Role Overview
As an Associate Procurement Lead, you'll provide a responsive, efficient and professional service in line with our commercial policy. Supporting the Procurement Lead within your team and working closely with customers at all levels, you'll assist with the delivery of goods and services, and ensure requirements are delivered on time and meet expectations. You could be working with our customer-facing teams, managing relationships, developing commercial solutions and agreeing the future pipeline and prioritisation of the workbook. Or you might be supporting commercial delivery within category teams across Technology, Estates, People and Professional Services, and the Supply Chain Security team. We also have roles in Commercial Operations, with responsibility for low value procurements, policy, audit, and management information. Whichever area you're working in, you'll be part of a friendly, inclusive, welcoming and highly supportive team working across the Intelligence Agencies. You'll work with a broad spectrum of people, from customers in highly sensitive operational areas to suppliers, government partners and our overseas counterparts. Day-to-day, you'll keep internal and external partners informed with progress, updates and any issues and risks regarding a range of procurement projects. You'll monitor and review contract performance, ensuring key performance indicators (KPIs) are met while providing sustainable cost savings and value-added interventions. From gathering requirements and overseeing tendering, to contract implementation and management, you'll apply best practice commercial principles to all you do. Plus, you'll task manage a team of your own, building their capabilities and enhancing their impact through the continuous development of working practices and approaches. You'll share your enthusiasm and motivate those around you, providing support and approaching tasks with positivity. In doing so, you'll add real value to a department making a genuine contribution to the safety of the UK.
Working Hours and Travel
The role offers a great balance of on-site collaboration and flexible working. A minimum of three days per week in the office is required, with the option to work from home on other days where business needs allow. Some posts and opportunities to take on a broader range of responsibilities across the organisation may require up to five days a week on site. The role may also involve occasional travel to other locations - this could be around 1 day per month, on average. No matter your experience or background, you'll receive dedicated support when you join.
Required Skills and Experience
You will bring your commercial acumen, knowledge of procurement processes and in-depth understanding of procurement activities to this role. With your extensive experience of working in a procurement and supply chain service, you'll know how to secure value for money and deliver best practice. This will be supported by your ability to build rapport and develop strong working relationships with customers, suppliers, and your own team. You will also understand how to develop a commercial pipeline, with consistent and repeatable management information to support prioritisation of the commercial work. Your experience will be in areas such as development and delivery of sub-category strategies, implementing KPIs and facilitating invitations to tender, working to improve the use of small to medium enterprises, increasing diversity, and of course delivering customer needs. You will have experience of drafting and negotiating contracts, with support from colleagues in Legal and Finance, in addition to managing significant spend and saving efficiencies. You'll have proven experience in at least one of the following: category management, contract management, sourcing, commercial policy and assurance, supply chain or low value procurement. We'll look to you to find cost‑saving solutions, so you'll have knowledge of commercial approaches that deliver cash‑releasing savings and total cost reductions. Plus, you'll be confident prioritising the commercial work for the customer to meet business demands. Your expertise will be key and so will your ability to drive those around you. You'll be a role model for your team, providing support and encouraging confidence through mentoring and knowledge sharing. You'll take a positive approach to resolving issues and setbacks – analysing situations, making recommendations and improving our service to customers. You will ideally have management experience, but this is not essential. You will also hold, or be willing to study towards, a professional commercial qualification such as Membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS) or equivalent. While not essential to the role, we are interested to hear from individuals who have experience of contracting for Cloud or Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled services or experience using AI or other Cloud enabled platforms in commercial delivery. Some of our roles involve working closely with the AI team to undertake projects across the business, onboarding AI with suppliers.
Training and Development
From day one, you'll get all the help and guidance you need to grow a rewarding career at the heart of national security. There's a wealth of core and technical skills training available within the organisation, as well as an induction into the function when you start, and regular check‑ins with your manager.
About MI5
MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you'll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.
Operational Requirements
To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). The roles are based in Cheltenham and Manchester, so you need to live within a commutable distance. A strict drugs policy applies: you must declare any previous drug usage at the relevant stage and cannot take recreational drugs once the application process has started.
Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of between £56,962 plus other benefits including:
* 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service, and an additional 10.5 public and privilege holidays
* opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
* dedicated development budget
* interest‑free season ticket loan
* excellent pension scheme
* cycle to work scheme
* facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on‑site coffee bars (at some locations)
* paid parental and adoption leave
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