Assistant Procurement Manager

£35000 + benefits + bonuses DOE

Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK (2 days a week on site)

Your new company
My client is a UK government research entity responsible for the development of fusion energy. It operates as an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Their role is to research fusion energy and related technologies, with the aim of positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy. The organisation continues to make strides in fusion energy development, aiming to transform this transformative energy technology into a viable source of power. As such, they are seeking an Assistant Procurement Manager to help them on this journey.
Your new role
In this role, you will be responsible for delivering procurement support across the organisation, providing advice, guidance, and completion of projects and complex tenders for the growing R&D portfolio. You will also provide support and guidance for members of the procurement team, ensuring the delivery of a first-class procurement service. This role involves ensuring compliance with European Commission and UK directives for procurement in the public sector and supporting the organisation in achieving its own milestones. You will negotiate with relevant parties, including external companies, to arrive at appropriate commercial agreements. You provide advice to senior managers on contractual strategies, ranging from traditional contracts to alliances, partnerships, and alternative funding strategies. In addition, you will also contribute to problem-solving and decision-making to develop specification requirements and manage contracts from tender through to closure. This includes evaluating bids, ensuring value for money is always obtained, negotiating appropriate commercial agreements, and resolving claims and disputes. Overall, you will be the port of call for all general support, advice, and coaching/delivery of training on commercial matters whilst contributing to the evolution of the organisation's commercial terms and conditions, policies, and working practices. Finally, you will identify opportunities for improvements and propose solutions to contribute to continuous improvement within the organisation.

What you'll need to succeed
The ideal candidate is working towards their MCIPS qualification, experienced in public sector procurement, and understands OJEU. You should have a good grasp of procurement categories and strategies, excellent interpersonal skills, commercial acumen, and negotiation skills. You should be a team player with strong communication skills, technically competent, and able to guide others. You should be capable of managing small projects, acting as a specialist advisor, producing reports, and enforcing policies. You should be able to work independently, select professional principles to address situations, and implement solutions. Ideally, you have postgraduate entry level or equivalent experience, may be professionally qualified, and have practical experience in similar roles. You will understand customer and project requirements, be committed to nurturing scientific and technological excellence, open to new ways of working, and enthusiastic about the organisation's mission. You will be a creative problem solver, working at the frontier of knowledge, and challenging the status quo in a safe and inclusive manner.

What you need to do now
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