Procurement Manager

Start date: to be agreed with successful candidate

Are you an experienced procurement professional ready to make a significant impact across a high-performing multi academy trust? The GORSE Academies Trust is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Procurement Manager to lead the trust's end-to-end procurement lifecycle and drive excellent commercial outcomes.

As a key member of the central finance and operations team, you will ensure that all procurement activity is compliant with UK public procurement legislation, the Academy Trust Handbook, and internal financial procedures, while delivering strong value for money and robust governance across our academies.

Working closely with the CFO, Principals and central team Directors, you will lead the development and continuous improvement of the trust's procurement strategy, manage the trust-wide contract register, support major commercial agreements, and provide expert advice that ensures consistent, effective and compliant purchasing practices across the organisation.

This role would suit for someone who:

• Has experience leading complex, high-value procurements from end-to-end.
• Understands public sector procurement, including use of frameworks, tendering, evaluation and contract mobilisation.
• Has a strong grasp of relevant regulations, including the Procurement Act 2023, DfE Buying for Schools guidance and the Academy Trust Handbook.
• Is commercially astute, analytical and confident in managing suppliers, contracts and commercial negotiations.
• Can build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Is highly organised, detail-oriented and committed to maintaining audit ready standards.
• Enjoys improving systems, processes and tools to embed best practice trust wide.

In this role, you will:

• Lead compliant procurement processes for high value goods and services.
• Develop and deliver the trust's procurement strategy, embedding innovation, sustainability and social value.
• Manage and maintain the trust's forward procurement pipeline.
• Oversee the trust-wide contract register, ensuring compliance and timely renewals.
• Provide expert commercial advice and training to staff involved in procurement.
• Undertake procurement assurance work, including internal audits and annual reporting to trustees.
• Build effective relationships with suppliers and represent the trust in procurement networks.
• Ensure all procurement activity meets legal, regulatory and internal governance standards.

What we offer you:

As a trust, we want to ensure that professionals at every stage in their career have the opportunity to enjoy expert support and training. We are pleased to offer a generous benefits package to our team - as we work together to create a rewarding future for all including:

• Membership of a teacher or local government pension scheme, depending on the role.
• A commitment to continued investment in our professionals, supporting every member of staff throughout their career in the trust.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential professional advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• £2k Cycle to work scheme.

About us:

Led by Sir John Townsley, GORSE has a well-known reputation for changing the deal for children and young adults who come from some of the most impoverished parts of the country. Our central mission is to ensure that we play a significant role in removing the stubborn link between poverty and academic underperformance. Consequently, our students and our professionals are in the vanguard of the national drive which seeks to prove that where teaching is excellent, leadership inspiring and behaviour standards exemplary all children excel regardless of background.

Our 15 academies, our central team, our Teaching School Hub and GORSE SCITT work in a tightknit manner which sees our students prospering as a result of great partnership. Our professionals recognise the enormous advantage that comes from belonging to a network of excellence and we as a trust recognise that there is much to be gained when great organisations work with integrity, moral purpose and determination.

To learn more about our work and values, please visit our website at www.tgat.org.uk .

How to Apply:

If you are excited about this opportunity, a recruitment pack and application form can be downloaded from this page ,

You can also request an application pack or an informal conversation with the recruiting manager via email at [email protected] or by calling [phone removed].

Please note if you submit an electronic application, we will not require a hard copy. CVs are not accepted.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and we welcome applications from people with disabilities as defined by the Equality Act . If you would benefit from any adjustments during the application or interview process, please inform us so we can support you appropriately.

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to full employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and barring service check. We promote diversity and aim to establish a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds.

GORSE Policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders

The GORSE Academies Trust use 'OnlineSCR' for the processing of safeguarding checks - their privacy notice can be seen at: https://onlinescr.co.uk/policies/privacy-policy/ .

Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

Please note that, as a sponsor licence holder, we only provide sponsorship for teacher vacancies.