Job Purpose

Reporting to the Director of Procurement, the Procurement Sustainability Manager will be responsible for creating and leading the Procurement Sustainability Strategy delivering carbon reduction emissions and service excellence for the university. The role holder will contribute to the development and execution of the University's Procurement and Finance strategy and will provide Procurement advice and expertise to key stakeholders across the university.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Create and develop the Procurement Sustainability Strategy to enhance the Procurement Service Excellence targets, with a focus on environmental, social and economic outcomes.

2. Represent and promote the university externally through membership of various collaborative, inter university and external groups. Acting on behalf of the University provide strategic input to groups such as Scottish Universities Heads of Procurement Group, Research Equipment Affinity Group (funded by HEFCE) and Procurement Strategy Group (Centre of Collaborative Expertise). Also respond to occasional invites to assist on external groups, e.g. Race Relations Board, Scottish Executive.  Build effective networks and relationships with Procurement Centre's of Expertise for Higher Education) Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) and Central Government (Scottish Procurement) as required. Participate in the User Intelligence Group to set strategy and parameters for the HE and FE sector. Provide data through APUC for central government on Best Practice Indicators, Value Measurement and Procurement and Commercial Improvement Programme (PCIP). Integrate HE national and regional agreements for use by university buyers. Support key budget holders in area of responsibility, to ensure contractual agreements are in place to support all spend.

3. Measure, manage and monitor Procurement sustainable targets with an emphasis on reducing Scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon emissions, circular economy, living wage & modern slavery benchmarking outcomes to identify areas of improvement or mitigate any potential risks.

4. Support the Procurement team members that oversee, lead or manage tenders to ensure Sustainable Procurement is featured in all tenders.

Provide sustainable procurement management and insights across multiple categories of spend and tendering, supporting procurement team members to progress their category tendering activity towards better environmental, social & economic outcomes.

5. To create and develop alongside key stakeholder’s appropriate sustainable tender specifications capturing the university sustainable targets and suitable tender questions and weightings that are appropriate to reduce or mitigate Scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon emission results for the university.

6. Lead and support direct reports to embed sustainable practices and procedures to identify high sustainable risk categories, utilising the sustainability risk prioritisation tool (Marrakech). The high-risk categories are then investigated using the DEFRA analysis tool. Thereafter, Suppliers identified within these categories are measured and monitored through EcoVadis. Promote and influence key strategic Suppliers to participate in the university sustainability review via our third-party provider EcoVadis.

7. Supporting and embedding Key Strategic Suppliers tailored KPIs and working with University Services, Estates and the university College’s colleagues on performance improvement plans as required.

Work collaboratively with key Suppliers to drive sustainable Procurement innovative initiatives and performance improvements to deliver service excellence.

Support Procurement Team members to Stimulate real action on sustainable procurement among budget holders / internal clients

8. Evaluate existing processes to ensure robust and legally compliant systems are in place to promote Sustainable Procurement and best value procurement in a developed environment. Propose and implement changes required to current policies such as Procurement Policy, Procurement Strategy and C&SRM Policy, Guidance for less than and above £25k over 48 months, Travel, Purchasing Cards, and Procurement procedures (as part of Financial Procedures).

9. Leading and managing professionally qualified Procurement team members within area of responsibility, by establishing and embedding quality and performance standards and measures and developing and improving the capability of individuals to achieve operational and strategic goals.

10. Lead initiatives to deliver Sustainable Procurement Excellence across the University and promote best practice by creating a sustainability training toolbox for the Procurement Team & Internal Stakeholders across the University.

11. Positively contribute to support the Procurement team to maintain or enhance the CIPS Procurement Excellence Award for the university.

12. Represent the Procurement team at board meetings and or attending board meetings to present data to boards, as required.

13. Analyse previous contracting activity and recommend more sustainable purchasing alternatives.

14. Providing support and guidance on sustainability to tender evaluation panels to ensure sustainability is thoroughly evaluated and understood whilst maintaining regulatory compliance with the Procurement Regulations.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills including expertise in sustainable procurement methodologies in a similar or number of different specialist roles. Or Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9,10 or 11 (Ordinary Honours Degree, Post Graduate Qualification), or equivalent, with a broad range of professional experience in a management role.

A2 High degree of knowledge of procurement rules within Higher Education or a comparable complex sector.

A3 Authoritative knowledge of EC Directives together with other statutory requirements placed on public sector bodies.

A4 Highly developed contract law and general legal knowledge.

A5 Highly developed knowledge of modern procurement techniques, e.g. E Tendering.

A6 Detailed Knowledge and understanding of Circular Procurement. A7 Authoritative Knowledge and understanding of Sustainable Procurement.

Desirable:

B1 Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) qualified with full registration.

B2 High degree of knowledge of public sector procurement rules.

B3 Knowledge of the Freedom of Information [Scotland] Act.

B4 Deep understanding of academic culture and context.

Skills

Essential:

C1 High level of IT skill required.
C2 Ability to interact robustly when required and yet diplomatically with wide range of people from university colleagues at all levels to external suppliers, APUC and Scottish Government.

C3 Strong leadership and management skills with a demonstrable ability to develop high performing teams. C4 Ability to develop and maintain policies, strategies, procedures and systems to measure activity and performance.

C5 A self-motivated individual with the ability to work effectively under pressure and to tight timescales managing competing demands and ability to prioritise.

C6 Excellent negotiation, influencing and diplomacy skills for Contract, Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Procurement Contracts.

C8 Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

C9 Excellent planning and organisational skills.

Desirable:

D1 Strong market knowledge of sustainability considerations within public tendering opportunities.

Experience

**Essential:
**E1 Extensive broad professional management experience in a similar or related role working in a public sector (or equivalent) in a Procurement sustainability management capacity with qualifications above OR Substantial vocational and relevant management experience demonstrating management ability and knowledge working in a public sector (or equivalent) in a professional Procurement role.
E2 Significant practical experience of using computerised finance and other business systems.

E3 Experience of engaging and providing strategic advice to senior executives and guiding a professional team.

E4 Experience of managing and developing a team.

E5 Experience of managing and delivering sustainable innovative initiatives (end to end), with significant strategic importance across the organisation.

Desirable:

F1 Cross public sector procurement and/or private sector experience in policy and/or finance and/or procurement.
F2 Committee representation.

F3 Management of a team of professional staff.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 8, £49,250 - £56,921 per annum.

This post is full time and open ended.

Closing Date: 23:45 12th February 2025