Procurement and Contracts Officer

Job Introduction

Role Purpose
 
BCP Council’s Procurement and Contracts Team provides a corporate support service in defining, procuring and managing contracts.  
 
As a Procurement and Contracts Officer you will play a crucial role within the Procurement and Contracts Team; ensuring that all procurement activities are carried out efficiently and in compliance with UK Procurement Regulations (PCR15) and the Council’s own Financial Regulations, driving value for money for BCP Council. 
 
This is an exciting time for the Procurement and Contracts team with the upcoming introduction of the Procurement Act 2023, which is due to go live in October 2024. The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate understanding of PCR15 and the significant changes to procurement law, and to support activities updating processes and procedures to incorporate the new regulations. 
 
The successful candidate will be a good team player who has excellent organisational and communication skills ensuring delivery of service in a professional manner. 

Main Responsibilities
 
Working under the Category and Contracts Lead for Operations / Place, you will: 

• Invest in subject matter and client relationships within your category to ensure that, through your understanding of client requirements, you develop credibility and become a trusted business partner.
• Influence client thinking and drive value for money using challenge and innovative thinking in defining / redefining requirements. 
• Support the preparation of specifications. Lead and control platform advertising, bid evaluation, contract award, contract management. Advise others on contract management.
• Deliver a high-quality, varied service in a timely manner whilst optimising value for money.
• Draw on your market knowledge to ensure appropriate value, quality, resilience and risk management in the Council’s supply chain. 
• Provide professional advice and guidance to stakeholders on the implications of legislation relating to the Council’s procurement activity.
• Utilise data to make data-driven decisions. 
• Support delivery by taking ownership and responsibility for efficiently and effectively managing a programme of procurement and purchasing activity with minimal support, via compliant routes to market, in accordance with appropriate procedures.
• Specifically target the delivery of third-party savings to support BCP’s medium-term financial plan.
• Actively and meaningfully contribute to continuous improvement activity including designing and implementing internal templates and processes and providing training where required.
• Embed clear understanding across the Category of the obligations of the Council, service providers and individuals in complying with UK Procurement Regulations and the Council’s own Financial Regulations.

The Ideal Candidate
 
 Essential Criteria: 

• Previous experience of working within a procurement environment, including preparation of tender documents, e-Tendering processes, and P2P systems. 
• Highly organised with demonstrable experience working with multiple levels of seniority across different parts of an organisation. 
• Capable of managing a complex, high-volume, high-risk workload for multiple clients with competing priorities.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with the capability to manage challenging behaviour, compliantly evaluate bids, ensure Terms & Conditions are fit for purpose and contracts / KPIs are compliantly managed and optimise contract performance.

If you wish to be considered for this role, please submit the following: 

• A copy of your up-to-date CV 
• A Supporting Statement evidencing how you meet the Main Responsibilities and Essential Criteria, drawing out any experience in categories relevant to Operations / Place. 

About BCP Council
 
 BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.
 
Our Benefits
 
We offer an excellent benefits package to colleagues. Find out more on our website.

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation and colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. This is expected to be in place in 2024.