JOB PURPOSE
1. To assist the Category Manager in the provision of best practice procurement and contract management services within a category area or manage a specialist area of work within Procurement Services;
2. To manage the end to end procurement process to deliver value for money solutions for EA clients
3. To organise and manage a team of category assistants providing a best practice procurement and contract management service within a category area or manage a specialist area of work within Procurement Services;
4. The post holder will have supervisory responsibilities for staff organised in groups or teams as necessary and will be responsible for the day to day management of functional activities within a category area.
5. Specific knowledge of the category area will be required to provide advice and guidance to line managers and school leaders and customers;
6. The post holder will be required to exercise judgement or discretion within a framework of rule, practice and precedent and will be required to identify and select the most appropriate course of action from a range of options.
7. Undertaking research and investigation, analysis of results and devising recommendations. The post will involve review of existing practices and identification of new solutions to operational problems including analytics of data.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Main Activity Areas:
• Strategic Procurement
• Contract Management
• Supervision of Staff
8. Provide advice and guidance to clients on procurement and procurement related matters;
9. Develop commercial tender and contract documentation in line with public procurement policy and best practice;
10. Implement and manage procurements to deliver Value for Money solutions within the public procurement policy, legal and accountability frameworks;
11. To develop appropriate sourcing, pricing and assessment strategies in specific category areas.
12. To develop and implement the most efficient and effective Procure to Pay system for each contract;
13. Develop procurement strategies which integrate policies in response of sustainability and continuous improvement;
14. To be responsible for the delivery of procurement services in a specific category to include, tender initiation, evaluation, award and contract management;
15. To be responsible for the daily management of tender processes ensuring critical deadlines are met and customers obtain works and services on time
16. Implement and carry out compliance checks on EA Procurement Service Quality Management System and ensure compliance for a particular procurement category.
17. Verify compliance and completeness checks carried out by Category Assistants;
18. Interpret and summarise all tender offers received from eTendersNI and produce a comparison of submitted tenders;
19. Interpret, clarify, assess and make recommendations on, any issues arising out of tenders and ensure that all parties have a clear understanding of any resulting contract;
20. Prepare reports for the EA’s F&GP meetings regarding the award of contracts;
21. Prepare letters of award, intention to award and regret letters and quality assure letters prepared by Category Assistants;
22. Participate in and contribute to continuously improve performance and design new solutions;
23. Be responsible for, manage the design and production of, contract documents schedules for customers giving complete information on all contract terms and conditions.
24. Contribute to the Business Plan setting, reviewing, and/or identifying performance measures and targets for the effective and efficient delivery of service.
25. Collation, analysis and interpretation of spend information from numerous sources in order to identify efficiencies, procurement and contract improvements.
Contract Management
26. Give advice to customers and other end users relating to contract terms and conditions;
27. Lead, conduct and participate in contract review meetings with EA Contractors/Suppliers
28. Resolve disputes that may arise between customers, contractors and EA in relation to the provision of works, supplies and services;
29. Ensure supplier performance is proactively monitored, contract Management Information is analysed and relevant MI reports on contractor performance and analytics is documented;
30. Working with clients to drive quality and service improvements at supplier and category levels;
31. Ensure that all complaints are dealt with promptly and effectively to resolution.
Supervision of Staff
32. To manage, motivate and develop a team of Category Assistants;
33. To liaise closely with Category Manager and agree work priorities for the relevant Category Assistants that meet current demands and pressures in the category;
34. To plan and allocate duties to Category Assistants and ensure that the tasks delegated are carried out efficiently;
35. To contribute to the development of a positive team ethos and the welfare of staff;
36. To review the performance of Category Assistants and identify any development or training needs required and to ensure that personal and professional development of Category Assistants is proactively managed.
General
37. Carry out such training as necessary for all users of the service to ensure effectiveness;
38. Prepare correspondence, agenda items and take and compile minutes from meetings
39. Provide statistical data to permit the completion of statistical returns to Government Departments;
40. The post holder will be required to carry out the duties of any other officer when they are absent or as directed by the Category Manager;
41. Assist in the review and formulation of policies and procedures and make recommendations as to how the procurement service may be improved or made more effective
42. Dealing with telephone and email queries and engaging in follow up action where appropriate
43. Any other duties which may be commensurate to the grade.
Other Responsibilities
44. Comply with the Authority’s policy on Data Protection (in particular processing sensitive tender information)
45. Proactively contribute to a culture of excellence within EA procurement service to ensure retention of Centre of Procurement Expertise status.
46. Undertake other related duties within the grade and competence of the post-holder as required.
47. The post holder may also be required to work outside normal office hours on occasions.