Procurement and Contracts Manager

Diverse Academies has an exciting opportunity for a Procurement and Contracts Manager to join our team in Retford and help us to continue to build and embed a robust procurement function across our trust.  The successful candidate will be responsible for liaising with key internal stakeholders to determine their product and service requirements, identifying spending and saving prospects, seeking opportunities to ensure best value on day to day spend and building strong relationships with providers. Term Time only, Part Time or flexible working will be considered.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience of developing and implementing procurement practices, coupled with proven successful project management and contract negotiation skills.

Diversity is core to our trust. Across our fourteen primary, secondary and special academies, we believe that all of our children and young people should be given the very best chance in life to progress. Collectively, we share and co-develop best practice for the benefit of all our academies. Whatever the size and shape of the academy, the accomplishment and development of each individual student is at the heart of what we do. We believe that this is best achieved through maintaining and developing each academy’s own unique identity and individual characteristics.

Our team of educational and operational experts provide support and guidance, and challenge accepted professional thinking. We empower our colleagues to enable our students and pupils to meet the highest possible standards, and we recognise that all our staff have a role in improving student outcomes. We have an established framework of core principles and practice to which all our academies subscribe, which are developed and agreed on in collaboration.  We are looking for a qualified Procurement professional to join this team, with the following skills and experience: 

• Experience of implementing and embedding best practice procurement processes and procedures
• Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to engage, negotiate and manage key stakeholders and suppliers
• Strong and confident negotiator with the ability to influence at all levels
• Provide leadership in the delivery of strategic sourcing and programme development across the trust
• Lead and deliver robust spend analysis, sourcing project prioritisation, strategic sourcing solutions and the development of service delivery plans
• Take sole ownership of the full procurement lifecycle by leading on the development of sourcing plans, compliant tender documentation and overseeing tender evaluationthrough to contract award, in as efficient a timescale as possible
• Develop in depth market knowledge through internal / external research and analysis apply this to smart sourcing/savings opportunities
• Take ownership of timely reporting and sign off, communications and liaison with colleagues and clients. 

You'll also be responsible for updating our supplier onboarding process, identifying inconsistencies, complexities and supplier risks and helping to support on-going supplier relationships.  We will look to your in depth knowledge and procurement expertise to question our existing approaches, defining new and fit for purpose approaches where required.

In return we offer: 

• Full support and induction
• Excellent CPD opportunities
• Salary sacrifice schemes
• A strong caring ethos
• Enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• A well-being package
• Networking opportunities across the Diverse Academies 

If you would like more information about the role or have any questions please contact Andrew Wilson, Head Of Estates & Facilities Management - awilson@dalp.org.uk

Link to apply :

https://dalp.careers.eteach.com/o/procurement-and-contracts-manager  

Application through:

https://dalp.careers.eteach.com/o/procurement-and-contracts-manager

The Diverse Academies and its Governors are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in their care and expects everybody working for the organisation to share this commitment.  To this end we actively seek DBS enhanced clearance check for everybody that is employed by us.