Procurement and Contracts Officer - 37 Hours

Torbay Council is an organisation with purpose. As part of our ambitious commercial services function, you will play a vital role in helping the Council and its wholly owned companies deliver high quality services, secure best value, and support our communities.

As a Procurement and Contracts Officer, you will join a proactive and supportive team dedicated to transforming commercial practice, driving innovation, and strengthening supplier relationships across a diverse range of spend areas. This is an exciting opportunity for a procurement professional who wants to influence positive change and help shape the commercial landscape of Torbay.

In this engaging and varied position, you will:

• Lead and manage end to end procurement processes for a portfolio of contracts, including high value, high risk and complex procurements with a focus on Place and Capital.
• Provide specialist commercial advice across procurement, contract management and supplier relationship management.
• Ensure compliance with the Council’s Constitution, Public Contracts Regulations, and wider statutory obligations including social value, transparency, equality and sustainability.
• Support the development and delivery of commercial strategies, working collaboratively with Directorates, wholly-owned companies and external partners.
• Lead contract management activities including performance monitoring, risk management, change control, dispute resolution and contract variations.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers, local SMEs, voluntary and community sector partners, and public sector organisations.
• Contribute to embedding best practice, innovation, and continuous improvement across the Council’s commercial activities.
• Help develop commercial capability across the organisation through training, guidance and mentoring.

You will bring:

• Strong operational experience in procurement and contract management, ideally within the public sector.
• Excellent influencing, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to work autonomously, prioritise a varied workload and make evidence-based decisions.
• Strong knowledge of public procurement legislation, policy and best practice.
• Experience in tender management, market engagement, commercial evaluation and contract mobilisation.
• Confident communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to a range of audiences.
• A collaborative, adaptable mindset aligned with Torbay Council’s core values.

Torbay Council is committed to providing a supportive, rewarding and flexible work environment. The role supports hybrid and home-working arrangements and requires the ability to travel within Torbay and occasionally across the South West/UK.

If you’re an enthusiastic and professional commercial practitioner looking for a role where your work genuinely contributes to better outcomes for residents, businesses and communities — we’d love to hear from you. Join us and help shape Torbay’s future.

For an informal chat please contact Chanelle Busby on 07443 682724 or chanelle.busby@torbay.gov.uk. Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 20th April 2026. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Our adverts do sometimes close early - even where there’s a published deadline - so if you’re keen, please apply as soon as possible.

Skills Essential:

• Proven commercial skills including delivering or providing advice on:

• Commercial evaluation;
• Pre-market engagement and market analysis;
• Identification of appropriate routes to market and procurement procedures;
• Tender documentation drafting, including contract preparation;
• Tender analysis and evaluation;
• Managing and facilitating tender moderation sessions;
• Drafting Regulation 84 reports and award approval requests;
• Drafting outcome notification letters and supplier feedback;
• Contract mobilisation;
• Performance monitoring;
• Change control;
• Risk analysis, mitigation and management.

• Proven ability to work on and prioritise multiple projects across a diverse range of subject matters, dealing with conflicting and ever changing priorities.
• Proven influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills and the ability to use these skills when dealing with situations where there may be resistance to ensure compliance, improved performance and / or positive outcomes for all parties.
• Proven problem solving skills to facilitate:

• Identification of creative and innovative commercial solutions to meet Council needs and priorities;
• Identification of causes of contractual issues and the provision of informed and imaginative solutions to address them.

This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Knowledge Essential:

• Knowledge of contract clauses, contract formation and development, contract management and compliance.
• Specialist knowledge of the procurement cycle, methodologies and tender management.
• Knowledge and understanding of key commercial processes across diverse areas.
• Knowledge of e-procurement and e-tendering systems.

Experience & Qualifications Essential:

• Operational commercial experience of procurement and contract management.
• Demonstrable experience of working proactively within a commercial environment and the successful management of tenders and contracts.
• Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply or equivalent or 2 years’ experience in an operational procurement or commercial role.
• Educated to Degree level or equivalent or demonstrable academic or professional ability or experience in the relevant field.