Category Lead - Resources

Are you an experienced procurement professional ready to lead strategic procurement initiatives across a range of critical services?

Royal Greenwich is seeking a Category Lead - Resources to oversee procurement activities for essential services impacting the lives of our residents. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the future of procurement and contribute to the Council’s corporate goals, ensuring value for money, sustainability, and long-term community benefits.

As Category Lead - Resources, this senior-level role offers the opportunity to oversee procurement activities for essential services, including IT/Digital, Finance, Legal, Customer Services, HR, Communications, and more. You will play a crucial role in delivering value for money (VFM) and supporting the Council's corporate objectives through effective procurement practices.

About the Role

In this role, you will act as the Category Lead for the Resources category, overseeing procurement across various key service areas such as IT/Digital, Finance, Legal, Customer Services, HR, Communications, and Business & Skills, among others. You will be responsible for developing and implementing procurement strategies that ensure services are delivered efficiently, cost-effectively, and in compliance with relevant legislation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Category Management & Leadership: Lead the Resources procurement function, covering key service areas. As a category expert, you will provide strategic oversight and expertise in procurement planning, approval, and control procedures, ensuring that all procurement activities align with the Council’s corporate objectives.
2. Procurement Expertise: Ensure compliance with public sector procurement legislation (including Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023) while driving effective procurement across the Resources category. Lead procurement processes from contract tendering through to negotiation and contract management.
3. Leadership & Team Management: Lead, manage, and develop a team of procurement professionals, including senior officers, project managers, and contract managers. You will ensure the team delivers effective procurement projects in line with the Category’s procurement programme while fostering a high-performing workforce and ensuring continuous improvement.
4. Procurement Programme & Risk Management: Oversee the delivery of the procurement programme, ensuring that procurement activities are well-coordinated and risk-managed. Provide leadership in developing and maintaining the Category procurement plan, ensuring that procurement activities are carried out in line with service specifications and best practice.
5. Contract Management: Lead the negotiation, contracting, and management of contracts for the Resources category. Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and performance measures to track procurement success and ensure that all contracts deliver value for money (VFM) and meet service standards.
6. Stakeholder Collaboration: Manage relationships with senior stakeholders, including Directors, Elected Members, and other service managers, ensuring procurement strategies meet business needs and support the Council's goals. You will also engage with suppliers to drive effective contract management and ensure compliance with contract terms.
7. Supply Chain & Vendor Management: Lead the supply chain management within the Resources category, ensuring that the Council’s supply base delivers high-quality services and value for money. Oversee the vendor selection process, ensuring that suppliers meet performance standards and business continuity needs.
8. Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Ensure that procurement practices continuously evolve by introducing innovative approaches and facilitating business/service reviews. Develop procurement systems, enhance team performance, and identify training needs to support staff development.
9. Emergency & Business Continuity Planning: Oversee emergency planning and ensure that procurement teams are prepared for any business continuity requirements.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a proactive, highly skilled procurement professional who meets the following criteria:

Knowledge and Experience:

1. MCIPS qualified (or equivalent experience), with substantial experience in public sector procurement at a senior level, preferably in Local Government.
2. Detailed knowledge of public sector procurement legislation, including Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant knowledge of procurement processes for IT, Finance, HR, Legal, Communications, and other support functions.
3. Extensive experience of managing procurement activities for large-scale services within the public sector.
4. Expertise in category management for the Resources category, with knowledge of the key commodities and services in this area.

Skills and Abilities:

1. Commercial acumen: Ability to apply procurement expertise to deliver value for money (VFM) and manage procurement risks effectively.
2. Contract management: Experience in managing contracts from initiation through to delivery, with the ability to establish effective KPIs, resolve disputes, and negotiate contract terms.
3. Team leadership: Proven ability to manage staff both directly and through project and matrix management. Experience in fostering a high-performance culture.
4. Stakeholder management: Strong capability in managing relationships with senior stakeholders (e.g., Directors, Elected Members) and suppliers.
5. Organisational and planning skills: Experience in managing procurement projects at a strategic, operational, and managerial level.

Experience:

1. Significant experience in delivering procurement projects in a dynamic, public sector environment, especially in IT, HR, Finance, Legal, and Communications.
2. Experience of creating a culture of learning, ensuring that procurement teams have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform at a high level.
3. Proven success in stakeholder management, including working with senior leaders and Elected Members to deliver procurement strategies that support business objectives.
4. Experience in decision-making, particularly in assessing risk and analysis to make informed procurement choices.

Equal Opportunities:

1. A strong commitment to Equal Opportunities policies, with an understanding of how these policies apply in the context of procurement.
2. A commitment to achieving the Council’s staff values and embedding these values within procurement activities, including fairness, respect, collaboration, and service improvement.

Why Work for Royal Greenwich?

As the home of the Prime Meridian Line, Greenwich Mean Time and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Royal Greenwich was named as the first new Royal Borough for more than 80 years.

Royal Greenwich is a great place to live and work, with the main Council offices based in the heart of Woolwich.

Benefitting from excellent transport links ranging from buses and tubes to trains and ferries, Royal Greenwich is one of the easiest boroughs to get to. Not to mention the New Elizabeth Line that only takes 21 minutes to get into or from central London from Woolwich, and 10 minutes to reach The O2.

At Royal Greenwich, you’ll be part of an innovative and supportive team committed to delivering real impact for our residents. As a Category Lead - Resources, you’ll enjoy:

1. An excellent working environment and culture with experienced, professional management and colleagues.
2. A generous 29 days’ annual leave, plus Bank Holidays. (increasing to 31 days after 5 years continuous service)
3. Flexible and hybrid working arrangements with comprehensive IT support.
4. Continuous professional development opportunities, including coaching, mentoring and training.
5. Access to an enhanced Employee assistance programme (EAP) for you and your immediate family which provide support on a wide range of work and personal issues.
6. The chance to work in a vibrant borough with excellent transport links, including the Elizabeth Line and Uber Boat and season ticket loans to get here.
7. A Cycle to Work scheme, reduced-rate gym membership and a range of local benefits and discounts.
8. The security of up to 6 months' full pay and 6 months' half pay (after 5 years continuous service).
9. Not to mention a generous Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), which is a Defined Benefit Scheme offering employer contributions. LGPS builds at a rate of 1/49 (e.g. £20k salary/year/49 = £408.16 pension).

Your pension also benefits you with:

• Life cover - you get life cover of 3x pensionable pay.
• Lower tax.
• Survivor benefits.
• Ill health cover.

How to Apply

If you are a strategic, results-driven procurement professional with extensive experience managing complex procurement projects, we want to hear from you. Please submit your application, including a supporting statement outlining how your experience meets the key responsibilities and person specification for this role.

Interview Dates: W/C Monday 6th January and W/C Monday 13th January

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Stefanie Seff; stefanie.seff@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

To apply please click the Apply Now link below.