Procurement Officer Full Time NEW

The Commercial & Procurement team is a proactive and consultative team who supports a range of directorates to ensure that the Council’s commercial arrangements and contracts deliver value for money to Dorset residents.

This role be flexible and support across directorates, providing you with opportunities to develop new skills and work across diverse projects.

Support and development will be provided, recognising different backgrounds and levels of experience.

The role offers the opportunity to work across a varied portfolio of procurements, alongside a clear and consistent area of focus for a defined proportion of your workload.

Depending on your skills and interests, there will also be opportunities to contribute to policy development or technology‑led improvement projects.

Furthermore, reorganisation is taking place within Dorset Council and this may change the focus of the role, presenting an exciting time to be part of the team during this period of transformation.

Candidates with a strong track record in public sector procurement, delivering open tenders and framework call-offs along with an understanding of compliance with regulations will be prioritised for interview as they will be expected to start contributing effectively from day one. We also encourage applicants from those with more general compliance, tendering and contract management experience.

You will be overseeing a range of procurement activities from initiation through to contract management, ensuring services delivered are cost-effective, sustainable, and aligned with the Council’s objectives.

Candidates will have high levels of communication and negotiation skills, the ability to communicate well with people, competent use of ICT, ideally including the procontract e-tender system, and strong Microsoft skills on teams, outlook, word and excel etc.

You will have the desire to be proactive and manage your time effectively and efficiently, supporting all members of the team and the wider Council.

Candidates will be able to focus on individual procurements with attention to detail and will be able to prioritise the management of several procurements simultaneously.

You will be a point of contact for a variety of procurements across multiple areas and will be able to support and advise officers through the procurement process.

What You Will Be Doing

• manage tender processes for directorate-specific requirements, ensuring best practice
• provide support and guidance to Directorates
• offer procurement and commercial advice and guidance to officers and suppliers
• support Directorates in the delivery of their strategic aims
• support delivery of a commercially minded approach within the Council

About You

• effective communication skills with the ability to engage multiple stakeholders, both internally and externally
• experience working with suppliers, including supplier relationship and contract management
• knowledge of procurement practices
• awareness of public sector procurement regulations and practices
• project management skills with the ability to lead projects effectively
• solution focussed thinker with good attention to detail

Join us to be part of a dynamic, forward-thinking team where your expertise will help shape the future, ensuring our procurement practices deliver the best outcomes for our communities.

Further Information

• candidates should structure their application around the requirements of the person specification to show how they meet the criteria
• there may be a two-stage process to include a Teams call as the first stage where required, for week commencing 18th May
• interviews will be scheduled within the week after Tuesday 26th May
• a presentation will be required for this role and the topic will be advised with interview confirmation
• there may be multiple roles available
• strong candidates will be held in a pool for any further Procurement Officer positions arising over the next 18 months
• we reserve the right to consider a fixed term appointment
• we may also consider a part-time role (minimum 30 hours)

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed. Whilst work travel has reduced considerably due to the use of virtual meetings, there may be occasions when travel is needed. This is a hybrid role, with a balance of remote working and office working (Dorchester), depending on business and project requirements. The initial expectation is that there would be a minimum of one working day per week in the office for the first six months in order to build relationships. If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact [email protected] and 01305 221250.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it’s not just about the work we do, it’s about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

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At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You Will

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.