It procurement specialist - united kingdom, leeds, west yorkshire

permanent it procurement specialist opportunity

large commercial education organisation in leeds

about our client

the university of leeds is a large, global, research and teaching university, established in 1904. it is ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the world (qs world university rankings 2021), uk university of the year (2017) and a top 10 university for research power in the uk according to the research excellence framework. it is primarily campus-based in yorkshire, england. in 2018/19, over 38,100 students benefitted from the delivery of 1,150 programmes at the university, with more than 12,400 students graduating in the year. the university has over 8,900 staff members and an income of gbp791m (2018/19).the university has recently published its new strategy 'universal values, global change, '. this sets a blueprint for a values' driven university; harnessing expertise in research and education to help shape a better future for humanity, and working through collaboration to tackle inequities, achieve societal impact and drive change.

the strategy is supported by a strategic plan, which sets out how we will deliver the ambitions and includes strategic enablers. in particular, a number of digital, technology intensive programmes of work have been initiated, aimed at improving the digital maturity and capabilities across the organisation.

these are:

the corporate processes and systems programme

the student lifecycle programme

the digital transformation strategy

specific it programmes

odigital enablement

o'be safe'

reporting to the director of procurement, the it procurement specialist, will be based in our transformation officeworking with our programme directors who oversee these strategic programmes and you will play the lead role on behalf of the programmes in procuring and driving value from the suppliers selected to implement the chosen solutions. you will be accountable for delivering specialist procurement and contract management capabilities, establishing new ways of working and strengthening the supplier selection and management processes.

job description

responsibility for managing complex client and supplier contracts within an it services and technology environment, including pre-engagement, managing compliant tender processes and assist in the carrying out of commercial assessment of tenders and recommendations including contract drafting negotiation and ongoing supplier management

providing expert advice and guidance on procurement strategies, contracts and supplier management to stakeholders within the programmes and the wider university, as required, in order to support the contract award, delivery of contract and supplier capability with ongoing continuous improvement

working independently with responsibility and management of the complete contracting process from point of opportunity identification through tosignature of contracts to contract closure, ensuring all contractual obligations are met

lead on contract management and contract change negotiations; managing contractor delivery including leading valuation of medium value/ medium risk contracts and providing assurance to all progress meetings to actively influence supplier's commercial behaviours, delivery and activity

designing, implementing and managing designated contracts and supplier management framework including the controls, governance, and processes

providing expert advice and guidance during cost negotiation of existing contracts and framework agreements and leading the associated quantitative risk assessment and value management reviews

identifying, advising, managing and reporting on all commercial and supplier risks/claim events, putting in place the processes, tools and ways of working to deliver this capability and manage the risks and issues with implementation and service contracts

promoting informed decision through management information, developing the capability to produce, maintain and enhance forecasting reports and kpl's, contract and supplier risks and value and the capability to provide ad-hoc management information and analysis as and when required

supporting the programmes with the monitoring and resolution of contract breaches. leading on any remedial action and working with it assurance and it governance to ensure contract rules and controls are adhered to in a timely manner

managing the purchase order and invoicing process to ensure compliance, accuracy and raised in a timely manner, including any changes as a result of contract changes

build and maintain effective stakeholder management with key programme suppliers. working in collaboration with purchasing colleagues, the transformation office and internal stakeholders including legal and finance to ensure the alignment of university processes and the it contracts management framework, and that budgetary targets are met

attend and report to programme and board meetings as required

working as part of a multi-discipline team to deliver programme deliverables, improve efficiencies and profitability. identify, resolve and improve any issues or risks across the programme.

the successful applicant

essential for the it procurement specialist role:

significant experience of leading complex strategic procurement events for it and associated services within the public sector (e.g. saas, crm, erp, cloud hosting, software licencing, it hardware)

significant experience of formal tendering procedures and a working knowledge of contract law, with a detailed working knowledge of the public procurement regulations 2015 with a wide experience of utilising public sector frameworks

significant experience of developing and managing contract and supplier management processes for a large complex organisation

professional qualification or substantially qualified by experience -i.e. full membership of the chartered institute of purchasing and supply (mcips)

experience of effectively analysing problems and data, presenting solutions, and information in a meaningful way to a diverse range of senior stakeholders

an excellent level of attention to detail and conscientiousness with the necessary influencing and risk management skills to be able to identify, manage and mitigate the risks

strong initiative, with excellent organisational, planning and self-management skills, including the ability to work accurately and carefully, manage and complete projects to agreed deadlines and deliver high quality work

effective relationship management with experience of negotiating, persuading, and influencing external suppliers and senior stakeholders to improve quality and effectiveness

effective communication and interpersonal skills, working and engaging with a diverse range of collaborators / stakeholders including the ability to explain technical problems to non-specialists

experience of using electronic sourcing and/or procurement systems (e.g. e-tendering, e-sourcing, contract management);

desirable

previous experience of working with sap purchasing or similar software

previous experience of supporting large change programmes.

what's on offer

gbp53,535- gbp61,823 + 26 days + bank holidays + 7.5 university closure days + pension contribution between 10-20% employer dependent on salary + hybrid working (average 2 days on site, rest at home) + access to on site facilities including state of the art fitness centre and on-site shops + a commitment to work life balance + discounts and expense schemes

contact

rachel tammadge

quote job ref

jn-838

phone number

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