Royal Borough of Greenwich is looking to recruit a Head of Procurement to lead the newly formed Strategic Procurement function and to help the Council to achieve its ambitious Procurement and Social Value Agenda.
The Royal Borough spend approximately £400m on procured services and is looking to ensure that, as well as Value for Money, the best possible outcomes are secured for Greenwich as a whole. We are striving to make all our key support services “enabling and solution focused”. Therefore, we are looking for someone who will work collaboratively with colleagues within the Finance & Legal Services Directorate as well as across the Council to achieve outcomes which are in the best interests of the Council.
Job Role
The Royal Borough of Greenwich is transforming its approach to procurement. Like all local authorities the Council is under increasing financial pressure. Everything it does and delivers must ensure best value for money including the external services which it procures. The Council also recognises the impact which these services can have on residents’ lives and so has implemented a new strategy to establish social value as a core procurement principle to ensure that every one of its service achieves the best possible outcome for residents across the borough. It is vital that a professional, knowledgeable and proactive procurement team is in place to support the entire Council to effectively manage that spend.
The Council’s procurement team will play the central role in guiding and advising other departments to achieve those twin objectives of achieving both socially and financially valuable procurements. The Head of Procurement, working to the Assistant Director of Corporate Finance, will hold the overall responsibility for leading the procurement team to achieve that challenging and evolving agenda. They will act as the lead procurement professional for the Council. They will provide leadership and direction to the procurement team to support departments across the Council to develop procurement practices which maximise value for money and deliver clear social value.
To achieve this, the Head of Procurement will lead on coordinating complementary procurement activity across a range of services ensuring that corporate value for money and social value are the priorities throughout the process, they will collaborate with Service Departments and other key enabling support services to develop and maintain rolling procurement plans which ensure that individual procurement processes are managed to continually maximise social value benefits and value for money.
The Head of Procurement will also develop, maintain and set all procurement standards across the Council to give service departments a clear procurement framework in which to work. They will also be responsible for ensuring that there is efficient and effective monitoring and reporting of all procurement activity against the Council’s objectives of achieving the greatest possible financial and social value.
The ideal candidate will need:
- Detailed understanding of all principles of procurement best practice, including the legal, finance and business implications of effective procurement.
- Detailed knowledge of a local authority’s legislative procurement responsibilities.
- Detailed knowledge of how a local authority operates (e.g. decision-making process, political requirements etc.).
- Degree level qualification in Procurement and/or a Related field or evidence of a level of equivalent experience.
- Become part of a team that influences change by transforming its approach to procurement and provides outstanding service to officers and stakeholders across the authority.
- The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues within the Finance & Legal Services Directorate as well as across the Council to achieve outcomes which are in the best interests of the Council.
- Be a part of the transformation and culture change that is, and continues to be pivotal, in taking the authority forward to embrace the challenges that lay before us.
If you can recognise the impact which these services can have on the lives of its residents’ and wish to work tirelessly in implementing a strategy to establish social value as a core procurement principle. As well as to ensure that every one of its Services achieves the best possible outcome for residents across the borough. Then this is the job for you.
Finally we pride ourselves on being a team that do not just work together but trust and support each other. So if you want to be a member of the team then you need to Apply now!
As part of the selection process, you will need to explain how you meet the key requirements for this role listed in the advert. When explaining how you meet each of the requirements, please give examples that clearly demonstrate your skills, knowledge and experience. When writing your examples give a brief description of the situation or task but focus on the actions you took and the result of your actions.
For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Michael Bate via email [email protected]
or telephone on – 07922 387236
To apply please click the Apply Now link below.
