Workforce Alliance Engagement Manager

Job responsibilities

Job summary

The East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (the Hub) is a collaborative NHS organisation that works with customers by using procurement and commercial expertise to drive value and efficiencies across the NHS. Our purpose is to provide creative procurement solutions, strategic purchasing support and specialist knowledge to the member NHS trusts and publicly funded bodies who are out customers. As part of the NHS ourselves, our fundamental aim is to save the NHS money whilst improving patient care. Collaboration is key to achieving this.

Every member of the award-winning, not for profit Hub team works collaboratively, playing their part in:

• fostering partnerships local, system and regional
• meetings customers procurement needs
• delivering cash-releasing savings and efficiencies
• reducing duplication
• improving patient care
• driving healthcare innovation

The Hub is hosted by West Suffolk NHS FT, providing the legal entity for the operation of the Hub and is the employer of all our staff.

The postholder will provide a communications support service for the NHS Workforce Alliance (WA) for both routine and project work. The WA communications team comprises of staff from across the five WA partner organisations and provides a full range of services from communications plans, writing for different audiences, media relations, internal communications, social marketing and the maintenance of communications channels (social media, website).

As an Engagement Manager you will lead the delivery of effective working relationships with organisations from the immediate wider health system and social care, including Integrated Care Systems (ICSs); NHS trusts, regulatory bodies; DHSC, our strategic partners and local authorities. Improving customer satisfaction through engagement, ensuring the needs of different customers, sectors and collaborations are identified. Whilst also developing strategies and plans to meet requirements.

Identifying new business opportunities for the hub and maximising customer adoption of core and non-core services to achieve Hub business targets. You will support collaboration across health and social care. Identifying requirements and opportunities including those arising from white papers, legislation, and national, regional, and local priorities.Providing business intelligence across the health landscape, including customer challenges and opportunities and work across the Hubs categories and with our strategic partners.

Job purpose

• Responsible for the strategic direction of the allocated procurement category/ies in order to implement the Hub strategy and vision.
• Responsible for the allocated category team/s delivering the expected outcomes of the Hubs Business Plans including Activity Based Income (ABI) targets in line with the agreed targets to enable the Hub to operate profitably and minimise member contributions.
• Key member of the Senior Team that inputs into the overall direction and strategy of the Hub and acts as a role model in support of organisational purpose, vision, values, objectives and behaviour.
• Presents the Hub as a progressive, proactive, responsive and innovative organisation with a purpose to improve peoples lives through procurement excellence.
• Responsible for service delivery of the allocated procurement category/ies, ensuring processes and systems are performance managed to meet customer needs.
• Responsible for monitoring customer satisfaction levels with managed category service levels and for implementing corrective interventions when required to ensure the delivery of high-quality services.
• Develop and maintain networks and relationships with a wide range of national, regional and local stakeholders including those within regulatory bodies, local authorities and customer organisations. Identify opportunities to develop new relationships which are of benefit to the Hub and its customers.

Job responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Development

• Lead on the development of the 3-5 year strategic plan for allocated categories and ensure that performance management systems are operating effectively to meet governance and achieve goals.

• Support the Executive Team with developing the strategic direction of the organisation through Business Planning process and participate in the weekly Heads of Department management group meeting.

• Develop and lead a range of Procurement and Commercial activities that improve value for money within all NHS trust and ICS supply chains.

• Interpret complex national long-term strategies and initiatives, assess their impact on customers, priorise and plan medium and long term milestones and action plans.

• Use information from customer engagement processes to inform business planning and development processes to ensure that current and future customer needs can be met.

• Identify opportunities for business development and income generation, including producing detailed business cases and business development strategies for consideration by the Hub Executive Team.

• Meet customer requirements by demonstrating best value for money by driving a population based approach to procurement.
• Ensure processes are in place to allow for effective, collaborative procurements, trials, and long-term plans for standardisation using evidence-based and innovative practice across the health economy of the region. Work with relevant clinical and stakeholder groups across health systems.

Category Management

• Lead, develop and coordinate a range of procurement activities. Develop policies and procedures to support procurement activities across the Hub, customer organisations, sectors and health systems.
• Ensure the provision of value for money services which meet the priorities of the customer base. Meet customer requirements through procurement excellence and compliance with category and organisational priorities.
• Develop and co-ordinate the delivery of Hub services across complex customer groupings and health systems to support the collaboration and efficiency agenda.
• Proactively lead and strategically manage highly complex and multiple programmes; develop collaborative relationship management regimes with suppliers.
• Ensure customer agreement with key category strategies/annualised work plans and integrated planning across national, regional and local strategies.
• Monitor customer satisfaction levels with the category services provided. Ensure appropriate measures are implemented by the category team to maintain and improve satisfaction levels.
• Provide senior level advice and expertise in all areas of procurement activity, including highly complex areas which involve detailed and developed category and legislative knowledge.
• Ensure that processes are in place to continually evaluate all services through accurate benchmarking and undertake formal contract review to enhance supplier performance.
• Undertake complex contractual negotiations using commercial and contractual knowledge
• Strategically analyse data to identify major areas for cost savings and process improvements.
• Programme management of the tendering process from initial scoping to contract award in accordance with UK procurement directives and legislation, Standing Financial Instructions and governance procedures.
• Monitor suppliers against key performance indicators to ensure continual best value for money is achieved for the duration of the contract.
• Identify and manage risk throughout the procurement process.
• Ensure the categorys/ies procurement activities operate in full accordance with legal, environment and sustainability requirements.

Communication and Relationships

• Establish and maintain key communication links with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Chair cross-trust and ICS network groups to communicate and drive commercial activities, collaboration, generate ideas and drive actions that benefit the Hub and its customers.
• Identify and engage with established network groups within ICSs and the region, to promote and support Hub activity.
• Work with the Hubs Procurement Team in developing networks to input into projects.

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders through regular close contact and face to face meetings including Chief Executives, Chief Finance Officers, Sustainability and Transformation Partnership/Integrated Care System Procurement Leads and Senior Responsible Officers, Heads of Procurement, Directors of Human Resources, Chief Information Officers, and Chief Pharmacists to promote the value of Hub services the value of provide technical input into appropriate projects and category strategies.
• Organise and facilitate regular meetings with key stakeholders and suppliers. These include fact finding, problem solving, negotiations, contract performance and service delivery meetings.
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers to deliver procurement solutions to customers.
• Prepare and deliver presentations and business proposals. Audiences will include customers; suppliers; directors and senior clinical staff and topics may be complex; contentious; sensitive and emotive.

Education & Qualification

Essential

• Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or appropriate professional institute or relevant experience
• Formal education to degree or equivalent level

Desirable

• Post graduate qualification e.g. MBA

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Significant relevant senior procurement experience, including knowledge of structured procurement processes.
• Experience of relationship management with suppliers and customers
• Experience of building collaborative partnerships
• Significant experience in resolving issues and influencing people
• Experience in leading change management with groups and networks to achieve significant change.
• Knowledge of Trust Standing Financial Instructions, UK procurement directives and UK legislation, eg TUPE, Competition Act, Data Protection, Freedom of Information, etc

Desirable

• Exposure to NHS/public sector procurement.
• Understanding of the NHS landscape.
• Experienced project manager
• Significant experience of innovation and the ability to inspire and lead implementation of change management
• Business Development or CRM experience
• Skilled in dealing with and resolving conflict situations
• Experience of delivering business growth
• Experience of Audit/business assessment experience
• Experience of operating in a highly regulated environment
• Experience of financial accountable
• Experience of commercial accountability

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong Influencing and persuasion skills for highly complex or sensitive information and to facilitate contentious/antagonistic behaviours.
• Ability to lead and manage change impacting across individual and multiple organisations in environments which may not be receptive.
• Ability to develop networks and facilitate focus groups with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to form judgements on complex procurement issues and deal with conflicting ideas and develop strategies to manage change
• Ability to interpret policies and guidelines and explain often highly complex and sensitive information to colleagues and customers.
• Ability to challenge the norm and encourage others to think outside the box and seek creative and effective solutions.
• Ability to generate solutions to complex problems.
• Ability to manage high level of workload, multiple complex programmes, and projects
• Advanced negotiation skills
• Ability to thrive on ambiguity
• Attitude for dealing with many issues concurrently
• Strategic thinker who can translate strategy into implementation yet retain focus.
• Ability to frequently travel to meetings and customer sites across England and occasionally further'.
• IT skills to manage email and use Excel for data analysis and PowerPoint to produce presentations.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Demonstrates confidence and resilience.
• Self-critical and continually developing.
• Demonstratable ability to exercise sound judgement
• Strong persuasion and influencing skills.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).