Interim IT Buyer

About the Role

The postholder will provide a professional procurement service including, stakeholder engagement, tendering (compliant with Public Contracts Regulations 2015), commercial negotiation and supplier management. At all times ensuring that value for money is achieved and ensuring that procurement decisions consider financial, environmental, health & safety and ethical policies and regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with key stakeholders to develop sourcing strategies providing advice and guidance on potential procurement routes and evaluation approaches, having considered all key commercial and regulatory risks.
• Manage tendering activity in accordance with internal and external policies and regulations. Working in collaboration with key stakeholders, develop appropriate tender documentation ensuring sourcing projects are delivered efficiently and effectively. Provide advice on tender evaluation bidder engagement and lead tender evaluations through to positive tender outcomes
• To manage post tender clarifications and where permitted, negotiations, taking legal advice where required, with suppliers securing the best possible terms and conditions.
• Prepare post tender reports, management information reports and savings reports.
• Liaise with the key stakeholders, Deputy Procurement Manager and suppliers where required to ensure the correct contractual documents are developed with the purchase order.
• Proactively assess and resolve procurement queries and issues related to projects as required.
• Proactively build and maintain networks and working relationships with relevant stakeholders across the University at multiple levels to ensure there is full and considered engagement throughout the tendering processes through the use of appropriate verbal and written communications (e.g. meetings, phone, email, reports).
• Undertake specific tasks and projects at the request of the Procurement Manager and Deputy Procurement Manager

Skills and Experience

Essential
· Have experience of procuring IT software/systems

• Have broad procurement experience ideally gained in the HE/public sector with a large complex multi-site organisation.
• Have experience of working with staff at all levels to develop project sourcing strategies for key areas of spend.
• Have experience of preparing and drafting tender documentation for complex IT services under official EU procurement procedures (now PCR 2015)..
• Have experience or knowledge of public sector procurement and EU procurement Regulations (now PCR 2015).

• Have experience of reviewing, drafting and negotiation of commercial contractual documents and in particular software/licensing agreements.
• Knowledge of GDPR legislation and an understanding of information security requirements particularly in relation to purchasing cloud based software and services.
• Experience of using online tendering and purchasing systems (Intend)

Desirable

• CIPS Qualified
• Experience of working in higher education sector
• Experience of using sector wide consortia agreements

Please forward CVs in the first instance to Leigh Sproston