Procurement & Commercial Services Manager (Lewisham Borough Council)
Laurence House, Catford

Vacancy Reference: 01724

Location: Laurence House, Catford

Closing Date: 06/05/2019

Salary: £53,112 - £57,234 per annum

Employment Type: Fixed term, full-time

Department: Resources and Regeneration

Hours Per Week: 35

Fixed term opportunity for two years

Lewisham is a dynamic and complex organisation supporting a local population of around 300,000 residents within the Borough; working in collaboration and partnership with public sector agencies and other providers within the Borough, and across London.   

Procurement, Contract Management and Income Generation plays a vital role in ensuring that the Council continues to deliver high quality and value for money front line services to its residents. With continued and increasing austerity the ability for the Council to secure both value for money and best value through its procurement and commissioning activities has never been more important. The Council buys a wide range of goods, works and services annually and the efficient procurement of these contracts ensures best value is continuously achieved. 

Linked to procurement is the recognition that effective contract management can both protect front line service delivery standards and can be used to deliver continued efficiencies. 

Furthermore the Council has increasing ambitions to further its income generation and commercialisation agenda and activities, to enable financial resilience for the Council and for its residents more widely. The Council has adopted and is rolling out its new Income Generation Strategy for 2018 – 2021 which covers the breadth of income generating activities from the annual process of setting fees and charges through to the ability for new initiatives and commercial services to be brought forward and sustained through the development of a robust business case. The strategy will be supported by an organisation wide transformation agenda to embed a commercial culture and mind-set. 

The Procurement and Commercial Services team is responsible for the delivery of these services across the entire organisation and is therefore instrumental in the sustained financial resilience of the Council.

The role
This role will take the lead for all corporate procurement, contract management and income generating activity across the Council. 
Working with services and directorates you will lead on the development and implementation of commercial strategies for key services areas that align staff behaviours, finances and processes to bring forward new opportunities and incentivise and drive sustainable performance improvement.  

You will be responsible for the management of the Council’s corporate procurement arrangements to ensure:

  • Services are supported and challenged to consider the strategic and commercial opportunities, benefits, and risks when preparing to go to the market;
  • Compliance with regulations and Council procedures in tendering contracts; and
  • Monitoring of contracted services for value for money using appropriate performance information. 

You will be expected to lead on the development and implementation of a Commercial vision and strategy for the Council, and to provide procurement and commercial expertise and support to services across the Council. Linked to this you will lead on the development of the Council’s procurement strategy and associated policies and guidance. To ensure this strategy aligns with the corporate strategy and delivers within the legislative framework whilst ensuring best value and efficiency gains for the Council.

You will manage the corporate procurement resources, providing expert advice on the procurement function across the Council. Ensuring that procurement resources are deployed in line with corporate needs and that staff are adequately trained to deliver the procurement strategy and function.

This role will provide oversight and advise on contract management matters ensuring compliance with procurement procedures, standing orders and financial regulations, including the management of commercial risks. This will require collaboration with services across the Council to coordinate and monitor performance of procurement and commercial activities using key metrics and prepare reports for senior management as required.

In relation to commercial and income generation activity this role will sit on relevant boards across the Council acting as commercial champion and encouraging cross directorate working and information sharing as best practice. You will work closely with Executive Directors, Heads of Service and other senior officers across the Council to align directorate principals to ensure commercial targets set by the Council are driven forward by all management teams. And work with managers across the Council to develop commercial acumen to assist in delivering the commercial strategy and driving change. This will include supporting and advising services in achieving the income generation targets set for them as part of the budget process.

What we’re looking for
The successful candidate will have the following skills, experience and attitude:

  • A confident, commercially focused, strategic thinker, able to create innovative solutions and engage with and influence others.
  • Ambitious, driven and energetic.
  • Visible, approachable and accessible.
  • Resilient, determined and confident.
  • Outward facing.
  • A strong and highly motivated leader and team player with energy and credibility who commands the confidence of Members, senior managers, staff, business partners and stakeholders.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of the practical implications of the current legislative framework relating to local authority procurement
  • Extensive knowledge of the legal procurement framework as it affects local authorities.   
  • Comprehensive understanding of best practice in contract management within a similarly complex, challenging environment.                                                                                                                               
  • Excellent understanding of the political interface in a local authority and the role and needs of elected members.                                                                                                    
  • Ability to interpret, model and articulate a strong strategic vision for service quality and continuous improvement.
  • Able to understand complex policy issues and present them to a range of groups including staff, external partners, stakeholders and elected Members.
  • Able to establish effective and productive working relationships with elected Members and other key stakeholders.
  • Strong leadership skills, including the ability to both lead and support while maintaining high levels of accountability throughout the organisation.
  • Experience at driving the commercial strategy and operations of an organisation                                     
  • Experience of managing organisational change in a fast moving environment and building and supporting a team that is able to lead the implementation of high quality services.                                                         
  • Evidence of having developed and delivered effective performance measures and a performance culture that achieves objectives and drives up standards of performance.                                                                 
  • Relevant qualifications or corporate membership of a professional body (CIPFA, CIMA, CIPS), and/or substantial relevant experience                                                                                                                   

In return, we’ll offer excellent development opportunities, plus a range of benefits that includes a career average pension scheme, flexible working and the opportunity to make a real difference to our local community.

Further information
For an informal discussion, please contact Katharine Nidd on 020 8314 6651.

Lewisham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

We value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

To apply
For a full job description and person specification, and for further information about the recruitment process and to apply, please follow this link https://lewisham.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/procurement-commercial-services-manager-437

Closing date:         5pm, Monday 6 May 2019
Interview Dates:    Monday – Thursday, 6 – 9 May 2019

The council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response

 

This vacancy is now closed. We are no longer accepting applications for this position.

Back