Procurement Officer

Are you a skilled Procurement Officer ready to take your career somewhere truly meaningful? At Synchronicity Care Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, we are looking for a driven Procurement Officer to join our dynamic, forward‑thinking team. This is more than just a procurement role – it’s an opportunity to directly support the quality of care patients receive every day. You’ll lead on sourcing and procuring the goods, works and services that keep vital healthcare services running smoothly. From securing best value to building strong supplier relationships, your expertise will help ensure the consistent delivery of safe, effective, and high‑quality services across our healthcare provision. In return, we offer a supportive environment where your ideas are valued, along with flexible, hybrid working that helps you maintain a great work‑life balance. If you’re looking for a role where your skills have real purpose and impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The ideal candidate will bring demonstrable experience in public sector procurement, with a strong understanding of current procurement legislation and best practice. You will be confident managing end‑to‑end procurement processes, ensuring compliance while delivering value for money and high‑quality outcomes. In this role, you will be responsible for procuring a wide range of goods and services that directly support frontline healthcare delivery. Working closely with clinical and non‑clinical stakeholders, you will build effective relationships, understand service needs, and develop procurement solutions that enhance patient care. You will combine commercial awareness with a collaborative approach, ensuring all procurement activity is efficient, compliant, and aligned to organisational priorities. Strong communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders will be key, as you help drive improvements in quality, cost, and service delivery.

About us

SCL is a wholly owned subsidiary of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) set up to deliver a range of non‑clinical services. The company is a separate legal body to CDDFT. SCL offers its own Terms and Conditions of employment which differ to the national NHS Terms and Conditions. As an employee in the company you will benefit from:

• Access to a pension scheme – National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). CDD Services will pay a 3% contribution (this is over and above the minimum contribution rate at the present time)
• Night Shift Working Allowances (where appropriate)
• Bank Holiday Working Allowances (where appropriate)
• Bank work is offered on an “as and when” basis with no guaranteed hours and will be paid on a pro‑rata hourly rate for hours worked only.

Job responsibilities

As a Procurement Officer within Synchronicity Care Limited, you’ll be part of a team culture in which you’ll play a key role in delivering a high‑quality, professional procurement service that drives real value across the organisation. You’ll help secure cost efficiencies while improving quality and service outcomes, leading on a range of procurement activities including Requests for Quotation, below and above threshold tenders, and the effective use of framework agreements. Working closely with a Senior Procurement Officer, you will support the planning and prioritisation of procurement activity for your designated business area. This means building strong relationships with stakeholders, understanding their needs, and ensuring procurement solutions are aligned, timely, and impactful. You’ll also provide trusted advice on contracting within a public sector procurement environment, supporting the Trust and wider consortium partners to achieve compliant, effective, and commercially sound outcomes.

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English Grades A*–C or 9–4 (or equivalent)
• CIPS Level 4 Qualification or working towards it

Experience

• Public sector procurement experience
• Proven experience working in a public sector or regulated procurement environment, with a solid understanding of current UK procurement legislation and compliance requirements.
• End‑to‑end procurement delivery – demonstratable experience managing the full procurement lifecycle, running Requests for Quotations, tenders (below and above threshold), mini‑competitions, and using framework agreements.
• Tender evaluation and contract award
• Hands‑on experience evaluating bids against weighted criteria (quality and price), supporting moderation, and contributing to compliant contract award decisions.
• Stakeholder engagement – demonstrable experience working with a wide range of stakeholders (clinical and non‑clinical), understanding requirements, and translating them into effective procurement strategies.
• Supplier and contract management – experience supporting or managing supplier relationships and contracts, ensuring performance, value for money, and service delivery standards are met.
• Commercial awareness and cost efficiency – the ability to identify savings opportunities, negotiate with suppliers, and deliver value without compromising quality or patient care.
• Use of procurement systems – experience using e‑procurement systems (e.g. Atamis, Jaggaer, Oracle, or similar) to manage sourcing activities and maintain audit trails.
• Communication and advisory skills – the ability to provide clear procurement advice and guidance to colleagues, ensuring compliance and best practice across the organisation.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.