Title: Senior Procurement Business Partner

Rate: £29.56

Location: Hybrid- Ipswich, Suffolk

Type: Temporary 3-6 months

Opus People Solutions are working with Suffolk County Council to recruit an interim Senior Procurement Business Partner who will play a key leadership role within the Assets and Investment Team. The role will be delivering high quality and timely commercial and procurement support to the Council and will be a key enabler in assisting Directorates to meet their aims and objectives, whilst also ensuring the work meets the organisation's wider strategic objectives.

What you will be expected to deliver in this role:

To take the lead in the delivery of a key area of operational work for the service, proactively, planning, implementing continual improvement and leading staff to ensure the objectives are met.
Responsible for the strategic planning, management, and implementation of defined commissioning, procurement and implementation activities which may involve significant financial risk or level of complexity for the Directorate and/or Council as a whole.
Ensuring a high quality of service provision, delivering recurring cost-effective outcomes, best value, and continuous improvements, in line with internal/external constraints and corporate objectives.
Have responsibility for finance and business planning, reporting on a £700,000 budget.
Formulating and driving a consistent 'service appropriate' 'approach towards all sourcing, purchasing and tendering activity across nominated spend categories, ultimately ensuring that value for money is maximised, cost savings are generated, and social value benefits are delivered.
Project management for key areas of work within the service which may involve taking responsibility for developing, planning, implementing, and delivering plans to agreed timescales and outcomes.
Develop and build partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders, working as trusted business advisor to the Directorate, enabling them to solve and realise potential commercial opportunities whilst ensuring compliance with procurement policy.
Assist aligned Directorates with the development of robust procurement and commissioning business cases, tenders, ad hoc purchasing including assistance with negotiations to ensure value for money is achieved for the Directorate and the wider Council.
Provide management either directly to the Team or as part of project management, including deputising for the Head of Assets and Investments at internal or external meetings.Specialist knowledge skills and experience

In depth technical procurement knowledge and experience, and knowledge of contract law.
Proven successful and significant experience of working at a senior level in procurement within a large, complex, and multi-disciplinary organisation. Understanding of the strategic context for procurement.
Proven experience in developing and implementing business processes and strategies which effectively link to departmental and corporate objectives, which may be long term.
Strong project management and planning skills and experience, with capacity to manage and drive forward large and complex projects.
Able to provide strong commercial leadership and critical support on corporate projects and ideas.
A clear understanding of how the different roles and elements of a procurement service come together as one 'package' of support for the organisation as a key enabler to getting council business done.
Proven commercial skills and commercial awareness, including an understanding and awareness of different funding and contract arrangements.
Able to identify, develop and foster key partnerships with suppliers, customers, and partners.
Experience of effective change management to improve performance both within the organisation and in the supply market.
Knowledge of legislation relevant to public procurement, data protection and transparency.
Able to analyse complex data and information and present to a variety of audiences using appropriate media/communications.
Ability to prepare and present a business case including information relating to budgets and financial implications to colleagues, senior officers, and council members