Senior Procurement Advisor

NRW’s purpose is to pursue the sustainable management of natural resources in Wales, this means that the work and support provided by NRW Procurement is extremely varied and interesting in nature. With alignment to strategic categories, the team provide support to Contract Managers across a range of business areas, inclusive of, but not limited to Civil Engineering, Forest Operations, Land Management, ICT, Fleet and Facilities and many others.

The NRW Procurement team play a vital role in the delivery of NRW’s Corporate Objectives, Commercial Strategy and Service Plans; implementing best practice in procurement across NRW, promoting the benefits of a compliant, flexible process that achieves value for money for our stakeholders.

The department relies on qualified and experienced procurement professionals to bring a depth of understanding of the subject matter in line with all relevant procurement legislation, policies and procedures that we must adhere to.

The role of Procurement Senior Advisor will provide dedicated support for the National Peatlands Programme as well as leading on the Nature Networks, Water Quality, National Forests programme and possibly supporting in other deliverables; you will also help NRW achieve its wider initiatives and objectives that seek to mitigate the climate and nature emergency.

You should be a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) with

substantial and relevant experience of leading complexed procurements within the public sector. It would be expected that full MCIPS qualification is obtained if not already achieved.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities include:

• Support the delivery of an integrated and professional procurement service in support of category management (and NRW corporate objectives), providing advice to clients on strategic procurement issues and contributing the other development of NRWs procurement strategy.      
• Hold accountability under Committing our Money, ensuring robust, compliant and value for money outcomes. 
• Analyse a range of complex information to identify cost improvement opportunities within Category spend & Delivery Plans, to include a review of contractual agreements.
• Deliver procurement outcomes and improvements (in cost, efficiency, value or quality) in accordance with agreed targets and key performance indicators.
• Build and maintain influential and collaborative relationships with internal customers to insure awareness of the opportunities, risks and best practice relevant to procurement, influencing the work of our internal customers to provide positive outcomes.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance in order to manage commercial and sustainability risk, to improve ways of working and drive efficiency, as evidenced by savings and overall value.
• Provide procurement leadership and support in prescribed areas of activity working with a range of people from across the organisation.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with the Welsh Government, the National Procurement Service for Wales, Sponsored Bodies, Agencies, service providers and other stakeholders.

Qualifications, experience and knowledge

Knowledge and experience of the following: 

1. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (Full Membership or working towards).
2. Substantial experience as a Procurement practitioner, in the application of knowledge and the specific requirements of the post.
3. Substantial experience of influencing procurement decisions at a project level.
4. Experience of undertaking and leading procurement exercises, demonstrating success with their delivery.
5. Experience of undertaking high level and complex negotiations with supply partners.
6. Transferrable experience of using procurement to deliver business objectives.
7. Understanding of procurement concepts, practices, governance & techniques, & maintenance of this through a range of interests & peer group interaction.

Welsh language requirements:

Essential Level 1 – able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrases