Commercial Category Manager - Notes Directorate (23 month FTC)

Be among the first applicants.

Bank of England

Leeds

GBP 80,000 - 100,000

Be among the first applicants.

4 days ago

Job description

Central Procurement are part of Shared Services, which focuses on operational delivery, and includes colleagues from Human Resource, Finance, Technology, Property, Procurement and Security.

The Notes Directorate fulfils the Bank's obligations as the sole issuer of banknotes in England and Wales, and to maintain confidence in the currency.

With staff across Threadneedle Street and Debden and Leeds, we rely on expertise in diverse fields such as economic and quantitative modelling, policy and risk analysis, operations, public communications and science. In fulfilling this important and highly visible public role, it is important that we ensure:

the public has access to genuine, high-quality banknotes in a range of denominations; and
a well-run cash industry exists to supply banknotes efficiently across the country.

In addition to our role in relation to Bank of England notes, Notes Directorate fulfils the Bank's statutory responsibility to ensure public confidence in banknotes issued by Scottish and Northern Ireland (S&NI) banks.

The Bank have a long-term contract with its banknote printer, De La Rue. This contract is due to expire in 2028 and a new tender process is required to be run in 2026. In addition to the print contract tender, the Bank is tendering for components that go into the manufacturing of our banknotes.

Department Overview
The Procurement department is responsible for ensuring value-for-money for the Bank and compliance with the procurement policies and regulations, and managing third-party risk.

The sourcing side of the team is broadly organised into three business partnering teams, covering Technology, Facilities Management and Notes, and Corporate.

Job Description
This role will be part of the Facilities Management and Notes commercial business partnering team (which includes soft and hard FM and all banknote-related categories of spend), whose main role is to deliver value-for-money via strategic sourcing.

This role is a 23 month FTC/secondment.

The role is divided into two related parts.

Category management and tendering (c.80%)

You will be responsible for:

Supporting the Commercial Business Partner in the creation of long-term category strategies
Working with the business areas to agree priorities and support the Commercial Business Partner in building the multi-year procurement pipeline of work to ensure the team can deliver effectively
Supporting the Commercial Business Partner deliver the pipeline of work by managing the end-to-end sourcing of all allocated projects, including facilitating (where necessary) workshops with the business areas to agree sourcing plans and requirements building
Following the agreed governance process throughout the sourcing processes, liaising where needed with Legal to discuss commercial law matters, and working with Finance to record all benefits for your projects
Supporting the Commercial Business Partner embed effective risk management by implementing risk controls to drive compliance to policy
Making efficient and consistent use of eProcurement systems, in line with the defined workflows (aligned to internal policy)
Supporting the Commercial Business Partner with the development of commercial competencies in your business area, through regular engagement and formal training.
Driving sustainability in the category, by notably working closely with Subject Matter Specialists

Supplier management (c.20%)

You will be responsible for:

Supporting effective contract management in your area by engaging with, and advising, your business area colleagues regarding post-contract activities
Ensuring information flows (e.g. supplier intelligence) and communication channels between Procurement and the business are maintained
Working with the Supplier Management team to ensure supplier and contract management best practice is implemented in line with the Bank’s framework

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required

Technical capabilities:

Proven track record of managing a complex pipeline of work, delivering innovative commercial solutions through the application of strategic sourcing techniques and use of relevant systems and contracts in the category
Experience of PCR-level public procurement, including using public-sector frameworks
Experience of working in a client-focused environment on whole project life cycles
MCIPS qualification (or working towards)

Behavioural capabilities:

Strong stakeholder management skills and assertiveness, with ability to challenge
Strong communication skills, ability to build rapport and constructive relationships
Demonstrable excellent organisational, planning and time management skills
Demonstrable ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
Self-motivation, with the ability to work both on your own initiative and as part of a team

It would be advantageous to also have experience of supplier and/or contract management (post-contract award).

Our Approach to Inclusion

The Bank values diversity, equity and inclusion. We play a key role in maintaining monetary and financial stability, and to do that effectively, we believe we need a workforce that reflects the society we serve.

At the Bank of England, we want all colleagues to feel valued and respected, so we're working hard to build an inclusive culture which supports people from all backgrounds and communities to be at their best at work. We celebrate all forms of diversity, including (but not limited to) age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. We believe that it’s by drawing on different perspectives and experiences that we’ll continue to make the best decisions for the public.

We welcome applications from individuals who work flexibly, including job shares and part time working patterns. We've also partnered with external organisations to support us in making adjustments for candidates and employees in the recruitment process where they're needed.

For most roles where work can be carried out at home, we aim for colleagues to spend half of their time in the office, with a minimum of 40% per month. Subject to that minimum requirement, individuals and managers should work together to find what works best for them, their team and stakeholders.

Finally, we're proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme. If you wish to apply under this scheme, you should check the box in the ‘Candidate Personal Information’ under the ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ section of the application.

Salary and Benefits Information

We encourage flexible working, part time working and job share arrangements. Part time salary and benefits will be on a pro-rated basis as appropriate.

This role offers a salary as follows:

Leeds circa £47,430 - £54,000

London circa £52,730 - £60,000.

In addition, we also offer a comprehensive benefits package as detailed below:

A non-contributory, career average pension giving you a guaranteed retirement benefit of 1/95th of your annual salary for every year worked. There is the option to increase your pension (to 1/50th) or decrease (to 1/120th) in exchange for salary through our flexible benefits programme each year.
A discretionary performance award based on a current award pool.
A 8% benefits allowance with the option to take as salary or purchase a wide range of flexible benefits.
26 days’ annual leave with option to buy up to 12 additional days through flexible benefits.
Private medical insurance and income protection.

National Security Vetting Process

Employment in this role will be subject to the National Security Vetting clearance process (and typically can take between 6 to 12 weeks post offer) and the passing of additional Bank security checks in accordance with the Bank policy. Further information regarding the vetting and security clearance requirements for the role will be provided to the successful applicant, and information about how the Bank processes personal data for these purposes, is set out in the Bank's Privacy Notice.

The Application Process

Important: Please ensure that you complete the ‘work history’ section and answer ALL the application questions fully. All candidate applications are anonymised to ensure that our hiring managers will not be able to see your personal information, including your CV, when reviewing your application details at the screening stage. It’s therefore really important that you fill out the work history and application form questions, as your answers will form a critical part of the initial selection process.

The assessment process will comprise of two interview stages.

This role closes on 5th Nov 2024.

Please apply online, ensuring that you complete your work history and answer ALL the application questions fully and in detail as your application will not be considered if all mandatory questions are not fully completed.