Senior Procurement Officer – AR

Location: Northampton, West Northamptonshire Council
Contract: 12 weeks
Hours: 37 hours per week
Rate: £360.35 per day PAYE / £500 per day umbrella
IR35: Inside IR35
Working Arrangement: Predominantly remote, with a minimum of one day per week on-site
Start Date: ASAP

About the Role

West Northamptonshire Council is seeking an experienced Senior Procurement Officer to support its Corporate Finance and Procurement Team, with a particular focus on housing asset investment, construction, property maintenance and refurbishment contracts.

The successful candidate will lead end-to-end procurement activities, helping the council move away from existing interim arrangements and establish longer-term contracts for planned maintenance, building repairs and refurbishment works.

Working closely with senior property leads, housing asset managers and other stakeholders, you will develop procurement strategies, manage tender processes and ensure contracts deliver value for money while meeting public-sector procurement requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement processes for housing maintenance, planned works, refurbishment and construction contracts.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies for housing asset investment programmes.
• Prepare tender documentation, specifications, evaluation criteria and procurement project plans.
• Manage tender exercises and coordinate supplier evaluations through to contract award.
• Advise senior managers and stakeholders on procurement strategies, commercial risks and value for money.
• Ensure procurement activity complies with relevant UK legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023, and council policies.
• Work with suppliers and internal teams to identify cost savings, improve efficiency and maintain service continuity.
• Monitor supply markets, benchmark costs and identify opportunities to improve procurement outcomes.
• Apply relevant construction contract knowledge, including JCT, NEC or TPC forms.

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience managing procurement projects involving construction, housing maintenance, planned works or property refurbishment.
• Experience delivering complex or multi-stakeholder procurement projects from planning through to contract award.
• Strong knowledge of public-sector procurement processes and the Procurement Act 2023.
• Working knowledge of construction contract forms such as JCT, NEC or TPC.
• Experience using e-procurement systems and managing tender documentation and evaluation processes.
• Strong negotiation, stakeholder management and commercial skills, with a focus on value for money.
• A degree and/or full MCIPS professional membership, or currently studying towards it, as specified in the person specification.
• Confident using Microsoft 365 and handling information securely.

Desirable Background: Local authority or housing association procurement experience, particularly involving housing asset investment, planned maintenance and refurbishment programmes.

Interview Process

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams.