NIWL 312/09/2011 /
Job Description
Job Title: / Buyer (2 Roles)
Finance & Regulation Operational/Integrated Procurement Teams
Grade: / Level 6 / Salary: / £22,634 - £27,664
Location: / 1 Post in Westland Complex
1 Post in Mark Royal House, moving to Westland in 2012 / Closing Date: / 5.00pm on Monday 31October 2011
Further Information / Further information about this post can be obtained from Trevor Armstrong or Ivan Orr on ext: 90354813 Ext 28207 or 20304.
Background Structure
The position of the Buyers in the Operational Procurement Team is shown below:
The position of the Buyer in the Integrated Procurement Team is shown below:
About the Role
Each year, Northern Ireland Water spends approximately £100 million on goods and services through running tenders, negotiating and awarding contracts, negotiating extensions and handling day to day procurement and contract related enquiries and issues.
This role is part of the team that ensures these activities occur in an effective and efficient manner, managing tactical procurement activity within the Sourcing Team.
The role of the Buyer is:-
- To manage tactical procurements, including quotations, within their commodity group in accordance with EU Procurement Directives, Regulations and procurement best practice;
- Manage tender competitions using e-sourcing tools, for their commodity groups;
- Provide day to day tender management, data analysis and administration support to category managers
Key Activities – Duties & Responsibilities:
Compliance
- Ensure that all tendering activity complies with Government and EU Procurement Directives, regulations, policies and established NI Water procedures.
- Provide guidance and support to relevant key stakeholders in the preparation of tender documents against agreed timetables to ensure compliance with relevant standards.
- Full responsibility for the management and award of tactical procurements below the OJEU threshold within their commodity group in accordance with the category strategy or instructions from the Tactical Procurement Manager / Category Manager;
- Ensure that procurement best practice is followed at all times, undertaking research to identify market trends, user needs and objectives, including data analysis;
- Ensure that tender requirements are set up on e-sourcing and that tender competitions are run for designated goods and service requirements within agreed timelines, assisting colleagues when required;
- Liaise with P2P Team regarding the creation of catalogues; Contract Purchase Agreements (CPA’s) and ensuring Contract Documents are published on the relevant internal systems.
- Create contract summaries and ensure end users are advised on a timely basis of all awards of contract;
- Set-up e-Auctions as required;
- Manage quotations in accordance with established NI Water’s procedures, providing consistent, good quality customer service to staff in other Directorates;
- Support the Tactical Procurement and Category Managers with tender management activities for tenders above the OJEU threshold;
- Deal with day to day queries and issues on procurement matters (tenders below the OJEU threshold, quotes, extensions);
- Review and process purchase requisition orders.
- Assist in the compilation of statistical returns to CPD, DRD on all regulated and non regulated procurement activity both annually and on request;
- Accurately record and report on all procurement benefits on the VFM Toolkit and Benefits Tracker;
- Accurately maintain Supplier Contracts Database;
- Produce bespoke procurement reports as required.
Essential Criteria
Applicants MUST be able to demonstrate in their application form and where necessary at interview:
- Experience in a procurement environment and role including:
- End to end tendering activity
- Managing suppliers;
- Issue and award of purchase orders;
- Reporting on spend analysis.
- Experience using eSourcing and Purchase to Pay tools such as Procuri, Ariba, SAP, Bravo, Oracle or equivalent.
- Experience using Microsoft Office software including Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint.
- Membership, or working towards membership, of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
- Experience of working to EU Procurement Directives in a public sector or utility environment.
Key Skills
Planning & Organising
- Ability to manage procurement projects to agreed timelines.
- Ability to anticipate problems and provide workable solutions.
- Challenges established business processes to identify improvement opportunities.
- Delivers procurement benefits to stakeholders.
- Builds and maintains good working relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
- Demonstrates a high level of motivation and drive and works effectively on own initiative and as part of a wider team.
- Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships within the team and with other colleagues.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, particularly in the areas of liaising/negotiating with suppliers.
Shortlisting will be based on information provided in your application form. It is therefore essential that you indicate how and to what extent you meet each of the criteria asked for in the application form.
Failure to provide sufficient information in support of your application prior to the closing date will not be considered grounds for appeal if you are not considered eligible or not shortlisted.
Those candidates whose application forms do not clearly demonstrate that they meet all of the Knowledge, Skills and Experience will not be invited for interview.
Therefore, only evidence presented against each separate criterion will be considered.
Training
Additional Information / Relevant Training and Development will be provided to support you.
These are full time permanent roles.
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