Procurement Manager
Medr
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 12th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
About Us
We are a new arm’s length body of the Welsh Government, responsible for the strategy, funding and oversight of:
- further education including colleges and school sixth-forms;
- higher education including research and innovation;
- adult education and adult community learning; and
- apprenticeships and training.
Operational since 1 August 2024, we work in close collaboration with our partners to enable a tertiary education and research system which is centred around the needs of learners; society; and economy with excellence, equality and engagement at its heart.
Our values really matter to us, they help shape the culture of our organisation:
- Dysgu (to learn; to teach; to educate) - learning is at the heart of everything we do. We believe curiosity fuels innovation and helps expand our horizons.
- Cydweithio (to work together; to collaborate; to co-operate) - we can achieve far more together than we ever could alone.
- Cynnwys Pawb (to include everyone; to involve everyone) - we are passionate about inclusion, seeking to create the right conditions for everyone to achieve their full potential.
- Rhagori (to exceed; to excel) - we have high aspirations for tertiary education and research in Wales and always set high standards for ourselves to be the best we can be.
Location
Our headquarters is a newly refurbished office in Capital Quarter, Cardiff, specifically designed to meet our needs. We expect this to be the place that most colleagues will use to collaborate, both with each other and with stakeholders.
As we operate across Wales, we also have collaboration and limited office space in Welsh Government offices in Llandudno Junction, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
Main purpose of the job
As part of the Procurement team, you will be responsible for Medr obtaining value for money for the goods and services it procures. You will oversee compliance with all relevant procurement regulations and help Medr adopt procurement best practice, taking on board current and soon to be revised Welsh and UK government procurement policy and legislative requirements. You will develop and communicate Medr’s procurement policies and procedures to staff and stakeholders; and interact with various internal and external stakeholders, building strategic relationships.
Job description
What you'll be doing
- Responsible for the management of procurement processes, which will include contract and award notices, setting and agreeing tender strategies, supplier engagement, tender evaluation, contract award, and handling contractual changes, whilst ensuring clear approval mechanisms and controls are in place to demonstrate value for money.
- Provide advice and support to our staff and teams on procurement policy, procedures, procurement requirements and contract management.
- Support both Senior Procurement Managers in the strategic implementation of changing UK legislation from the end of October 2024, ensuring that Medr’s processes and procedures are compatible with the new legislation.
- Oversee procurement elements of the Microsoft D365 finance and procurement system, so staff can obtain their goods and services efficiently.
- Utilise e-procurement sourcing tools and provide analysis of data and reporting information to aid strategic and senior decision making.
- Provide support with running Medr’s purchasing card scheme.
- Develop your professional knowledge both on the job and by working towards and completing professional procurement qualifications.
- Assist in developing Medr’s procurement intranet and website pages considering changing UK and Welsh procurement legislation and using the latest information relating to procurement best practice.
- Although there is currently no managerial or supervisory responsibilities for this role, it is hoped that as the team develops a graduate trainee or apprentice will join the team. In order to develop staff and ‘grow our own’ we would hope that this position would line manage them. This would provide further development opportunities for the Procurement Manager role and help with succession planning.
Key challenges you will face
- Maintaining attention to detail in a challenging and changing environment, including as a result of new procurement legislation in the UK and Wales.
- Challenging the conclusions of others while maintaining effective working relationships with staff, suppliers, and stakeholders.
- Leading projects and produce reports/data independently while keeping your key stakeholders and colleagues informed.
- Having confidence when imparting procurement knowledge, and providing support, guidance and training on various aspects of procurement in an affective and timely manner.
- Managing the expectations of internal and external stakeholders.
About your team
Medr’s newly established Procurement Team currently consists of two Senior Procurement Managers who have extensive public procurement experience and knowledge. You will be working closely under the guidance and direction of the Senior Procurement Managers within the Procurement, Payroll, and Finance Directorate.
This is an exciting time to be joining the team and learn from our experienced managers, as we roll out new procurement policies and procedures and develop systems to support the procurement process for Medr, becoming a vital part in the development of this newly established team.
Your line manager
Karen Wolliner, Senior Procurement Manager.
Karen has worked in public sector procurement for more than thirty years. She is a Fellow and Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Purchase and Supply. Working initially for local government and then education since 2001. Karen is a supply chain professional with policy and practical procurement expertise.
Person specification
What you will bring
Attributes
Act with Integrity – You consistently act in the best interest of the organisation and its stakeholders and take responsibility for your decisions.
Agile – You drive forward improvements, through collaboration, embracing new technologies and nurturing a culture of continuous learning.
Drive - You lead by example, showing dedication and perseverance in meeting organisational objectives.
Resilience – You create a culture of adaptability and resourcefulness as part of the team and the wider organisation, offering support and encouragement to colleagues.
Experience
- Knowledge and experience of working within procurement environment and legislative constraints, being able to impart information in a clear and concise manner, identifying risks and implement mitigating actions.
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills, able to deal with staff at all levels within an organisation and have experience of dealing with external stakeholders and suppliers specifically.
- Work independently on projects and procurements, developing ideas and implementing improvements, whilst working collaboratively across an organisation or organisations.
Welsh language requirements
We have undertaken an evaluation of the Welsh language requirements of this post to ensure we are living our values in relation to our Welsh Language.
For this post the Welsh language requirements are:
Desirable
Welsh essential means that having Welsh language skills is considered a requirement for this post and will form part of the assessment criteria.
Welsh desirable means that whilst having Welsh language skills is useful for the role, it is not an assessment criterion, so it won’t disadvantage you during recruitment if you don’t currently possess these skills.
- Reading
- Spoken
- Understanding
- Written
Qualifications
Benefits
Your Perks & Benefits
Alongside your salary, Medr contributes an average of 28% towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. Find out what benefits the Civil Service pension scheme provides.
We recognise the importance of looking after ourselves in work and in life. Your wellbeing is fundamental to you being your best self so in recognition of this we provide:
- 33 days annual leave a year (pro rata) to give you time to reboot; top up your energy banks and spend time doing the activities you love.
- An environment that embraces work life balance.
- A culture that celebrates diversity and welcomes everyone.
- Dedicated wellbeing time to all our people each week.
- A Cycle to Work Scheme to make owning a bicycle more affordable.
Additional Support when you need it
We know that sometimes you may face challenges or life events that mean you need additional support.
- We provide a comprehensive employee assistance programme with remote access to resources and in person support whenever required.
- We have a special leave policy ensuring everyone in the organisation receives the support they need during difficult times.
More than just a workplace
- We have an active sport, social and wellbeing committee who offer a range of activities for our people to come together outside the work setting. You can participate as much or as little as you want.
- You will be entitled to take 5 days paid leave per year to undertake voluntary work to support the communities we serve.
- We know that the bonds we make in work sometimes go beyond the working day and lead to networks that last for life. We will encourage you to grow your networks across Wales, the UK and internationally.
Personal and professional development
- Once you’re offered a post, we will get to know you and work with you to develop a personalised onboarding plan which considers your experience, skills, learning style and knowledge.
- We’ll help you shape your development plans with personalised career conversations and objectives, taking account of delivery goals alongside your career aspirations and helping you own your career.
- We support all our staff to learn or improve their Welsh language skills.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
We are really interested in you as an individual and what you will bring to our organisation.
Our blended assessment process is designed to help us get to know you better enabling us to appoint someone who will thrive in the role and who shares our organisational values.
If you are interested in working with us, please send us your application through Civil Service Jobs.
You will need to include a personal statement demonstrating how you meet the essential requirements for the post.
To be fair to everyone who applies, we won’t accept:
- Late applications
- Applications with missing or incomplete information
- Personal statements over 1,250 words
The deadline for application submission is 12 November 2024.
There will be two assessment stages for this recruitment campaign. A sift and an interview.
The following attributes and experience will be assessed at sift and interview stage:
Attributes
- Agile - You drive forward improvements, through collaboration, embracing new technologies and nurturing a culture of continuous learning.
- Drive - You lead by example, showing dedication and perseverance in meeting organisational objectives.
- Resilience – You create a culture of adaptability and resourcefulness as part of the team and the wider organisation, offering support and encouragement to colleagues.
Experience
- Knowledge and experience of working within procurement environment and legislative constraints, being able to impart information in a clear and concise manner, identifying risks and implement mitigating actions.
- Work independently on projects and procurements, developing ideas and implementing improvements, whilst working collaboratively across an organisation or organisations.
The initial sift will take place on 20 November 2024.
Candidates who successfully navigate the sift stage will be required to complete an online exercise to enable us to determine their behavioural and personality preferences. Immediately on completion you will be given a report which highlights your strengths plus some development tips to help you prepare for interview. Candidates should note that the online exercise is not intended to eliminate anyone from consideration. Instead, it serves as a tool to aid in the decision-making process.
Following this, you will be required to participate in an interview which will be conducted on 5 December 2024.
The following attribute and experience will also be assessed at interview:
Attribute
- Act with Integrity – You consistently act in the best interest of the organisation and its stakeholders and take responsibility for your decisions.
Experience
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills, able to deal with staff at all levels within an organisation and have experience of dealing with external stakeholders and suppliers specifically.
We strive for a diverse and inclusive workplace and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. We are happy to discuss any person-centred adjustments required to the recruitment process. Please contact pobl@medr.cymru
We're looking forward to meeting everyone invited to interview at our new headquarters in Capital Quarter, Cardiff. We don’t usually pay travel expenses, but if this presents a real barrier to your attendance in person or if you require a reasonable adjustment, please let us know in advance by emailing pobl@medr.cymru so we can discuss and agree arrangements prior to your interview.
Following interview we are committed to offering constructive and actionable feedback to support you on your future career journey.
Next Steps
Interested…? Want to find out more?
We know how important it is for you to find out more about us so we will be holding a virtual information session for candidates on 4 November 2024 at 13:00 on Microsoft Teams.
This will be an opportunity for you to hear more about our organisation; the role and how we invest in our people.
If you would like to attend, register by emailing pobl@medr.cymru.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : People and Culture team
- Email : pobl@medr.cymru
Recruitment team
- Email : pobl@medr.cymru
