Our Team
Our Procurement and Contracts Management team take pride in delivering the right services at the right time, which directly effects public service to the residents of North Yorkshire, enabling North Yorkshire to be a thriving county, which adapts to a changing world and remains a special place for everyone to live, work and visit.
We have overall responsibility for all aspects of the procurement and contracting cycle, including policy, procedure and process. We currently spend around £420 million externally each year, this includes a wide range of goods, works and services. We use a variety of contracts, from simple purchase orders to long-term contractual agreements. We use a category management approach, where related expenditure is grouped together, using data, to create a better understanding of our buying needs and of what supply chains have to offer.
Our aim is to source more strategically, be more innovative and enable Council service managers and commissioners to get the most out of the market and supply chains. Our approach has been recognised as award winning. Winning the Procurement Leadership of the Year Award 2019 at the GO Awards, being Finalists in the Public Finance Awards 2020 and being highly commended for Team of the Year in Local Government at the Procurement Go awards 2020.
The Role
An exciting opportunity has arisen within our team for a number of Category Procurement Officers. You will be responsible for the delivery of a broad range of end to end procurement projects, working with stakeholders across both internal and external department’s to ensure that all procurement activities are fit for purpose and provide value for money.
The Council’s three Master Categories are:
Professional Category – covering the areas of Technology & Change, Learning & Development, Catering, Finance, Human Resources, Consultancy, Strategic Resources and Schools.
People Category – covering the areas of Health & Adult Social Care, Children’s & Young People’s Services, Public Health and Social Care.
Place Category – covering the areas of the built environment, from works construction, repair and maintenance (for buildings to civil engineering and highways) to environmental services (waste management to weather forecasting) to highways equipment and materials to utilities (including electricity, gas and fuel oils) etc.
As a Category Procurement Officer, you will provide procurement resource to support and advise internal and external partners across your category to assist in the delivery of the Council’s procurement objectives to meet the requirements of the organisation.
You must have in-depth knowledge, experience and understanding of public procurement legislation, including UK and European rules and procedures, and a relevant degree, or a professional qualification related to procurement (e.g. CIPS) or equivalent knowledge and experience.
Working in a team who foster a friendly and professional working environment you will bring a high standard of self-discipline, be enthusiastic and able to demonstrate that you can communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders.
Flexible Working Opportunities
As an organisation, we strongly believe in promoting a work life balance, with flexible working opportunities and modern technology you will be able to deliver your role to suit both your personal and our business needs. Our core hours are Monday to Friday 08:30 to 17:00, with the additional benefit of collating flexi hours. As an organisation we offer hybrid working. Please note the office base for this role is County Hall, Northallerton.
Benefits for Working for us
We can offer you a range of employee benefits including a competitive salary, generous leave entitlement, flexible working hours, a government pension scheme as well as a variety of retail discounts. We are also committed to developing our staff through on the job experience and professional training opportunities.
As a council, we benefit from access to modern technology which has enabled us to work from home pre, during and post the Covid-19 pandemic. These opportunities are no exception and successful candidates will be fully enabled to; work from home, their office base with the opportunity to work across the region and beyond.
Contact and apply
For an informal conversation about the post please contact Rachel Woodward, Head of Procurement and Contract Management via email [email protected] .
It is important that your CV includes: your full contact details (telephone, email, address), full employment history (name of employer, job titles, dates of employment and salary), full education history (qualification, grade, dates and place of study), explanation of any gaps in employment and the contact details of at least two referees including your current / most recent employer indicating whether you consent to us contacting each referee prior to interview.
Your personal statement should outline your motivation for applying and how you meet the criteria for the role.
Key dates
Closing date: Sunday 15th May
Interviews will be held on the week commencing 23rd May
Interviews will be held at County Hall, Northallerton
Whilst you are applying for a vacancy with an individual district, Borough or the County Council, if successful, you will become an employee of this council only up to March 2023. From April 2023 your employment contract will migrate to a newly formed unitary Council. Whilst the change to form one organisation can bring the feeling of uncertainty, the vast majority of staff will be unaffected.
