Procurement and Contracts Manager

Summary

The Harris Federation have an exceptional opportunity for a qualified and experienced professional to join us and work collaboratively with colleagues to deliver operational excellence within our corporate services function.

We are seeking to recruit a Procurement and Contracts Manager who has strong negotiation skills, and who can think strategically and effectively assess and manage risk. The Procurement and Contracts Manager will work as part of the Federation’s Commercial Team and will use their experience to oversee all procurement and contract management across the Federation, thus supporting our academies to provide the best possible education for our children with the resources available.

Reporting to the Head of Procurement and working alongside our academy-based teams we require an individual who is a great team player, has excellent communication skills and has a flexible approach to work. The role will be based in our head office in Croydon. We are interested to hear from qualified professionals that have gained experience ideally in Education or a similar industry.

We offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days either with the team at our office in East Croydon or visiting one of our academies.

About Us

We are a pioneering education charity, and one of the leading multi-academy trusts in the country. We have a track record of taking on some of the most challenging schools in London, turning them into places where every young person can access a high-quality education and have opportunities to succeed.

Educating 1 in 41 young people in London, we now have 52 primary and secondary academies transforming the life chances and opportunities of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Harris Federation has a track record of accomplishment in achieving success through rapid school improvement and has built an unrivalled reputation for running outstanding academies in London.

Our central team comprises a dedicated, driven group of departments working centrally to provide support across the Federation and all of our academies. Across a multitude of key departments, we maintain expertise all integral to supporting central and academies in areas such as Finance, HR, Data, Estates Management, Talent and many more.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• Working with the Head of Procurement, developing and implementing the procurement strategy for the Federation, analysing and interpreting spend data and information from academies in line with the Federation’s vision and values
• Helping to maintain the appropriate procurement policies and procedures in place and to ensure compliance with current Public Contracts Regulations and The Academies Trust Handbook
• Assisting in maintaining an accurate and up to date register of all live contracts across the Federation
• Providing oversight and guidance to support effective management of contracts and take responsibility for the management of key Federation or regional level contracts, such as FM (including regular quality assurance/review meetings)
• End to end procurement and category/contract management for FM services, lettings, general goods, and services (such as white goods, first aid, fire extinguishers etc) and other ad hoc categories assigned by the Head of Procurement
• Mentoring junior members of the team to develop their understanding of public procurement and contract management
• Managing procurement processes and lead procurement related projects to deliver compliant and effective outcomes for the Federation
• Leading on tenders and EU procurement, where applicable, to ensure adherence to procurement legislation
• Providing system and procedural training to key Federation and academy-based staff to promote good practice and reduce risk to the Federation
• Providing guidance and support to colleagues who undertake low level procurement activities to ensure compliance with Federation procedures and legislative requirements, ensuring value for money

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• A degree and/or professional qualification relevant to the post and/or equivalent learning through professional experience
• Membership, or working towards membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS)
• A minimum of three years’ experience of leading and managing a range of compliant procurement activities, including drafting tender and contract documentation to effectively manage commercial risk
• Experience of undertaking analysis of spend, markets, supplier trends and capabilities
• Experience of supplier due diligence and auditing to ensure suppliers meet the high ethical standards in line with the vision and values of the Federation
• Experience of awarding and managing contracts across a range of goods, works and services to ensure the Federation receives value for money during the life of the contract.
• Experience of providing advice and support to colleagues at all levels on good practice in contracting and purchasing
• Strong working knowledge of public sector procedures and regulations, including EU directives, in relation to procurement and contract management
• Robust knowledge of procurement metrics and systems with proven ability of setting, monitoring and achieving KPIs
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including to distil complex information into clear and easily understood reports
• Excellent project management skills with experience of successfully managing a number of complex individual projects
• Good general IT skills, and able to demonstrate effective its effective use within the role
• High emotional resilience and intelligence in order to drive significant change in a sensitive manner
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work with and influence staff and stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to work under pressure, with accuracy, unsupervised and on own initiative
• Ability to prioritise and manage conflicting demands
• Willingness to travel across the Federation’s academies
• Is adaptable to change/embraces and welcomes change
• Personal vision is aligned with the Harris Federation’s high aspirations and expectations of self and others
• Genuine passion and a belief in the potential of every student
• Motivation to continually improve standards, service and achieve excellence above norms

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan including access to a virtual GP, electric car scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays) for staff who work across the full year, and many other benefits.

Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.