Job title:Strategic Category Lead / Directorate: Policy & Resources
Post number: / Division: Business Support
Grade:10 / Section/team: PANNEL
Overall purpose of job:
To have lead responsibility for specified strategic categories. To lead, develop and implement strategic category plans spanning North and North East Lincolnshire of annual third party spend in excess of £30m.
Ensuring compliance with legislation, mandatory procedures, process and current contractual arrangements. To be a centre of excellence in the provision of procurement advice to members, managers and the achievement of best value for money following good practice and maintaining professional standards.
Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility.
Main responsibilities:
  1. To be the lead expert procurement specialist and be accountable across the full range of commercial category management activities of an individual portfolio in excess of £30m of third party spend,directing strategic procurements across both councils.
  1. Provide strategic business partnering, including advice and support across North and North East Lincolnshire as part the Northern Lincolnshire Business Connect shared service, working agile and flexible across both areas and having lead responsibility for a range of contractual arrangements in relation to the specified category.
  1. To provide a key strategic role in the development, planning, implementation and delivery of continuous development of the joint Procurement Strategy, contributing to the review, maintenance and development of the governance framework for procurement, making recommendations for improvement as appropriate, in consultation with relevant Finance and Legal staff.
  1. To research, analyse, develop and review a category plan in order to get the most from the supply market and prepare reports for senior management and members.
  1. To provide advice on complex EU and national law relating to procurement and contracts and Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Regulations in respect of contract procedures. Approve relevant EU contract and award notices for service staff and monitor cross-council compliance with legal requirements.
  1. To project manage category teams comprising of representatives from all the Directorates, to produce and determine contract specifications and terms and conditions and assist in building procurement capacity and capability within service areas using the latest methods, technologies and best practices.
  1. To provide training and awareness on changes in legislation and specific procurement procedures and policies for service areas, schools, academies and suppliers.
  1. To lead on the development and maintenance of the procurement unit’s internal and regional IT systems, such as Yortender and Prospend and develop both council’s self-service procurement offer.
  1. Identify opportunities for aggregating requirements and achieving economies of scale and significant savings/efficiencies through the establishment of volume contracts across both Councils, monitoring contract spend and contractors to identify high or aggregated expenditure which can then be addressed in line with the developed category strategy.
  1. To assist with the implementation of electronic procurement (eProcurement), electronic invoicing and payment across both councils and lead corporately on eProcurement supplier adoption programmes and initiatives. Assist in the identification and possible application of new procurement technologies, such as electronic auctions.
  1. To support both council's work on sustainability and other local initiatives ensuring compliance with relevant law and council policies. Lead on key issues in procurement, such as use of local steel; Diversity, Social Value as specified by the PANNEL Service Manager.
  1. Deputise for the PANNEL Service Manager as and when required and attend procurement working parties and other meetings as appropriate, both internally and externally representing both councils

Knowledge, skill and experience:
  • Qualified Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS) or working towards;
  • Significant experience of strategic category management and procurement in a large, diverse organisation
  • Sound market knowledge and awareness of intelligence tools and techniques
  • In depth knowledge on commercial, procurement, contractual, legal and financial issues, including procurement law, complex EU regulationsand an awareness of relevant service specific regulations and legislation.
  • Lead specialist level knowledge and detailed understanding of current best procurement practices and technology including competitive tendering, electronic reverse auctions – internal consultant;
  • Strategic level understanding and awareness of organisational priorities, policies and emerging issues.
  • Political awareness
  • Ability to influence strategic level stakeholders and senior members of staff and well developed negotiation skills
  • Application of project management, processes and practices,
  • High level of awareness of national and regional procurement policies and strategies;
  • The ability to analyse problems logically and think laterally to develop innovative and flexible solutions;
  • Expert in the delivery of a category strategy as well as a detailed understanding of contracting programmes involving some complex tendering processes;
  • Ability to communicate effectively, at all levels, both orally and in writing;
  • Marketing/presentation skills, and the ability to promote the benefits of procurement best practice and category management to a wide and diverse audience;
  • Significant commercial awareness and an understanding of industry and commerce
  • Ability to manage staff groups and lead groups;
  • Computer literate, including extensive experience with word processing and spreadsheets;
  • Ability to prioritise and manage own work and to work accurately under pressure to meet deadlines;
  • Ability to deliver plans with a combined NLC/NELC procurement spend of c£220m pa;
  • Deliver annual efficiency savings as agreed with the PANNEL service manager;
  • Practical knowledge and understanding of eTender systems and spend analysis tools

Creativity and innovation:
  • Strategically appraise and develop cost reduction plans to drive efficiencies in excess of £1M;
  • Identify opportunities to maximise procurement effectiveness and efficiency including achieving significant cost reductions and value improvement through individual category plans in excess of £30M;
  • Creativity in negotiation and in resolving contract difficulties and disputes and conflict with suppliers;
  • Lateral and creative thinking in order to devise solutions to individual procurement and contract issues and problems, including ability to challenge existing practices with tact and diplomacy;
  • Lead specialist in the interpretation of procurement law, regulations and policies in complex circumstances;
  • Use own initiative to carry out activities such as sounding out markets knowledge and awareness of intelligence tools and techniques to maximise the relationship between buyer and seller e.g. market/product segmentation, portfolio analysis, cost modelling; sourcing options etc.;
  • Develop category plans for delivering specific projects and design complex procurement documentation (including specifications) specific to individual exercises, including consideration of relevant project risks and means of addressing through pricing strategies and contract terms and conditions;
  • Design complex processes to improvement service outcomes through procurement techniques;
  • Identify opportunities for new methods of procurement practice, such as Electronic Reverse Auctions, Dynamic Purchasing Systems, to secure best value;
  • Devise evaluation plans to identify and secure best value from high value and complex procurement projects;
  • Identify opportunities for collaborative procurement across NLC and NELC shared service and the wider sub-region and region;
  • Identify more efficient procurement methods to improve Value for Money;
  • Be creative in the marketing of contract opportunities and new contracts to service areas, schools and hard to reach client groups;
  • Maximising economic development initiatives in an adverse legal climate;
  • Lead stakeholder groups on a sub-regional or regional basis;
  • Identify techniques for marketing contract opportunities and trading electronically with hard to reach suppliers and small businesses;
  • Utilise IT systems, such as the etender system and spend analysis tools to better identify areas of spend that need to be targeted

Contacts and Relationships:
  • Direct contact with members on a range of strategic council issues
  • Directors/Assistant Directors (SMTs/SLTs) –Monthly contact as internal consultant, advising on or participating in major procurement decisions and associated systems and procedures, dealing with issues as required – challenges existing practices and tables potentially contentious points;
  • Senior Staff– regular contact, advising on or participating in procurement decisions and legal and financial implications in the delivery of day-to-day procurement advice to service based procurement/category managers and commissioners and associated systems and procedures as internal consultant – challenges existing practices and tables potentially contentious points;
  • Assistant Director: Business Support- frequent contact in line management capacity;
  • Senior staff at outside organisations whilst providing commercial procurement work
  • Business Information & Improvement Team – close relationship with occasional supervision of staff on projects, i.e. supervision of analysts;
  • Regular contact with the converged team advising/managing NELC Commissioning & Delivery advisors on projects;
  • Operational and Support Staff – regular contact in respect of procurement decisions and associated systems and procedures;
  • External Audit Inspectors –as required on specific contract issues, as required;
  • Members – regular contact, dealing with general and complex procurement matters;
  • Suppliers/Trade Associations – monthly contact in respect of procurement decisions, monitoring of performance, adopting suppliers onto the council’s electronic procurement systems, rationalisation of administrative procedures, etc.;
  • Other local authorities – regular contact with sub-regional and regional procurement working groups and on general procurement issues
  • Procurement Group on procurement & commissioning related initiatives that could impact local policy;
  • Professional Bodies – monthly frequent contact with professional bodies such as CIPS, SOPO to discuss changes in legislation
  • Central Government – occasional contact with government departments and agencies such as LGA, Government Procurement Service (GPS), HM Treasury in relation to procurement regulations and best practice
  • Third Sector: Contact with social enterprises and the voluntary/community sectorto discuss potential procurement opportunities and use of social value as and when required

Decision making:
  • Determine the development of Category Plans in excess of £30M of third party spend that support cost reduction and maintain or improve service deliver, which may involve contentious areas and involve conflict;
  • Recommend to approve under the delegation limits procurement projects directly up to a value of £1M per annum, that directly impact services, budgets and could impact council reputation;
  • Make recommendations on working practices and policies that will influence procurement decisions;
  • Significantly influences the development of policies, systems and procedures at a strategic level. These will affect procurement practices throughout both councils and their dealings with suppliers;
  • Make recommendations on the advice to strategic procurement managers and commissioners
  • Supervise service based procurement and commissioning managers on specific projects that will influence procurement decisions, working practices and policies;
  • Approve contract award letters to enable the council to enter into formal agreements, some of which are high value and high risk, that could potentially impact services, budgets and council reputation;
  • Makes recommendations relevant to procurement planning, project initiation and tender evaluation leading to award of contracts, that could affect service provision, financial budgets and council reputation;
  • Advise on legal contract issues, which may involve high values, particularly in a sub-regional context, that could impact service delivery, budgets and council reputation;
  • Determines tendering routes for high value/high risk and complex procurement projects - poor outcomes can delay projects, add significant costs and disrupt key services;
  • Writes report recommendations that deliver effective outcomes of high level procurement projects up to a maximum of £10m;
  • Directly influences in excess of £200M third party spend

Responsibility for Resources: (to include approximate value, sole or shared responsibility and for what percentage of their working hours away from their designated base)
  • Responsible for 1 no. Laptop (valued £600);
  • Responsible for mobile phone
  • Work away from desk up to 50% of working hours;

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work demands:
  • Demand led workload across North and North East Lincolnshire shared service giving conflicting deadlines on business critical projects
  • Manage conflicts and stakeholder expectations.
  • Work can be impacted daily with unplanned interruptions from senior management and members, when required
  • Priorities and demands can fluctuate and impact on workload, requiring very high levels of concentration under deadlines
  • Workload fluctuates around deadlines associated with particular procurement decisions.
  • Some work requires immediate attention and has to be done to set deadlines
  • Manages workload of other staff

Physical demands:
  • Involves desk-bound work, and significant use of a keyboard, VDU and telephone.

Working conditions:
  • The post is office based, but will involve frequent travelling to other council offices under the shared service across NLC/NELC
  • The post will also have specific travelling arrangements to support the North and North East Lincolnshire’s strategy plans.
  • Regional working will involve travelling to other council offices within the Yorkshire and Humber Region

Work context:
  • Minimal Risk

Position in organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for: 3

Does the postholder manage the posts? Yes

OR
Does the postholder supervise the posts? Yes
Are posts in more than one location? Yes
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? No
Please indicate which post(s) ______

Note
The post is subject to:
Disclosure of convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exemption) Act 1974 Yes □ No □
Political restriction Yes □ No□
Employee:
(signed) / (print) / Date:
Manager: (signed) / (print) / Date:

Policy and Resources Cabinet Member – 19th September 2012, Implemented – 8th October 2012 Page 1 of 8