Buyer - Procurement

Job Overview

Buyer - Lancashire Procurement Cluster (LPC)

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an ambitious, motivated, and enthusiastic individual to join our procurement team. You will be an excellent communicator for the department to ensure we provide an effective and efficient operational procurement service across all areas of the LPC.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Main responsibilities within the attached job description and person specification.

Main Duties

The post holder will take direction from the Operations Team Manager but also work independently and proactively to:

• Process requisitions for internal and external stakeholders onto the selected Procurement purchasing systems.
• Deal with reported discrepancies, shortages, and returns for internal and external stakeholders in a proactive but diplomatic manner.
• Operate within the LPC Policies and Procedures and display a high standard of professional conduct with stakeholders and suppliers. Report any problems or difficulties that cannot be resolved immediately.
• Assist and support the other members of the procurement team in ensuring customer satisfaction with the service.
• Provide cover for other members of the procurement team (such as annual leave/sickness) as and when required.
• On occasion, this role may involve cross-site working or travel to other NHS external organisations for training or work purposes.
• Any other duties within the general scope of the post and appropriate to the grading. Change of duties will be discussed with the postholder before implantation.
• The contents of this post will be reviewed with the post holder in the light of future development of the Buyer role.
• Support budget holders in managing their budgets for allocated projects and providing regular update reports against agreed timescales.
• Record efficiencies in the form of savings from budget and inflation/cost avoidance.
• Evaluate and deliver the best value procurement process for acquisitions for the LPC Stakeholders by use of different sourcing options for a range of goods and services.
• Build up product knowledge from the supplier base and introduce alternative products to internal and external stakeholders as opportunities to save money.
• Responsible for assisting with quotation exercises and cost analysis for the purchase of goods and services for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Liaise with the NHS Supply Chain and suppliers to ensure that best pricing has been secured.
• Provide reports and other data to procurement team members to assist in identifying items to be considered for standardisation of products or to identify lower-cost alternatives. To assist with and where appropriate lead the subsequent implementation of such agreed changes.
• Produce management reports from the procurement purchasing systems. Schedule and analyse the data to provide internal stakeholders with statistics for developing and monitoring spend and stock-holding levels and future product switching and saving opportunities.
• Liaise with the procurement team internally and externally to ensure that only standardised products are ordered.
• Work with colleagues in the procurement team to support the delivery of the procurement strategy and balanced scorecard objectives through the work plan.
• Working closely with partner Trusts, to analyse spending, control expenditure, understand markets, and identify savings opportunities.
• Developing appropriate procurement documents via the tendering system and assisting in setting up the award evaluation system.
• Co-ordination of quotations and tenders ensuring that there is compliance with Trust Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.
• Ensure that all contract data is captured on the LPC-wide contract register.
• Provide excellent customer service to service users across the Lancashire Procurement Cluster Trusts and customer trusts.
• Work with stakeholders, finance and procurement colleagues with resolving and processing invoice queries.
• Support stakeholders with product sourcing.
• Creating catalogues and catalogue management.
• Assist stakeholders to understand both Trust and Public Procurement rules.
• Provide helpdesk duties in the form of e-mails and telephone calls.
• Train and support other members of the team.
  
  
  

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Good general standard of education including Mathematics and English Language GCSE Grace C/level 4 or equivalent
• Participation or willingness to participate in continuing development to improve and update knowledge
• Procedures and practices, the majority of which are non-routine apply to jobs requiring knowledge of all the relevant administrative procedures, plus knowledge of how to deal with a range of non-routine activities, such as work allocation, problem-solving for a team or area of work, as well as answering queries and progress chasing, developing alternative or additional procedures
• Educated to level 4 foundation degree/HNC or NVQ level 4 in business/finance or relevant experience.
  
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Level 2, Level 3 or Level
  
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working with clients/stakeholders to deliver projects or agreed service level.
• Experience working in a busy, target-driven team
  
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience in procurement or operational purchasing, expediting, logistics, or materials management.
• Experience of working within a Finance or Accountancy team.
• Experience working within logistics or with suppliers
  
  
  

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• IT literate with well-developed skills in the use and application of information technology systems (especially MS Office products)
• Good communication and skills (written & oral) with the ability to work positively with colleagues.
• Evidence of analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on delivering results.
  
  
  

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria

• Commitment to continuous improvement of Self, Team and LPC performance.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
  
  
  

Other

Desirable criteria

• Must have access to a Vehicle for work purposes and able to work between sites.
• Able to flexibly work across all Trust locations on occasion