Procurement and Contracts Officer - 37 Hours in Torquay

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, so experience in procuring works contracts would be of benefit.
• 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. This position is for a fixed term of 12 months from the start date.

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

Skills:

• 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.

Knowledge:

• 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:

• 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.