Job summary
The East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub is looking for a Procurement Project Assistant to become an active member of the team, working closely with our category teams to support our customers across the NHS procurement landscape.
The Hub provides strategic purchasing support, procurement expertise and commercial skills to NHS and public-sector organisations and works in partnership with other regional procurement hubs to harness the benefits of cross-regional collaboration and reduce duplication of effort.
The role is hybrid, with time split between the Hub's office based in Cambridge and remote working. Some travel within the East of England region is required along with occasional travel to other areas.
Please visit our website for more information on how the Hub supports the NHS.
Main duties of the job
The is a new and diverse role which will be essential in supporting our procurement teams to provide strategic procurement support to NHS organisations across our categories.
You will support the category teams with a variety of projects, assisting with all stages of the procurement project process. You will research project areas, liaise with customers to establish requirements, support the tendering & mini-competition processes and maintain systems and records in a consistent manner across all categories. This role provides significant opportunities to develop your procurement knowledge and experience including customer and supplier relationship management.
The successful candidate will ideally have experience of working within a procurement environment. You will have good communication and interpersonal skills, be analytical and possess the ability to manage projects and work on your own initiative and a willingness to learn. A desire to work towards CIPS would be encouraged.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see full job description attached
Job responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Development
Support the Executive Team with maintaining a full workplan by actively identifying new opportunities.
Actively contribute to the development of services provided by the Hub, support the production of strategies, business cases and adherence to national policy & required approvals
.
Communication and Relationships
Support face to face and online engagement with internal and external stakeholders on a range of matters including: the procurement process; supplier briefings; fact finding, problem solving; negotiations, contract performance and communications
Use & maintain the CRM system in conjunction with category teams. Support category communications in conjunction with team members.
Support the preparation of information and materials for reports and business proposals for internal and external purposes.
Develop key relationships with colleagues and share information as appropriate.
Demonstrate collaborative behaviour in day-to-day activity.
Develop productive ongoing relationships with end users and suppliers in the form of specific stakeholder groups andtake a leading role in supplier/user negotiations.
Maintain effective supplier and provider partnership and relationship strategies.
Liaise with internal and external stakeholders regarding workplans and strategies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see full job description attached
Job responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Development
Support the Executive Team with maintaining a full workplan by actively identifying new opportunities.
Actively contribute to the development of services provided by the Hub, support the production of strategies, business cases and adherence to national policy & required approvals
.
Communication and Relationships
Support face to face and online engagement with internal and external stakeholders on a range of matters including: the procurement process; supplier briefings; fact finding, problem solving; negotiations, contract performance and communications
Use & maintain the CRM system in conjunction with category teams. Support category communications in conjunction with team members.
Support the preparation of information and materials for reports and business proposals for internal and external purposes.
Develop key relationships with colleagues and share information as appropriate.
Demonstrate collaborative behaviour in day-to-day activity.
Develop productive ongoing relationships with end users and suppliers in the form of specific stakeholder groups andtake a leading role in supplier/user negotiations.
Maintain effective supplier and provider partnership and relationship strategies.
Liaise with internal and external stakeholders regarding workplans and strategies.
Person Specification
Education & Qualification
Essential
- Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or appropriate professional institute or actively working towards or relevant experience.
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Recognised project management qualification or equivalent experience
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working in a procurement environment
- Knowledge of EU procurement legislation
- Knowledge of information analysis and reporting
- Knowledge of software packages e.g. Microsoft Excel; PowerPoint; and Word to produce charts, graphs; mathematical and logical formulas and presentations
Desirable
- Procurement experience gained within the NHS or other public-sector organisations.
Skills abilities
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to deliver projects to target (timescales and financial).
- Ability to manage multiple projects with minimal supervision
- Ability to analyse and evaluate data
- Ability to work on own initiative, making decisions and exercising a significant level of independent judgement.
- Ability to think laterally and problem solve.
- Ability to manage and prioritise own workload and to plan ahead.
- Ability to develop administrative systems and processes to support the efficient management of own work areas.
- Ability to produce comprehensive draft reports, data and letters
- Meets tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment with high levels of performance.
- Ability to travel to occasional meetings within and outside of the Region.
- General use of mouse and keyboard and manipulating documents.
Desirable
- Ability to negotiate, network and persuasive skills
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Supports and encourages enthusiastic teamwork.
- Willingness to implement new concepts.
- Self-confident and motivated
- Tact and diplomacy
- Values diversity
- Highly analytical
- Dependable
- Caring disposition
Person Specification
Education & Qualification
Essential
- Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or appropriate professional institute or actively working towards or relevant experience.
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Recognised project management qualification or equivalent experience
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working in a procurement environment
- Knowledge of EU procurement legislation
- Knowledge of information analysis and reporting
- Knowledge of software packages e.g. Microsoft Excel; PowerPoint; and Word to produce charts, graphs; mathematical and logical formulas and presentations
Desirable
- Procurement experience gained within the NHS or other public-sector organisations.
Skills abilities
Essential
- Good written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to deliver projects to target (timescales and financial).
- Ability to manage multiple projects with minimal supervision
- Ability to analyse and evaluate data
- Ability to work on own initiative, making decisions and exercising a significant level of independent judgement.
- Ability to think laterally and problem solve.
- Ability to manage and prioritise own workload and to plan ahead.
- Ability to develop administrative systems and processes to support the efficient management of own work areas.
- Ability to produce comprehensive draft reports, data and letters
- Meets tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment with high levels of performance.
- Ability to travel to occasional meetings within and outside of the Region.
- General use of mouse and keyboard and manipulating documents.
Desirable
- Ability to negotiate, network and persuasive skills
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Supports and encourages enthusiastic teamwork.
- Willingness to implement new concepts.
- Self-confident and motivated
- Tact and diplomacy
- Values diversity
- Highly analytical
- Dependable
- Caring disposition
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
