Head of Procurement in Cambridge

Great opportunity for an experienced and strategic Head of Procurement to represent NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) at one of our flagship client sites at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to lead and deliver an exceptional service. You will manage a small team and be responsible for the strategic execution and continued development of a customer focused Procurement service across the Trust. If you have a proven track record in driving performance and shaping high-quality services, we want to hear from you.

This is a managed service by NHS SBS, delivering the end-to-end Procurement Service via a local on-site procurement team (based at the Trust), providing the integral link between the client and NHS SBS as the Procurement Centre of Excellence for strategic sourcing and transactional procurement delivery, as a shared service.

The key responsibilities of the on-site team are to drive the strategic requirements of the client by development of a procurement strategy, work plan of key sourcing requirements and engagement between Trust stakeholders and NHS SBS Strategic Sourcing specialists.

This is a hybrid role requiring 2 days per week onsite at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.

What you’ll be doing:

• Represent NHS SBS at one of our flagship client sites as a progressive, proactive, responsive and innovative partner in order to generate strategic procurement solutions.
• Report directly to the Head of Strategic Procurement Delivery, leading and managing a small procurement team as well as managing a small portfolio of strategically important projects.
• Work with the Data and Analytics team to identify continuous opportunities to improve spend management and drive best value for the Trust.
• Have a key relationship and line of accountability to the Deputy Director of Finance, through an agreed contract to ensure delivery of the Trust procurement's key procurement objectives.
• Ensure an efficient and effective Trust wide procurement service which delivers quality, value and fit for purpose goods and services, making recommendations for service improvements and enhancements to the NHS SBS Head of Strategic Procurement Delivery.
• Be responsible for the development and implementation of the Trusts procurement strategy and the delivery of an annual Trust wide procurement plan.
• Build strong and effective relationships with key client stakeholders, including Trust Executive Directors to ensure financial improvement programmes are met.
• Be responsible for the creation and implementation of an annual procurement plan to deliver agreed savings and qualitative benefits aligned to the Trusts Divisions Cost Improvement Plans and Integrated Business Plans.
• Ensure system integration with NHSE and Regional colleagues to communicate and implement national and regional collaborative procurement strategies.
• Engage stakeholders to ensure procurement practice across the Trust is fully considered and reflected in all corporate and clinical strategies.

What you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience in procurement, ideally in an NHS organisation able to understand the strategic objectives and support the goals of the client.
• Well-developed procurement leadership skills from strategic engagement to sourcing execution.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, comfortable in strategic engagement and influencing to enable strong outputs from a value-adding procurement service.
• Holding the professional diploma of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, with extensive and very significant highly developed specialist knowledge and senior experience in public procurement legislation.
• In-depth practical procurement experience to offer specialist strategic advice and guidance to the Trust senior management team.
• Provision of advice in relation to corporate governance issues relating to procurement and on the complex detail of European, national and international legislation.
• Experience of PCR 2015, EU/UK regulations and company policies, Provider Selection Regime and the New Procurement Act 2023 is beneficial.
• Ability to use theoretical and practical knowledge, judgement, commercial and technical skills to support the negotiation of high value, complex contracts.
• Extensive and highly significant experience gained at a senior management/strategic role working in a complex organisation.
• A proven capability to manage a diverse personal portfolio of work, meeting and exceeding targets set whilst leading others to deliver against their own objectives.
• Ability to demonstrate strategic thinking in complex areas.

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Location: Hybrid – Cambridge onsite twice weekly

Salary: Up to £70k depending on experience

Benefits: £5,400 car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private medical, life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund.

Although this role is advertised as full-time, we believe that flexibility at work can promote work/life balance, increase your motivation, reduce stress and improve performance and productivity. We support different ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements.

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) was created by the Department of Health and Social Care to deliver corporate services to the NHS. A unique joint venture with Sopra Steria, we make life easier for NHS employees, patients, and suppliers, and deliver value for money to the taxpayer.