracts and suppliers, ensuring contracted suppliers deliver in accordance with contractual obligations and successfully resolve issues and problems

Work proactively and reach out to services to help facilitate engagement, learning and digital transformation e.g. technology design and configuration, process design/validation workshops, system demos, user acceptance testing, handover sessions – working with the CBT Change Team and Digital Transformation and Digital Skills Teams to develop and deliver effective training solutions

Work collaboratively with the CBT Change Team to initiate change impact assessments and use-persona analysis to shape appropriate business change activities, communications, engagement, and training plans

Able to identify, manage and mitigate risks

Represent Senior Management Team as required to provide briefings to ward Members and MP’s. 

Build strong and dynamic relationships, networks and build trust with individuals and partner agencies to deliver better outcomes.

Develop and drive a culture which puts customers first and where everyone can realise their potential and ‘feel they count’

Able to demonstrate examples of managing services, implementing change and achieving quality transformational outcomes, showing effective leadership and delivering outstanding results

Experience of senior leadership and management in a service or operational area relevant to area of service delivery

Experience of successful strategic and operational resource management including the evaluation of competing priorities and managing accountabilities

Significant experience of leading change programmes, driving up standards and performance

Able to manage competing priorities, ensuring delivery on a range of programmes and adapting to changing circumstances.

Substantial experience of delivering a multi-disciplinary service at a senior level based on delivering customer focused outcomes and excellent customer satisfaction 

Significant experience and commitment in relation to the engagement of citizens, customers and stakeholders in decision making processes. 

Manage, promote and deliver positive solutions to achieving diversity and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery, community engagement and human resource areas, focussing on equality of outcome.

Work with elected Members, MP’s, service users, trade unions and partner stakeholders in ways which support inclusive open and accountable government through the provision of strategic advice on risk management and support them in their respective roles.

In line with the Budget Management Accountability Framework to be responsible and accountable for all financial resources within the service area ensuring value for money and working within financial regulations

Demonstrate knowledge of legislation, regulations, policies, inspections and performance information applicable to the relevant strategic functions e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and GDPR. Promoting compliance with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.

Detailed knowledge and understanding of economic strategy and policy, understanding of local government political systems and experience of working on politically sensitive issues including significant experience of developing productive working relationships with Council Members, trade unions and members of the Corporate Leadership Team which commands respect trust and confidence

Working Context - Post holders will work flexibly both at home and at various locations across the City and region. All colleagues should work in line with our hybrid working principles and spend regular time in the workplace to support service delivery, meeting the needs of the team and the requirements of their individual role.  The hours are worked mainly Monday to Friday. However, the post holder will be expected to work outside normal working hours, including attendance at evening/weekend meetings or events if required to meet the needs of the service. 

Role profile                                                                                          

Roles at this level support the Chief Officer in the professional leadership, management and development of the service in accordance with the Council’s strategic objectives and the directorate priorities.  People in these roles combine a strategic service development role with operational responsibilities for services and delivery of day to day functions that contribute to the achievement of the Council’s ambition and strategic outcomes. This involves contributing to the planning, organising, commissioning and delivery of services across the council and with partners to ensure there is a fully integrated city wide approach. 

As part of a directorate/service leadership team roles at this level live and model values and behaviours to help the council achieve its ambition to be the best city council in the country. 

For roles at this level, you must be able to show you….

Knowledge have an appropriate professional qualification or equivalent substantial knowledge gained through significant managerial or practical experience within the service area and use your knowledge and expertise to plan and enable the highest levels and standards in the delivery of work across either a specialist area(s) or an entire service.

Have a comprehensive knowledge of local, regional and national issues, which influence the city and council strategy, practice and services and you maintain up to date knowledge of current thinking and developments and use this to evaluate and assess business practice to influence ways of working within the professional and technical areas of your expertise

Leadership & strategic planning – Demonstrate strong leadership and management skills to develop a high performance culture across the service where everyone can achieve their potential and ‘feel they count’ and where there is a drive to deliver the most effective and efficient solutions. Contribute to and influence the strategic direction of the service area working with a range of internal and external partners and stakeholders. Identify clear objectives for service delivery and develop and performance manage service action plans.  Ensure Business plans are in place for the service and contingencies are identified so that plan objectives can be met.

Collaboration & innovation – Lead, develop and manage partnerships and/or complex programme project/change environments with a variety of stakeholders that challenges and looks beyond the obvious. Working effectively with partners to deliver cross service projects, thinking and acting creatively to facilitate the delivery of innovative change and new ways of working.  Ensure the capacity to respond positively to change is enhanced, ‘traditional thinking’ is challenged and innovative solutions are pursued throughout the service area. 

Problem solving & decision making – Responsible and accountable for developing and implementing appropriate, proportionate and effective solutions to complex service delivery problems. Accurately analyse information and make timely well-judged decisions in order to achieve successful outcomes across a diverse range of related and unrelated issues balancing corporate orientation with operational responsibilities. 

Deliver – develop and maintain constructive relationships with colleagues and other stakeholders to develop and deliver integrated, high quality, high standard, responsive services that have a positive impact for customers and citizens in the city and region, influencing the strategic direction of the service; identifying, agreeing and developing service improvement projects that reflect changing priorities

Lead and manage a number of complex and potentially conflicting strategic and operational issues /priorities and develop and implement solutions as part of a fully integrated approach to delivering required service outcomes.  Influence the strategic direction of the service using effective consultation and a commitment to engagement of stakeholders ensuring services support and deliver outcomes that reflect the diverse, multi-cultural needs of our city

People and resource management – use visible, effective and supportive leadership and management skills that engages, develops and encourages talent, supports adaptable ways of working and creates strong more flexible teams.   Review and monitor the performance of services, systems, budget, teams and individuals against standards and agreed outcomes in a cost effective and flexible way that is responsive to a dynamic local, political and national context

The role profile and specification are an outline only and may vary from time to time without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility

Behavioural and other Characteristics required

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 to ensure up to date knowledge, skills, and continuous professional development

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct