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 Hubs 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

Job summary

The East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (the Hub) is a collaborative NHS organisation that works with customers by using procurement and commercial expertise to drive value and efficiencies across the NHS. Our purpose is to provide creative procurement solutions, strategic purchasing support and specialist knowledge to the member NHS trusts and publicly funded bodies who are out customers. As part of the NHS ourselves, our fundamental aim is to save the NHS money whilst improving patient care. Collaboration is key to achieving this.

Every member of the award-winning, not for profit Hub team works collaboratively, playing their part in:

fostering partnerships local, system and regional

meetings customers procurement needs

delivering cash-releasing savings and efficiencies

reducing duplication

improving patient care

driving healthcare innovation

The Hub is hosted by West Suffolk NHS FT, providing the legal entity for the operation of the Hub and is the employer of all our staff.

As a Procurement Project Assistant, you will provide an effective and professional procurement service that delivers on-going cost efficiencies and benefits to the Hub. Leading on a number of strategic sourcing sub-categories and supporting sourcing plans set out by the project manager. The post holder will collate and analyse multiple complex data sets, produce management reports and provide project and administrative support for a range of specific and general areas of work.

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 and business cases.

Seek developments in the use of new services and products and support the coordination of any necessary research and /or trials.

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 and contract performance.

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 sourcing plans and strategies.

Leading Change

Support internal and external stakeholders with implementing change.

Recognise the need to engage stakeholders in discussions about proposed changes and encourage a collaborative approach.

Category Management

Operate within broad procurement policy but on specific sub-categories work independently and actively lead on specific category areas.

Support the delivery of projects and frameworks in accordance with plans.

Prepare sourcing plans, specifications, invitations to tender and quotations.

Analyse tender returns, develop the evaluation process and prepare tender reports.

Maintain accurate and up to date contract information.

Assist with data collection and validation, including, producing baselines for services.

Analyse spend data to identify trends and opportunities.

Identify and validate customer savings using multiple data sources.

Identify appropriate economies from the standardisation and rationalisation of services and products.

Actively support and participate in contract reviews and monitoring supplier performance.

Gain knowledge of customer requirements and provide cost effective solutions.

Provide advice on contracting and tendering for goods and servicesand support customer organisations with specific tendering processes.

Provide administrative support to team members to aid the delivery of services to customers.

Maintain an awareness of national procurement initiatives and the latest procurement legislation.

Undertake all procurement activities in full accordance with legal requirements (UK legislation, commercial and contract law), Trust Standing Financial Instructions, best practice procurement and environment and sustainability requirements.

Support the implementation of new procurement policies within the Hub and stakeholder organisations.

Undertake audits, surveys and research to inform planning, management and engagement processes.

Management and Performance

Assist with benefits tracking/compliance to monitor levels of savings achieved within the stakeholder organisations.

Maintain and update KPI data on contracts and suppliers.

Support the delivery of cost efficiencies and benefits in line with the Hubs objectives.

Ensure a programme of continuous professional development is achieved and participate in relevant training as required by the Hub.

Support the training and induction of new and existing staff.

Managing Resources

Monitor financial activity against plans and assist with the production of regular management reports.

Partnership Working

The Hub participates in strategic partnerships with NHS and public sector collaborative procurement organisations to improve efficiency. Activities include Hub team members working in collaboration with team members across the organisations developing joint strategies workplans and frameworks where there is a benefit to customers. Partnership working includes developing and providing services to customers located in geographical areas outside of the East of England on a regular basis.Support the Assistant Director of Procurement with programmes and projects on behalf of partnerships often impacting on large geographical areas and incorporating national initiatives.

Assist the Line Manager and wider procurement team in other aspects of the organisations business as required to support the organisations objectives, goals and values. Team members may be required to work in more than one category area to meet organisational needs and priorities.

Person Specification

Skill & 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

Experience

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.

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

Qualifications

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

Employer de
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C9179-23-4083-P