Senior Procurement Lead

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ (our UK Intelligence Agencies) are working collaboratively to develop our unique procurement team, procuring goods and services to protect threats to national security.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Procurement Lead to spearhead a procurement and contracting team at a time of rapid development and organisational change. You will lead and shape key projects and business change initiatives across the commercial function, translating business goals into prioritised and focused requirements for your team to deliver.

This is a unique opportunity to lead team delivery, in a challenging environment, of a diverse and challenging portfolio of major procurement projects across a range of services to areas such as frontline operations, IT, HR and Estates.

Regular UK travel is required for the role.

Key Responsibilities

•    Delivery of a portfolio of major procurement projects, leading and setting direction for commercial teams
•    Driving improvements, innovation and performance from suppliers; supporting cross agency team collaboration
•    To lead on and manage the delivery of a highly professional and valued procurement and supply service to a wide range of participants; demonstrating a collaborative and partnering style along with professional integrity
•    Oversee and manage the delivery of a large multi-million-pound portfolio of major procurement projects.
•    Advise and challenge partners through to commercial senior leadership on strategic issues and challenging leaders to deliver key business and people outcomes

The Person

You will possess practical experience in procurement and supply chain environments, leading and implementing complex decisions and have a comprehensive understanding of best practice procurement, supply chain processes and methodologies. You will also have experience in managing significant spend and saving efficiencies.

It is essential that you are a role model in supporting, empowering and instilling confidence within teams. Through coaching, mentoring and sharing your expertise/knowledge, you will ensure teams deliver excellent procurement and supply service outcomes. Evidence of effectively bringing about and embedding organisational change is also required.

In this role, it is crucial to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. You will be effective in developing and enhancing constructive relationships with customers, sponsors and external supplier organisations with integrity and impartiality. Outstanding written skills and experience of writing and agreeing commercial strategies and plans is also essential.

You will be required to hold or be working towards a degree level qualification, MCIPS or business equivalent. Support can be provided to continue working towards a relevant qualification.

Recruitment Process

The first thing we will ask you to do is complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you do meet these criteria we will then ask you to begin an application.

You will need to create a log in and provide your full name, email address and a memorable password. Once you have successfully created a personal account, you will be required to complete an initial registration form, providing contact details and equal opportunities monitoring information.

You will then be invited to provide your CV and complete an online application form. Our recruitment team will conduct a sift of your application and successful applicants may be invited to a telephone interview. All successful applicants will be invited to attend a competency based face to face interview to further explore your skills and motivation for the role. If you are successful at this stage, you will be required to attend a security interview with a vetting officer. You should read about the vetting process and satisfy yourself that you meet the criteria outlined in the vetting pages of the How to Apply section prior to submitting your application.

Giving misleading information or omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously. You should ensure that you follow our guidance from when you apply.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme we offer an interview to all candidates with a disability who meet our minimum criteria for the job vacancy that they are applying for. This is known as the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS).

Along with the standard eligibility requirements for this post, your application will be assessed on how far you meet the job requirements. Your application must score the minimum amount of points set. On successful completion of this stage, you will be invited to interview. This will normally be a telephone interview and is our guaranteed interview.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet our residency criteria. You must be a born or naturalised British citizen and one of your parents must be a British citizen or have substantial ties to the UK.

Our UK Intelligence Agencies are committed to reflecting both equal opportunities and the society we protect and particularly welcome applications from women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates.

Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for nine out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. However, we will still consider you if you’ve served overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of Her Majesty’s Government, studied abroad, or lived overseas with your parents.

Due to vetting requirements, you will need to be 18 years old, or above, to apply. Your application may take around six months to process.

Discretion

Owing to the sensitivity of our work, we do not publicly disclose the identities of our staff. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

To apply for this role please click here.