Procurement Category Manager: Science and Research in London

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About us: Procurement Strategy & Services is part of the Professional Services Directorate and was established to help the university deliver best value from its spending. The primary role of Procurement Strategy & Services is to work with Schools, Departments and external organizations to ensure the achievement of these key goals:

• Delivery of value for money from university and third party spend;
• Delivery of projects and contracts to time, quality and cost, realizing benefits and minimizing risk;
• Providing a professional source of reference to all university staff on best purchasing practice;
• Reducing university administrative costs through continuous streamlining of the procurement process;
• Providing policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, and assisting Schools' and Departments' in delivering against these standards;
• Promoting and fostering collaborative procurement across the HE sector to deliver better value for money and better services;
• Driving forward the improvement of university capability in procurement project management through the development of people skills, processes and tools.

Procurement Strategy & Services has overall responsibility for all matters related to the effective and efficient Procurement of equipment, products and services within the university. They have a key role to play in ensuring the achievement of best value for money in the utilisation of the university's £200 million non-pay budget and in ensuring that statutory obligations relating to all matters connected to Procurement are observed and fulfilled. The Department also ensures that commercial risks and the university's supplier base are evaluated and adequately managed.

About the role: To assist the Director of Procurement and Associate Director of Procurement (Science and Research), in the implementation of the Procurement Transformation Strategy and to help monitor its effectiveness. This will focus on the Science and Research Category and involve working with clients in research and laboratory roles, pre and post award and grant teams to ensure compliant and effective purchasing and contract management.

The key strategic objectives of the post will be:

• To help develop a progressive awareness of best procurement practice for the Science category;
• The development and promotion of improved procurement procedures to support the College's obligations under its conditions of funding;
• The provision of appropriate support and guidance to staff involved with purchasing in this category;
• To train and support the purchasing community in the University;
• To keep abreast of developments in the relevant markets and ensure supply chain resilience;
• To identify and deliver savings (reportable) to support the Directors and other colleagues in Procurement Strategy and Services to meet the University's objectives including sustainability, promoting the University's Socially Responsible Procurement Policy.

To support the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) in ensuring that approved purchasing policies, practices and procedures are followed throughout all Schools and Departments within the University. To assist in the promotion of effective tendering and negotiating procedures and in the evaluation and vetting of external suppliers. To establish effective supply arrangements and working partnerships with external suppliers and providers for a diverse range of goods, services and works throughout all areas of the University. To take a key role in monitoring the take-up on a University-wide basis of the various key supplier contracts. To help develop throughout the University an awareness of the potential and benefits of more effective purchasing.

Key Responsibilities:

• To support colleagues in the Procurement Team, the CPO and staff across the University to provide a highly regarded and effective procurement service.
• To ensure that approved purchasing policies, practices and procedures are followed within the University but particularly in relation to the Science/Research category.
• To assist in the promotion of effective tendering and negotiating procedures and in the evaluation and vetting suppliers.
• To establish and maintain effective supply arrangements and working partnerships with external suppliers and providers of science and research goods and services to the University.
• To take a key role in promoting the use of established frameworks and other contracts.
• To ensure accessible tools and templates are created and maintained for customers.
• To provide relevant advice to purchasers throughout the University in respect of procurement legislation (when relevant to grant funded projects), University purchasing policies and procedures, Research Council procurement requirements and other relevant laid-down requirements in respect of the purchase of goods and services.
• To support the CPO in the provision of management information for Senior Officers, University Committees etc. relating to the University purchasing function and best purchasing practices generally, including savings achieved.
• To promote the Socially Responsible Purchasing Policy.

To undertake any other duties consistent with the skill level and nature of the post as required by the Director of Science & Research Procurement, or CPO. This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

About you: To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria:

• CIPS qualification (or working towards);
• Be familiar with working within the constraints of organizational Purchasing Policy, Directives and Procedures (including Public Contracts Regulations);
• Knowledge and experience managing procurements and contracts within the Science and Research category, ideally in a Higher Education environment;
• Knowledge of responsible procurement practices and the skill to apply them;
• Knowledge and experience of working with Frameworks (ideally Science and Research related purchasing Frameworks);
• Experience dealing with external suppliers and contract management covering a wide range of products and/or services within a science environment;
• Experience of liaising with customers from within a sophisticated buying environment where funding may be secured from more than one source for a single project and across a variety of disciplines;
• Experience of reviewing and negotiating contract terms with legal support when necessary;
• Experience of working autonomously, prioritizing a workload with conflicting demands and of managing time effectively;
• Responsibility for a purchasing portfolio in an organization which buys a large array of products and services, including scientific equipment and maintenance agreements;
• Excellent Communication skills, both written and oral;
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines;
• Interpersonal skills, including tact, diplomacy, direction, and the ability to influence.

Desirable criteria:

• Working knowledge of Higher Education Sector and current issues facing it.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.