Procurement Manager
Bainisteoir Soláthair
(2 posts)

Can you provide a high quality, effective and professional procurement service which delivers value for money solutions?

Deadline for applications Please note that the deadline for submission of applications expires at 12 noon on Monday 1 February 2021.

Important information We are committed to providing equality of opportunity in employment and welcome applications from all suitably qualified applicants irrespective of gender, marital or family status, religious belief, political opinion, disability, age, race, nationality or sexual orientation. However, as males and Protestants are currently under-represented in this area, we would particularly welcome applications from males and Protestants.

The application process is now closed Please note that the deadline for applications expired at 12 noon on Monday 1 February 2021.

If you applied for this opportunity and would like to view your application you can do so by logging in to the application portal.

The Procurement Office develops policy and guidance in relation to procurement processes throughout the organisation and the post holders will be expected to support the development and monitoring of these.

Procurement Manager
Bainisteoir Soláthair

The main duties and responsibilities of the job are:

To provide a high quality, effective and professional procurement service which delivers value for money solutions for the Assembly Commission;
To deliver procurement services to a range of stakeholders;
To assist the various business areas to define their operational needs as they relate to third party support (suppliers);
To develop procurement and contract strategies in accordance with statutory and policy requirements (including the incorporation of sustainability aspects);
To ensure that all practices, policies and procedures in the Procurement Office are compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations and to keep these under review;
To lead staff to successfully deliver agreed objectives;
To manage staff who report to this post;
To ensure that there is an emphasis on continuous learning and development in the Procurement Office;
To effectively manage resources to meet business objectives;
To provide advice on public procurement policy and legislation;
To be fully conversant and lead the utilisation of e-procurement technologies, in particular those systems deployed by the Assembly Commission i.e. e-sourcing and e-evaluation and interface with the purchase to pay systems;
To contribute to the development, management and monitoring of the Assembly Commission’s procurement policies and procedures;
To engage with relevant industry groups and representatives to improve market knowledge;
To undertake the procurement advisor role in complex and strategic procurement projects working in conjunction with client teams and external advisors;
To effectively manage corporate and project specific risks in accordance with best practice techniques;
To provide support to Secretariat business areas to manage, monitor, evaluate and review contracts to ensure quality, value for money and compliance to contract terms and conditions;
To support and assist the Head of Procurement in the provision of a contract management service ensuring compliance across the Secretariat including involvement in contract reviews where the contracts are managed by lead buying areas and subsequently manage debriefing;
To support and assist the Head of Procurement in the engagement of external interests and potential contract / supplier organisations in procurement information seminars to alert them of forthcoming procurement exercises and the service requirements of the Secretariat business areas and subsequently ensuring a customer focus is maintained and Assembly Commission Customer Service Standards and Values are adhered to at all times;
To develop and maintain regular and effective communication with clients, particularly via the procurement liaison officer role;
To support and assist the Head of Procurement and the Director in ensuring the provision of Procurement Office assistance to internal stakeholders, to support the identification of the best method to meet the procurement need and advise and support Secretariat business areas on all aspects of procurement including business case development, specification writing, sourcing issues, competition protocols and risks and contract management;
To support and assist the Head of Procurement in the provision of Procurement Office support for Secretariat business areas with contract risk management tools and provision of stewardship statements in compliance with best procurement practice to ensure probity, efficiency, value for money and compliance with the Assembly Commission’s legal obligations;
To support and assist the Head of Procurement in relation to the duty to provide procurement related information and assurance to the Director of Legal, Governance and Research Services and to Secretariat Management Group (SMG) that all projects to develop, implement and monitor strategies are being managed, to the expected standards and targets;
To support and provide assistance in overseeing the management of financial, manpower and IT requirements of the Procurement Office to maintain continuous improvement of service levels and standards including determining, bidding, controlling and evaluating effective use of Assembly Commission resources;
To develop process mapping to provide key process guidance;
To provide support to the Head of Procurement in the interface between the Assembly Commission and external customers through provision of information including Assembly Questions and Freedom of Information requests in relation to procurement services;
To encourage and maintain professional membership of The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and attend as required by the Head of Procurement, the NI Public Procurement Practitioners Group, and Parliamentary Procurement Forum;
To comply with the Assembly Commission’s Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures; and
To carry out such other duties as the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.

Salary range: £44,601- £45,947 (under review)
The standard working week is 37 hours, excluding meal breaks (42 hours gross). Working hours will be dictated by the mode of operation of the Assembly and may involve work into late evenings, at weekends and on public holidays.
In addition to the usual public and privilege holidays, there is an annual leave allowance of 25 days, increasing incrementally by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days. Please be aware that a major influence in determining when leave can be taken will be the parliamentary timetable.

Applicants must, by the closing date for applications:

1. Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) and at least 2 years’ experience in each of the areas detailed at (a) – (d). Applications will also be considered from applicants who have membership of accredited procurement organisations considered to be equivalent to MCIPS.

2. At least 4 years’ experience in each of the areas detailed at (a) – (d).

The experience specified above at 1 and 2 must be in the following areas:

(a) Successfully leading and managing procurement exercises with individual values greater than £100,000 which were conducted under Public Procurement Regulations.

(b) Business case and specification development in professional support, understanding and defining of a client’s needs. This should include advising clients, at a senior level* within an organisation, on business cases, specifications, procurement strategies and risk management.

(c) Managing and prioritising a diverse workload including the use of technologies.

(d) Managing, developing and motivating staff to ensure effective service delivery and specific outcomes.

AND

3. A thorough knowledge and understanding of the relevant law, regulations and guidance relating to procurement e.g. Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and evidence of providing advice on these at a senior level* within an organisation.

Please note the successful applicant will be required to achieve Membership of CIPS within 18 months of appointment.

Quick Q&A for this job...

How much is the salary?

The salary range is £44,601- £45,947 (under review). This is an Assembly Grade 5 position.

What business area will I work in?

The Procurement Office is within the Legal, Governance and Research Directorate and forms an integral part of the Secretariat by providing professional purchasing expertise. The range of expertise and services provided by the Procurement Office include:

Provision and maintenance of procurement policies and procedures to be applied across the Secretariat.
Expertise in interpreting, negotiation and finalisation of purchasing contracts with a value of more than £30,000.
Support for Secretariat business areas to manage, monitor, evaluate and review supply and service contracts to ensure quality, value for money and compliance to contract terms and conditions.

Who would I report to?

The successful candidate will be accountable to the Head of Procurement Office.

Where is the job based?

The successful applicant will be based in Parliament Buildings, Belfast.

When is the closing date?

Completed application forms must be submitted by 12 noon on Monday 1 February 2021.

The Selection Process

Stages of the Selection Process

There are five elements within the Recruitment and Selection Framework:

Experience – the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

Ability – the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard.

Technical – the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.

Assembly Skills and Behaviours –the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.

Strengths – the things we do regularly, do well and that motivate us.

The elements which will be assessed for this role will be Experience, Technical, Assembly Skills and Behaviours and Strengths the selection method(s) that will be used are detailed below. Further information on the Recruitment and Selection Framework are included in the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Eligibility Sift

The essential criteria reflect the experience and knowledge that an applicant must possess in order to be able to undertake the role. An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the essential criteria section of the application form. You must therefore demonstrate clearly in your form how, and to what extent, you meet with the essential criteria for the post.

Shortlisting

The selection panel reserve the right to use shortlisting as part of the selection process for this post. Should shortlisting be used, the shortlisting criterion listed in the Job Specification will be applied. The selection panel reserve the right to set a minimum standard for the shortlisting criterion which applicants must achieve in order to be invited to the interview stage of the selection process. If shortlisting is not necessary, all applicants who have demonstrated the essential criteria will proceed to the next stage of the selection process.

Assessment Stage

As part of this stage of the selection process, applicants will be required to complete a written exercise. There will also be an interview, which will address the information contained in the Job Specification and will assess elements of the Recruitment and Selection Framework. The Assessment Stage will also include the delivery of a presentation. The subject of the presentation will be advised to the applicant on the day of the interview and the applicant will be expected to present information to the selection panel.

Further Interview Stage

The selection panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary.

Further information on the Recruitment and Selection process is available in the Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance on the Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Application Pack:
Procurement Manager
Bainisteoir Soláthair

Below you will find everything you need to apply for the position.

Read all the information about the job and the associated guidance related to working in the Assembly:

You are now ready to complete the online application:

Please note the application form will be unavailable on Saturday 21^stNovember between 00:00 – 09:00 due to maintenance on the system.

If you are unable to access the form during this time please try again later.

The deadline for applications expired at 12 noon on Monday 1 February 2021.

Further Information

If you require more information on the recruitment process, please contact the Human Resources Office on 02890 520327 or 02890 521869 or email recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk..

Visit our website for further information about the Assembly.

Good Luck