Procurement Manager

• Opportunity for ownership of a spend category within a transforming function
• Pathway to management

About Our Client

The University of Warwick is a forward-thinking institution with a constant presence in the rankings of the world's greatest universities and an enviable reputation for academic and commercial success.

The University prides itself on being an excellent employer, with a genuine commitment to providing opportunities for both professional and personal development.

Campus features include Warwick Arts Centre, a venue with an acclaimed reputation nationally and internationally. This means you're moments away from the best in theatre, music, comedy and dance.

You can also easily explore the Warwickshire countryside, take a short train journey into Birmingham, or hop on a bus to Coventry city centre, Leamington Spa or Kenilworth. London is approximately an hour's train ride away from Coventry train station.

Job Description

Category / Project Strategies:

• Develop, implement and monitor routine category / capital project procurement strategies to achieve strict savings targets / budgets, timescales
• Support achievement of Procurement Office KPIs operating within the defined Category Management framework, across spend areas of up to circa £10M p.a
• Ensure procurement recommendations and continuous improvement initiatives support the University's strategic goals
• Produce and present reports and KPIs analysis

Competitive Procurement Processes:

• Plan, lead and award routine procurement processes, contracts and framework agreements to achieve optimum savings, value for money and timescales
• Comply with the University's financial regulations ensuring good governance across procurement activities in compliance with statutory obligations
• Ensure funding conditions are met and procurement is conducted with full and compliant audit trails. Where required, comply with the Public Contracts Regulations
• Support stakeholders in the development of routine specifications for incorporation into market engagements and tender exercises
• Review contracts and licence agreements to identify and address risks prior to submission for senior colleague review

Contract Negotiation:

• Undertake routine negotiations to ensure commercially optimum contracts, mitigating financial and legal risk (for example total cost analysis, management of payment terms, import, currency, liability and IPR risks)
• Lead ongoing contract management of operational agreements to ensure benefits realisation, effective supplier performance management and exploit innovative opportunities from the supply chain

Cross Functional Process Improvements:

• Manage cross functional project teams / Category Improvement Groups / formal process improvement groups (for example the University's Simplify, Collaborate, Deliver Programme) across a variety of stakeholder groups predominantly at operational level to support implementation of optimum procurement solutions
• Support the change process

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Designated Procurement link to one or more operational departments, undertake procurement activity and provide advice to predominantly operational members of staff. Facilitate greater visibility of the procurement pipeline.
• Build effective collaborative relationships with departments, promote a responsive, agile and professional image of the Procurement Office.
• Work on a collaborative basis with external bodies (e.g. other HEIs, funders, consortia)
• Support the Office's overall training programme through dissemination of procurement best practice across the wider University

Staff Management and Development:

• Support the development of more junior team members
• Where applicable, manage one or more junior members of staff
• Any other duties as determined by Director of Procurement and Insurance or direct line manager

The Successful Applicant

Essential Criteria:

• Good standard of education, particularly Mathematics and English
• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Full MCIPS or ideally working towards
• Demonstrable experience within a procurement environment, with an established record of delivering procurement strategies, managing spend up to circa £10M and realising savings in line with targets

Leadership: Able to manage cross functional teams and meetings largely at an operational level.

Strategy Development: Able to develop and implement routine category / capital project plans to strict budgets, savings targets, timescales and KPIs. Supported in more complex & strategic areas. Awareness of the University's strategic goals

Relationship Management: Able to foster effective relationships across a range of internal and external groups, predominantly at operational level. Influencing skills, collaborative approach and strong ability to work as part of a team

Category and Supply Chain Management: Understanding and application of Category and Supply Chain Management and procurement best practice across dedicated category areas

Change Management: Able to identify opportunities for improvements with category areas. Able to plan and implement change projects as directed by senior colleagues

Negotiation (inc. legal and financial risk management): Able to plan & lead routine negotiations, supported in more complex and strategic areas. Understanding of commercial & legal risk management, financial assessments & ratio analysis

Procurement Processes: Able to deliver effective & auditable procurement, compliant with regulatory requirements. Knowledge and application of competitive, cradle to grave tendering, spec development, WLC analysis, contract management

Market Knowledge and Options Analysis: Developing commercial acumen, understanding of market dynamics and cost drivers. Ability to prepare options appraisals and business case recommendations for operational spend

Systems Capability: Understanding of P2P and wider procurement and corporate systems. Confident in analysing large volumes of data to support strategy formulation

Communication: Effective and confident communicator across a variety of internal and external stakeholders, at all levels of seniority, both written and face to face

Organisation, Attention to Detail and Results Focus: Strong organisation, planning & prioritisation skills, ability to adapt & be flexible. Strong numerical & written attention to detail. Ability to work under pressure to strict timescales.

What's on Offer

Up to £40,322 + a £2,000 MCIPS supplement

There are lots of benefits to working at the University of Warwick, including relocation allowances, staff discounts, pension schemes with excellent employer contributions and a generous annual leave entitlement.

In order to receive the £2k market supplement, the post holder will need to be qualified AND maintain professional CIPS membership each year.

Where specific UK qualifications are required we will take into account overseas equivalents. All third party applications will be forwarded to Michael Page.

Ref Code: MPFE14042471Z