Procurement & Contracts Leader - Public Sector Partnerships

About Barnet Council

Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces and diverse communities all help make it a great place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. As an organisation, our staff are committed to Our Values: Learning to Improve, Caring, Inclusive, Collaborative – which drive everything we do.

About the role

Are you seeking a varied and fulfilling role in a supportive organisation? Are you experienced in procurement and management of contracts? Are you passionate about compliant, high quality and best value public services? An exciting permanent job opportunity of Procurement and Contracts Lead has arisen at Barnet Council, where you will be empowered to make a real difference. This position offers an engaging and challenging opportunity to work with a wide range of organisations and teams as part of developing and maintaining partnerships and procuring and managing contracts. Barnet offers ample training and development opportunities, and you will be supported to thrive as part of an inclusive and collaborative team.

This role involves managing strategic partnerships to support mutual interests and ensuring contractual obligations are fulfilled. In collaboration with the central procurement and commercial team, you will lead procurement and management of contracts across the directorate. You will provide guidance and support, and as appropriate, challenge colleagues and partners to ensure services are delivered in accordance with the council standards, contractual obligations, and principles of best value, effectiveness and continuous improvement.

About you

We are looking for a friendly, organised and motivated individual who can work as part of a team to provide exceptional contracts and partnerships support. You will be an excellent communicator with advanced interpersonal and negotiation skills. You will particularly enjoy this role if you have the following qualities:

• Extensive knowledge and experience of procurement and contract management, partnerships
• Experience of negotiating and managing major contracts
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Experience in successful change management
• High level of personal drive and energy with a can-do attitude

What we offer

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents
• Work‑life balance options may include hybrid working, flexitime, job share, home working, part‑time
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Employee well‑being training programs including confidential employee assistance

Eligibility and obligations

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, this may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, Up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), Up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.

To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part‑time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work‑life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, we will make reasonable adjustments to support disabled applicants and those with health conditions throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply.

All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed. Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.