Job summary
Buyer - Lancashire Procurement Cluster (LPC)
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a ambitious, motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our procurement team. You will be an excellent communicator for the department to ensure we provide an effective and efficient operational procurement service across all areas of the LPC.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will be part of a busy operational procurement team that undertakes various duties including processing of purchase requisitions and placement of purchase orders, invoice/price queries, helpdesk queries, product sourcing and catalogue management for the Trusts. You will required to support/train junior and new members of the team. You will also be required to assist colleagues/stakeholders to understand both Trust and Public procurement rules where understanding may be limited and be able to relate, communicate and interact with colleagues at all levels across the organisation using both written and oral skills.
About us
The Lancashire Procurement Cluster (LPC) provides strategic procurement, commercial, logistics and supply chain services to the Trust Partners - Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The organisation is a shared service model, hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. The LPC has four distinct service lines:
- Procurement
- Strategic Relationship Management
- Systems & e-Commerce
- Logistics and Supply Chain
The post is within the operational procurement team which is part of the procurement service.
Please note, although this role is being advertised by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, it will transfer to OneLSC a Corporate Collaboration hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust on 1.11.24. There are no plans to change the location of the role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main responsibilities within attached job description and person specification.
Main Duties
The post holder will take direction from the Operations Team Manager but also work independently and proactively to:
- Process requisitions for internal and external stakeholders onto the selected Procurement purchasing systems.
- Deal with reported discrepancies, shortages, returns for internal and external stakeholders in a proactive but diplomatic manner.
- Operate within the LPC Policies and Procedures and display a high standard of professional conduct with stakeholders and suppliers. Report any problems or difficulties that cannot be resolved immediately.
- Assist and support the other members of the procurement team in ensuring customer satisfaction with the service.
- Provide cover for other members of the procurement team (such as annual leave/sickness) as and when required.
- On occasion, this role may involve cross site working or travel to other NHS external organisations for training or work purposes.
- Any other duties within the general scope of the post and appropriate to the grading. Change of duties will be discussed with the post holder before implantation.
- The contents of this post will be reviewed with the post holder in the light of future development of the Buyer role.
- Support budget holders in managing their budgets for allocated projects and the provision of regular update reports against agreed timescales.
- Record efficiencies in the form of savings from budget and inflation/cost-avoidance.
- Evaluate and deliver the best value procurement process for acquisitions for the LPC Stakeholders by use of different sourcing options for a range of goods and services.
- Build up product knowledge from the supplier base and introduce alternative products to internal and external stakeholders as opportunities to save money.
- Responsible for assisting with quotation exercised and cost analysis for the purchase of goods and services for both internal and external stakeholders.
- Liaise with the NHS Supply Chain and suppliers to ensure that best pricing has been secured.
- Provide reports and other data to members of the procurement team to assist in the identification of items to be considered for standardisation of products or to identify lower cost alternatives. To assist with and where appropriate lead the subsequent implementation of such agreed changes.
- Produce management reports from the procurement purchasing systems. Schedule and analyse the data to provide internal stakeholders with statistics for developing and monitoring spend and stock-holding levels and future product switching and saving opportunities.
- Liaise with the procurement team internally and externally to ensure that only standardised products are ordered.
- Work with colleagues in the procurement team to support the delivery of the procurement strategy and balanced scorecard objectives through the work plan.
- Working closely with partner Trusts, to analyse spend, control expenditure, understand markets and identify savings opportunities.
- Developing appropriate procurement documents via the tendering system and assisting in setting up the award evaluation system.
- Co-ordination of quotations and tenders ensuring that there is compliance with Trust Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.
- Ensure that all contracts data is captured on the LPC wide contract register.
- Provide excellent customer service to service users across the Lancashire Procurement Cluster Trusts and customer trusts.
- Work with stakeholders, finance and procurement colleagues with resolving and processing invoice queries.
- Support stakeholders with product sourcing.
- Creating catalogues and catalogue management.
- Assist stakeholders to understand both Trust and Public Procurement rules.
- Provide helpdesk duties in the form of e-mails and telephone calls.
- Train and support other members of the team.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main responsibilities within attached job description and person specification.
Main Duties
The post holder will take direction from the Operations Team Manager but also work independently and proactively to:
- Process requisitions for internal and external stakeholders onto the selected Procurement purchasing systems.
- Deal with reported discrepancies, shortages, returns for internal and external stakeholders in a proactive but diplomatic manner.
- Operate within the LPC Policies and Procedures and display a high standard of professional conduct with stakeholders and suppliers. Report any problems or difficulties that cannot be resolved immediately.
- Assist and support the other members of the procurement team in ensuring customer satisfaction with the service.
- Provide cover for other members of the procurement team (such as annual leave/sickness) as and when required.
- On occasion, this role may involve cross site working or travel to other NHS external organisations for training or work purposes.
- Any other duties within the general scope of the post and appropriate to the grading. Change of duties will be discussed with the post holder before implantation.
- The contents of this post will be reviewed with the post holder in the light of future development of the Buyer role.
- Support budget holders in managing their budgets for allocated projects and the provision of regular update reports against agreed timescales.
- Record efficiencies in the form of savings from budget and inflation/cost-avoidance.
- Evaluate and deliver the best value procurement process for acquisitions for the LPC Stakeholders by use of different sourcing options for a range of goods and services.
- Build up product knowledge from the supplier base and introduce alternative products to internal and external stakeholders as opportunities to save money.
- Responsible for assisting with quotation exercised and cost analysis for the purchase of goods and services for both internal and external stakeholders.
- Liaise with the NHS Supply Chain and suppliers to ensure that best pricing has been secured.
- Provide reports and other data to members of the procurement team to assist in the identification of items to be considered for standardisation of products or to identify lower cost alternatives. To assist with and where appropriate lead the subsequent implementation of such agreed changes.
- Produce management reports from the procurement purchasing systems. Schedule and analyse the data to provide internal stakeholders with statistics for developing and monitoring spend and stock-holding levels and future product switching and saving opportunities.
- Liaise with the procurement team internally and externally to ensure that only standardised products are ordered.
- Work with colleagues in the procurement team to support the delivery of the procurement strategy and balanced scorecard objectives through the work plan.
- Working closely with partner Trusts, to analyse spend, control expenditure, understand markets and identify savings opportunities.
- Developing appropriate procurement documents via the tendering system and assisting in setting up the award evaluation system.
- Co-ordination of quotations and tenders ensuring that there is compliance with Trust Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions.
- Ensure that all contracts data is captured on the LPC wide contract register.
- Provide excellent customer service to service users across the Lancashire Procurement Cluster Trusts and customer trusts.
- Work with stakeholders, finance and procurement colleagues with resolving and processing invoice queries.
- Support stakeholders with product sourcing.
- Creating catalogues and catalogue management.
- Assist stakeholders to understand both Trust and Public Procurement rules.
- Provide helpdesk duties in the form of e-mails and telephone calls.
- Train and support other members of the team.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general standard of education including Mathematics and English Language - GCSE Grace C/level 4 or equivalent
- Participation or willingness to participate in continuing development to improve and update knowledge
- Procedures and practices, the majority of which are non-routine - applies to jobs requiring knowledge of all the relevant administrative procedures, plus knowledge of how to deal with a range of non-routine activities, such as work allocation, problem solving for a team or area of work, as well as answering queries and progress chasing, developing alternative or additional procedures
- Educated to level 4 foundation degree/HNC or NVQ level 4 in business/finance or relevant experience.
Desirable
- Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Level 2, Level 3 or Level
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with clients/stakeholders to deliver projects or agreed service level.
- Experience of working in busy, target driven team
Desirable
- Experience of procurement or operational purchasing, expediting, logistics or materials management.
- Experience of working within a, Finance or Accountancy team.
- Experience of working with in logistics or with suppliers
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- IT literate with well-developed skills for the use and application of information technology systems (especially MS Office products)
- Good communication and skills (written & oral) with the ability to work positively with colleagues.
- Evidence of analytical and problem solving skills with a focus on delivering results.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to continuous improvement of Self, Team and LPC performance.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
Other
Desirable
- Must have access to a Vehicle for work purposes and able to work between sites.
- Able to flexibly work across all Trust locations on occasion
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general standard of education including Mathematics and English Language - GCSE Grace C/level 4 or equivalent
- Participation or willingness to participate in continuing development to improve and update knowledge
- Procedures and practices, the majority of which are non-routine - applies to jobs requiring knowledge of all the relevant administrative procedures, plus knowledge of how to deal with a range of non-routine activities, such as work allocation, problem solving for a team or area of work, as well as answering queries and progress chasing, developing alternative or additional procedures
- Educated to level 4 foundation degree/HNC or NVQ level 4 in business/finance or relevant experience.
Desirable
- Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Level 2, Level 3 or Level
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with clients/stakeholders to deliver projects or agreed service level.
- Experience of working in busy, target driven team
Desirable
- Experience of procurement or operational purchasing, expediting, logistics or materials management.
- Experience of working within a, Finance or Accountancy team.
- Experience of working with in logistics or with suppliers
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- IT literate with well-developed skills for the use and application of information technology systems (especially MS Office products)
- Good communication and skills (written & oral) with the ability to work positively with colleagues.
- Evidence of analytical and problem solving skills with a focus on delivering results.
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Commitment to continuous improvement of Self, Team and LPC performance.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
Other
Desirable
- Must have access to a Vehicle for work purposes and able to work between sites.
- Able to flexibly work across all Trust locations on occasion
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
