G2 Trainee Procurement Officer (Graduate)
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a number of self-motivated individuals to join the Procurement Service at South Lanarkshire Council as a Trainee Procurement Officer(s) (Graduate). This "hands-on" role requires the development of a broad knowledge of purchasing and negotiation to assist in delivering our daily procurement activities.
Working within a dedicated, fast-paced team, you will manage your own procurement projects from day one with the full support of a mentor and line manager. The Service aims to develop highly trained professionals capable of working proactively within a challenging and evolving public sector environment. As part of your professional development, you will be expected to undertake a course of study leading to the Level 4 Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS).
The Procurement Service is led by 2 Procurement Advisors, whose areas of responsibility consist of Social Work, Education, Finance & Corporate and IT, and Housing & Technical, and Community & Enterprise. The Procurement team manage the contract requirements of all Council goods, works and services, including construction, social care commissioning and IT contracts. The successful candidates could be placed in either team.
You will be interacting with colleagues from across the Council, to understand their requirements, and guide them through an appropriate and compliant procurement process, with the appropriate support in place.
Successful candidates will commence work as Trainee Procurement Officers Grade 2 Level 2. They will be allocated a range of projects which will allow them to build their skills and competences, in line with the Procurement Skills Matrix and Scottish Government’s National Procurement Competency Framework, to progress from Grade 2 Level 2 to Grade 2 Level 4.
Once you have achieved CIPS Level 4 and Grade 2 Level 4, Trainee Procurement Officers will be allocated more complex projects, which will allow them to demonstrate that they have achieved the skillset required of Procurement Officers.
Requirements
The successful candidates will have an honours degree, and will be able to demonstrate a genuine enthusiasm for developing a career in procurement. We would be particularly interested to receive applications from candidates with a minimum 2:1 degree in supply chain, business, procurement, or law, or those with procurement or purchasing experience.
Highly developed communication and analytical skills are required for this role, and some previous work experience in a commercial environment and / or administrative role is desirable, along with the ability to plan and organise a challenging workload.
Additional Requirements
Preferred candidates identified after the selection event process will be required to assist the recruitment team, if need be, to ensure timely completion of recruitment checks. If recruitment checks are not completed within a reasonable timescale, you may automatically be withdrawn from this position.
Canvassing of Elected Members or employees of South Lanarkshire's Council directly or indirectly in connection with any appointment within the Council shall disqualify the applicant.
Legislative Information
This post is excepted in terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Scotland Act 2020. An Overseas Criminal Records Check is required where applicants born outside the UK (Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) or who have lived or worked outside the UK for a continuous period of 12 months in the past 10 years. Applicants are responsible for providing evidence of the Overseas Criminal Record Check. The check must be translated into English and should come from the police, judicial authority, government department or home embassy of the country or countries concerned. The check must include an official statement confirming that the applicant does not have any history of or pending criminal record proceedings. Checks may be carried out to authenticate the documents provided.
Equal Opportunities and Inclusion statement
The Council is committed to fostering equality, diversity, and inclusion in its workforce. Therefore, we welcome applications from all sectors of the community, including under-represented groups within our workforce. We are keen to receive applications from candidates who have a disability, who are from a care experienced background, who are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background, from a military service background and from those who are new Scots.
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria as outlined in the job profile for this position. As proud holders of the UK Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award, the Council is also committed to supporting members of the armed forces community, including service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families. In line with this commitment, service leavers, their close family members, veterans and reservists will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria as outlined in the job profile.
Benefits of Working at South Lanarkshire Council
As an employee of South Lanarkshire Council, you would receive a wide range of benefits including:
- Enrollment in award-winning local government pension scheme
- Option to join the Salary Sacrifice Shared Cost AVC scheme to increase the value of your pension pot
- Up to 33 days annual leave
- Public holiday entitlement (up to 10 days)
- Family friendly policies - flexible working and leave, maternity/paternity leave enhanced leave
- Employee Discounts – including discounts at the cinema
- Range of benefits to support you (Cycle to Work Scheme, Physiotherapy, Employee Assistance Program which offers practical and emotional support)
South Lanarkshire Council is the unitary authority serving the South Lanarkshire council area in Scotland. The council has its headquarters in Hamilton, has 16,000 employees, and a budget of almost £1bn. The large and varied geographical territory takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark, Strathaven and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and East Kilbride which was Scotland's first new town.
Our vision for South Lanarkshire as set out in our Economic Strategy is to have one of the strongest and most dynamic economies in Scotland, where businesses, communities, and residents achieve their full potential and prosper.
- People - skills, learning and employability
- Place - physical infrastructure and place
- Business - business development and growth
Interview Process
Interviews are anticipated to take place in person, at South Lanarkshire Council Headquarters in November 2026. Candidates invited to interview will be required to deliver a presentation on a topical area of Procurement. Candidates will be notified of the subject area of the presentation no less than two weeks before the interview and will be required to submit their presentation no less than one week before the interview.
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