Strategic Procurement Manager

Strategic Procurement Manager 

£44,606 per annum plus benefits  

Permanent – Full time (37.5 hours per week) 

Birmingham (Hybrid Working) 

We are brave, we are ambitious, we are honest, and we are Citizen! 

Within the Assurance & Business Service Directorate, the Procurement team is a critical component of Citizen’s operations. As the Strategic Procurement Manager, you will play a pivotal role in guiding our strategic approach to sourcing and acquisition, ensuring the seamless supply of goods and services that enable us to maintain the highest standards of service for our valued customers. 

The role will focus on driving medium-high risk procurements working cross-functionally with our internal stakeholders, suppliers, and customers. You will be responsible for procuring a wide array of contracts across various categories, from Asset Management and Building Safety, through to Development, and Human Resource.  

As a social housing provider, social value generation, and risk mitigation are always some of our top priorities – you will be able to make a huge impact across Citizen and for our customers, by developing and deploying a social value framework, and supporting the development of our procurement risk management strategy.  

Our core hours are Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, however, we can offer flexibility with this if required. As a minimum, the team is required to work from the office one day per week, however, this can greatly increase depending on your stakeholder and project requirements.   

In housing, you can make a real difference. As the Strategic Procurement Manager your role will encompass the following responsibilities:  

To maximise the Procurement team’s influence across all areas of external spend and ensure that the Procurement team receive appropriate training and development, are informed, managed, and motivated to deliver effective, fit-for-purpose, proactive and cost-effective support to their stakeholders. 

Provide advice, guidance, and support on best practice procurement across Citizen, including the identification, assessment and management of potential risks associated with different sourcing strategies; and provide insight through the analysis of spend, price and cost analysis, supply markets and their supply chains.  

To ensure that the Procurement Strategy, Policy, and Procedures are fully implemented and compliant with UK Procurement Regulations and other legal requirements. 

To achieve measurable costs savings and or quality/service improvements through effective tendering and procurement activities with suppliers of goods, works and services.  

To have specific responsibility for the procurement of high value/ strategic contracts for works, goods, and services particularly regarding Asset Management, Building Safety and Decarbonisation. 

To have specific responsibility for managing the monitoring of any social value benefits identified during the procurement process and to feed this into to Citizen’s Environmental Social Governance Reporting Framework. 

To seek best procurement practice from inside and outside the organisation and to cascade this best practice. 

To manage and maintain key procurement information i.e., the Contract Register, Sourcing Plan and Benefits Register & Spend Analysis. 

To deliver effective procurement communications and training to colleagues, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholder and provide advice and guidance on matters related to procurement generally. 

As the Strategic Procurement Manager, we need you to have:  

Extensive knowledge and understanding of procurement including best practice, achievement of Value for Money and benefits delivery. 

Knowledge and understanding of RSH/ UK procurement law and regulations. 

Working knowledge of procurement sourcing strategies including the development of quote and tender preparations 

Working knowledge of Social Value generation, management, and monitoring 

Experience of risk management and implementation strategies during the procurement lifecycle 

Knowledge and understanding of e-procurement system(s) 

Experience of working within a regulated environment 

Experience in implementing strategies, policies, and procedures 

Strong influencing and negotiation skills to enable effective operation and relationship building at a levels 

Experience of providing high quality reports, performance updates and analysis to management teams 

We would be really excited if you have: 

Educated to degree level or equivalent through relevant training/experience 

Relevant professional qualification (i.e., CIPS, Management of Risk, etc.) 

Knowledge and understanding of Market analysis 

Experience of contract management and review 

Knowledge and understanding of the Social Housing Sector 

Our people are everything and we offer:  

Opportunities for salary progression 

IT equipment to allow some optional home working 

‘Live work better’ scheme which actively encourages work-life balance 

Annual leave starts at 25 days per year, increasing with length of service 

Enhanced family leave 

Company Pension – Citizen match up to 10%   

If part of the pension scheme you are entitled to Life cover (three times your annual salary) 

Organisational Sick Pay (benefit increases with length of service) 

EAP – a 24/7 service which gives free, confidential advice and support on a range of issues including telephone counselling 

Medicash scheme -which includes GP Access, digital Physiotherapy app, retail vouchers and discounts, discounted gym memberships and more! 

Representation opportunities on our Staff Consultative Forum 

Access to Citizen’s Wellbeing platform 

Employee Excellence Awards (winners receive extra days annual leave that year) 

Occupational Health 

We believe everyone has something to give and encourage everyone to be the best they can be to reach their full potential with extensive learning and development opportunities and Study Leave 

Here at Citizen, our purpose is to provide homes that are a foundation for life. 

With over fifty years of experience, we have grown to be one of the UK’s most trusted social housing providers, Citizen owns and manages 30,000 homes for diverse communities across the West Midlands, from urban tower blocks to rural villages and towns. 

There are some fundamental challenges people in our communities’ face, and we want to be an organisation which can help them deal with these. So, we are working to solve some of the most pressing issues around housing and homelessness. 

We adopt a proactive approach to safeguarding to ensure everyone accessing our services can do so without fear of harm, abuse, or neglect.  As part of our recruitment process, we carry out robust safeguarding checks. 

Closing date: 13th February 2024 

Interview date:  To be confirmed  

Please note we will be reviewing applications throughout the campaign and may invite candidates to interview at any time.  We reserve the right to close this role earlier than the published closing date should a suitable candidate be identified.