Senior Procurement Manager

Job summary

This is an opportunity to make a real impact on how we deliver commercial activity across the Planning Inspectorate. You’ll work at the heart of the organisation, helping shape commercial approaches that deliver value for money and support our wider strategic priorities.

You’ll have the opportunity to influence stakeholders, explore new approaches to procurement and build productive relationships with suppliers and partners. Your commercial expertise will help us make informed decisions, improve how we work and get the best value from our contracts.

You’ll join a collaborative team where ideas are welcomed and you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to improvements across the organisation while continuing to develop your own commercial expertise.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. Our work has a direct impact on people’s lives, the communities they live in and the economy. We are committed to creating a flexible, collaborative workplace and continually looking for new ways to improve how we deliver our services.

Please note - This recruitment campaign is for two Senior Procurement Manager posts: one permanent appointment and one fixed-term maternity cover appointment for up to 12 months.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Job description

You’ll lead commercial activity across allocated areas of the organisation, working closely with colleagues to understand their needs and develop procurement approaches that support wider priorities. You’ll provide commercial advice throughout the procurement and contract lifecycle, helping colleagues understand their options, manage risk and make informed decisions.

You’ll develop procurement strategies, explore routes to market and contract models, and work with suppliers and contract managers to support effective contract delivery. You’ll use performance information and feedback to identify opportunities to improve value for money, deliver efficiencies and strengthen commercial outcomes.

Building effective relationships will be an important part of the role. You’ll work with colleagues across the organisation, suppliers and government partners to encourage collaboration, influence commercial decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.

You’ll be accountable for ensuring the commercial activity you lead is well managed, appropriately documented and compliant with relevant procurement legislation, government controls and organisational requirements. You’ll take ownership of commercial decisions and help ensure contracts and procurement activity deliver effective outcomes and value for money.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is offered at SEO grade with a salary of £47,564, plus a Procurement Allowance for professionally qualified candidates.

The allowance is £1,210 for those part-qualified at MCIPS Level 4, rising to £3,630 for those fully qualified at MCIPS Level 6.

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, Part time at 30 hours or above, flexible working hours policy available.

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based in our contemporary, eco-friendly Bristol office, ideally situated just a 15-minute walk from Temple Meads train station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and take a flexible approach to in-person attendance, which may vary depending on the requirements of individual business units. Further details can be discussed with candidates invited to interview.

Person specification

We will assess your application against the Essential Criteria listed:

Essential Criteria

• Experience of working within a regulated procurement environment, with responsibility for procurement and supplier relationship management of business critical and complex contracts.
• Commercial and procurement knowledge, including commercial appraisal, negotiation, relevant UK procurement regulations and awareness of significant cross government frameworks.
• Experience of analysing financial and non financial information to identify risks and options, make effective decisions and provide recommendations to senior colleagues.
• Written and verbal communication and influencing skills, including developing requirements and tender documentation and communicating complex commercial matters effectively at all levels, including Board level.
• Strategic thinking, with an understanding of the wider financial, resource and risk implications of commercial decisions and experience of anticipating and managing change across an organisation.
• CIPS Level 4 qualified or above, with a commitment to work towards full membership through supported training and development within agreed timescales following appointment.

For guidance on how to structure your application please visit: About the application process , Civil Service Careers

Qualifications

CIPS Level 4 qualified or above, with a commitment to work towards full membership through supported training and development within agreed timescales following appointment.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• If there are many applications, we might use a lead sift. This means we'll first check if you meet the key requirement listed below. If you don't, we won't review the rest of your application.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,564, Planning Inspectorate contributes £13,779 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year up to 30 days after 5 years, plus 1 privilege day to mark the King’s birthday. In addition to the normal bank holidays.
• Generous family friendly policies.
• Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 11 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our