Senior Governance Compliance and Systems Officer

Job Introduction

Role Purpose

We are seeking a Senior Governance, Compliance, and Systems Officer who will be responsible for managing the governance, compliance, and systems functions within the council’s procurement and contract management service. The post holder will manage a small team of specialists to ensure that all procurement activities comply with legal requirements, council policies, and best practice standards. They will oversee the effective management of procurement systems and provide strategic guidance and support to ensure that procurement and contract management processes are transparent, accountable, and aligned with the council’s objectives.

The role involves seeking and developing relationships with key stakeholders to achieve collective objectives and help to overcome any barriers to joint working.

The post holder will ensure timely and effective resolution of governance, compliance, or system-related issues within procurement activities. 

Main Responsibilities

Governance:

1. Manage the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the council’s governance framework for procurement and contract management, ensuring alignment with local and national regulations (e.g. Public Contracts Regulations 2015).
2. Ensure that procurement decisions are made in line with the council’s strategic priorities, financial regulations, and governance protocols.
3. Prepare, review, and present governance reports and recommendations for senior management, procurement board, and audit reviews, contributing to strategic decision-making and ensuring that all procurement activities are well-documented and transparent.
4. Provide recommendations to senior leadership on governance and procurement-related issues, including risk management, audit findings, and regulatory changes.
5. Advise on risk assessments for procurement and contract management, ensuring appropriate controls and mitigations are in place.

Compliance:

1. Take responsibility for ensuring compliance with all relevant procurement and contract management legislation, including monitoring changes in law and best practices.
2. Oversee the audit and regular review of the operating framework and associated standard operating procedures (SOPs), identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions where necessary to ensure SOPs are updated in line with changing laws and best practice.
3. Ensure compliance with ethical standards in procurement, including adherence to anti-bribery, modern slavery, and sustainability requirements.
4. Act as a key point of contact for regulatory bodies and external auditors, providing evidence and reports as needed to demonstrate compliance.
5. Monitor and report on service level key performance indicators (KPIs). 

Systems Management:

1. Oversee the administration and optimisation of procurement and contract management systems, ensuring they meet the council’s operational needs and governance requirements.
2. Manage the deployment and improvement of digital tools and platforms used for contract management and procurement processes, liaising with the IT team where required.
3. Ensure accurate data management within procurement systems, supporting the council's data protection and information governance frameworks (including GDPR).
4. Manage the integration and automation of procurement processes to streamline workflows and improve overall efficiency.

Team Management Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

1. Manage and support a small team of specialists, ensuring that they are effectively trained, developed, supported, and working towards clear objectives.
2. Accountable for the delivery and performance of own team against current and future objectives
3. Make evidence based and outcome focussed decisions using proactive risk management to ensure the quality of the service is maintained
4. Work in partnership with other areas (e.g., Legal, Finance, IT) to identify, recommend, and develop improvements to the efficiency and continuity of own service whilst ensuring practices align with broader council objectives and legal requirements.
5. Encourage and recognise creativity and innovation in own team in relation to business as usual
6. Liaise with external suppliers and contractors to ensure that they understand and comply with the council’s requirements.
7. Collaborate with key stakeholders to review supplier performance and ensure contract management meets required standards of service delivery and value for money.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential:

• Relevant degree (or equivalent experience)
• Relevant professional qualification (or equivalent experience) with clearly evidenced continuous professional development
• Experience in governance and/or compliance roles, ideally within the public sector.
• Authoritative knowledge of the work practices, processes and procedures (including legal and regulatory requirements and the risks of non-compliance) relevant to the service, including broader commercial awareness
• Analyse data and interpret customer information to produce reports and recommend innovative solutions that will inform service design
• Presentation of own or teams work in a focussed and engaging way
• Team management skills, with a track record of developing and mentoring staff.
• Proven experience in managing and optimising systems.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficiency in data management and reporting, with a strong attention to detail.

Desirable:

• Management qualification (or equivalent experience)
• Knowledge of UK public procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and other relevant legal frameworks.
• Understanding of data protection and information governance standards, particularly in relation to procurement systems.

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 or early 2025.

Application Requirements

Please structure your application as follows:

1. Personal Summary - please provide an overview of your experience
2. Skills and competencies - please describe how you meet each criteria detailed within "The Ideal Candidate"
3. Experience - please describe your experience against each of the numbered criteria detailed within "Main Responsibilities"

For an informal discussion regarding the role please contact Stuart Bickel on 01202 817805, stuart.bickel@bcpcouncil.gov.uk