Assistant Procurement Manager Role at Northern Rail

Assistant Procurement Manager

BUSINESS FUNCTION: Finance
GRADE: ML1/SB2
SALARY: £37,767 to £47,047 per annum
ROLE TYPE: Hybrid
HOURS: 37 per week
LOCATION: York/Leeds/Manchester
CLOSING DATE: 01/12/2024
CLOSING TIME: 23:59

Is driving cost-effective solutions your thing?

We are seeking a detail-oriented professional to join the Procurement Team as Assistant Procurement Manager, supporting the efficient delivery of services and works contracts in alignment with strategic sourcing and procurement policies.

In this role, you’ll assist a small team in managing contracts across major areas such as operations, services, and IT. Reporting to the Procurement Manager, you’ll play a key role in delivering contracts for various projects within our support functions.

The team operates out of York, but we offer flexible working arrangements. However, occasional travel across the network will be required for meetings.

If this sounds like your thing, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

As an Assistant Procurement Manager, your role will be diverse and challenging. Here’s an idea of what your day-to-day activities might involve:

• Collaborating with different Northern functions to develop and agree upon a detailed procurement programme, including timelines for major procurements.
• Proposing and securing stakeholder support for procurement strategies.
• Executing the agreed procurement strategy, including:
  • Preparing tender documentation.
  • Managing the procurement process.
  • Identifying the best solution.
  • Securing necessary approvals.
• Providing regular progress updates, reports, and briefings to stakeholders.

About You:

We’re looking for someone with prior experience in a high-performing department who can effectively support tenders and build strong relationships with stakeholders across Northern.

Ideally, you’re already working towards MCIPS (we can help you achieve the qualification) and have the following skills and knowledge:

• Experience or demonstrable understanding of procurement processes.
• A team player with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Familiarity with Public Procurement Regulations or Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016.
• Basic knowledge of Contract Law.
• Ability to collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders, fostering positive relationships.
• Experience creating Invitation to Tender (ITT) and evaluation documentation, negotiating contract terms, and ensuring compliance with standard documents.
• Capacity to prioritize, multitask, and meet tight deadlines while being flexible and adaptable.

Our Benefits:

We value our people and reward hard work with a benefits package you’ll love. Here’s a snapshot:

• Career Growth: Opportunities for advancement, comprehensive training programs, and online learning courses.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on bike costs and spread payments over the year.
• Free Travel on Northern Services: Travel for free across our full network for you, your partner/spouse, and dependents (eligibility criteria apply).
• 75% Discount with Other Train Operators: After one year, enjoy discounted travel on rail services across the UK and Europe.
• Defined Benefit Pension Scheme: Generous contributions (1.5 times your input) to one of the best pensions around.
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave: 9 months of full pay for mums and 2 weeks of full pay for dads.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support on personal and professional matters.
• Northern Perks: Exclusive retail discounts, cashback offers, and wellbeing resources.

For a full list, visit our careers page.

About Northern:

Our mission is to connect communities and people across the North with 2,500 trains running daily. We’re enhancing rail travel, improving customer experience, and supporting sustainable economic growth while reducing our environmental impact.

Our values drive everything we do:

• Make a difference.
• Make it last.
• Make it easy.
• Make it happen.
• Make it yours.

If you share these values, join us on this journey.

Please Note:

Northern may close recruitment for this role early if we receive high volumes of applications. Apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

If you miss the application window, keep an eye out for other opportunities—we’re always looking for talented people to join the Northern team.

We are an equal opportunities employer, promoting diversity and inclusion. Applications from candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we’re committed to maximizing the talents of disabled individuals.