Operations Officer

Job Title
Operations Officer (maternity cover)

Hours and Location
Full time, Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 (37h p/w)
Home based with a requirement to attend team meetings in Swindon weekly.

Salary
£27,000 - £29,000

Term
Initial fixed term contract to March 2025.

Our plans for growth mean that it is likely that we will be able to offer you a permanent role at the end of this fixed term contract (but this cannot be guaranteed).

Reports to
Head of Operations

Job Purpose
The Operations Officer is responsible for tender management, supplier engagement, member liaison and associated tasks.

Organisation
Westworks is a not-for-profit procurement organisation that links up buyers and suppliers to deliver high quality, value for money works and services across the built environment.

We are a small, but growing, team working largely remotely but with regular meetings at our hub in Swindon. We recognise that our staff are our greatest asset, and we encourage individuals at all levels to contribute good ideas to optimise our operations and help shape the future of the organisation. We will support your development, helping you to become an expert at what you do, as well as equipping you with skills for the future.

Role
The Operations Team provides procurement solutions to our members by conducting tenders on their behalf. As one of a number of Operations Officers on the team, you will run tenders for our members (public sector organisations, largely local authorities and housing associations), matching them up with pre-approved suppliers. Attention to detail is critical as is the ability to work at pace on multiple projects at one time. You will be the dedicated point of contact for your allocated members and expected to provide excellent customer service.

Main duties and responsibilities
- Create, monitor and manage tenders
- Laise with member organisations re: new and live tenders
- Respond to supplier queries relating to live tenders
- Support new suppliers through the application process
- Administer new supplier on-boarding
- Brief new suppliers on Westworks processes and ways of working
- Advise members on appropriate procurement approaches, based on their individual requirements
- Advise members on the preparation of tender documentation, tender evaluations and scheduling of tender activity

Skills and attributes
- Excellent organisation and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines
- Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to liaise with different departments and external stakeholders
- Quick thinking with good problem-solving skills, to address day to day challenges
- Good customer service skills, for handling enquiries or issues
- Ability to work well within a team and support team goals

Knowledge and experience
- Proficient in Microsoft Office software (essential)
- Familiarity with CRM systems for managing customer-related information (desirable)
- Customer service experience (desirable)

It's essential for the Operations Officer to be confident, versatile and adaptable. No two tenders are the same and you will be dealing with multiple stakeholders across a range of projects. Being able to learn quickly and communicate effectively are key attributes for this role. Previous procurement or public sector experience is not required. We are looking to recruit a committed, capable individual into our team who can quickly assimilate our ways of working and confidently lead their own tenders.

Don't be discouraged if you have not managed tenders before. We welcome candidates with a diverse range of experience and transferable skills from other areas and will provide training in tender management. If you are an experienced project manager or administrator, it is likely that you have the skills that we are looking for.

Alongside your CV, please submit a covering letter explaining why you would be a good fit for the role.

If you would like an informal chat about the post, please contact us.

The closing date for this role is 27th May 2024. We intend to invite candidates for interview before this date and close the recruitment if a suitable candidate is found.

Webrecruit and Westworks are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you’re looking for a new opportunity as an Operations Officer, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.