Procurement Manager (Entry Level) - West College Scotland

About the Role

This role is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to progress their career within public procurement in a best in class organisation with opportunities for career development. This role is suitable as a next step if you have some procurement experience which you are looking to build on or whether you are a fast-learner with general administrative or financial administration experience and are looking to start a career in procurement. Reporting to the (Lead) Procurement Manager within the College, the role holder will work for APUC but be based within West College Scotland, covering a wide variety of procurement and supply chain activities including:

• Optimisation and maintenance of College Procurement and related systems (including, but not limited to, the Purchase to Pay (P2P) System and the Contract Management Systems)
• Supporting end users to secure quotes in line with the College thresholds
• Providing advice and guidance on College Contracts and use of national Procurement Framework Agreements
• Contract Administration
• Procurement and P2P System Training for end users.
• Supporting the (Lead) Procurement Manager in the support and delivery of procurement services with data collection, reporting and analysis Carrying out low value/ and or low risk and/or low complex tenders/competitions.

West College Scotland

West College Scotland (WCS) is one of the biggest educational institutions in Scotland, they are an award-winning College helping thousands of local people achieve their qualifications every year in their state of the art facilities. They are a modern, ambitious and innovative College supporting students on the next step towards their future. WCS have campuses in Clydebank, Greenock and Paisley. The role is based at the Paisley campus.

Person Specification

Essential Skills & Knowledge:

• High level attention to detail in all aspects of work;
• Ability to organise, adapt, prioritise own workload and to meet strict deadlines;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Collaborative teamworking approach;
• Effective and highly responsive customer management skills;
• Ability to identify and resolve problems;
• An interest in/willingness to develop expertise in Scottish/UK procurement legislation as it relates to the HE/FE sector

Desirable Skills & Knowledge:

• Have working knowledge of Scottish/UK procurement legislation as it relates to the HE/FE sector;
• Have an understanding of the key ethical/social & environmental impacts of multi-level supply chain management
• Be conversant with generic (contract law etc) legal aspects of supply chain management
• Have an understanding of supply management negotiation
• Operational knowledge of the principles of contract drafting and negotiation

Essential Experience:

• Experience of meeting demanding targets and deadlines on a day to day basis
• Experience of data analysis using spreadsheets and production of management reports

Desirable Experience:

• Have procurement experience in an organisation with best in class public sector procurement practices
• Be experienced in the tendering and supply chain management methodologies

Contacts and Relationships:

• The post holder must build strong working relationships with all stakeholders and develop the reputation of APUC as a source of expert guidance and support both to institutional customers and suppliers

About APUC

Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) is the Centre of Procurement Expertise for, and owned jointly by, all of Scotland's Universities and Colleges. With collaboration, responsibility, and integrity at the heart of what we do, we're all about helping our member institutions achieve their objectives, whether you are putting together Framework Agreements, or working directly in one of our client institutions.

Joining APUC means joining a community of peers, and getting the chance to get together often and having network opportunities throughout the year. Peer support and collaboration is integral at APUC.

We currently employ around 90 people, most of whom are based within Colleges and Universities but with some based in our regional offices in Stirling (HQ), Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Why Work for APUC

• Full time hours are 35 hours per week on average and can be worked 5 x 7 hour days or you can compress your hours to work either 4.5 days per week, 9 days per fortnight (so a long weekend every 2 weeks) or 9.5 days per fortnight. If you choose a 9 day fortnight, our default non-working time is a Friday but occasionally other days can work better.
• We aim to provide a work life balance for colleagues and offer flexible work options for all including flexible start and end times and options to take longer or shorter lunches as preferred.
• Hybrid working with colleagues coming into the office 5 days per fortnight. Space is available for those who want to come in more often, and we have in-person and online events throughout the year to make sure we stay well connected.
• Your holiday entitlement (given in hours) is equivalent of 26 x 7 hour days and an additional 14 x 7 hour fixed and floating days to cover bank holidays and the festive break.
• We are closed for the festive period (between Christmas and New Year) and Good Friday and Easter Monday. Every year!
• You will be automatically enrolled into our pension scheme and our Group Life Assurance which is based on your annual salary from day 1 of employment.
• We offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental pay (subject to eligibility criteria).
• Wellbeing activities and events are organised throughout the year in accordance with key national mental and physical health awareness dates.
• Career development is important to us and all staff have regular performance reviews and there is a variety of funding options to enable staff to pursue professional and leadership qualifications, as well as other learning and development opportunities such as access to our Procurement Skills Development Programme and internal workshops.
• Cycle-to-work schemes are available with Cycle Solutions and Halfords (maximum value of £3,000).
• Retail and gym membership discounts & offers with access to our mydiscounts portal.
• Home & Technology benefit is an affordable way of accessing new technology by making savings on National Insurance. Products include tablets, laptops, desktops, SmartTV's, games consoles along with garden furniture and equipment, home improvement tools and more.
• Access to Scotwest Credit Union which offers a range of affordable loans, mortgages and savings accounts.
• We have an Employee Wellbeing Policy and Annual Plan, a team of trained Mental Health First Aiders, and all of our people managers are trained in providing support for employees experiencing mental health issues. Our EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) can be accessed through an online portal which gives access to a library of health and wellbeing articles, as well as allowing you to book counselling sessions.
• We have an Employee Representative and Consultation Group, who meet quarterly. We regularly ask for feedback in a variety of ways at company events or through surveys.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying please email your full CV to careers@apuc-scot.ac.uk, along with covering letter, explaining why you feel you would like to work with APUC and in the particular role mentioned, noting your current salary level and notice period.