Buyer | Wessex NHS Procurement Limited

Wessex NHS Procurement Limited is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for a detailed job description of the role.

Please note WPL does not hold a Home Office Workers Licence and therefore unable to offer sponsorship.

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

This is a great opportunity for a person starting a career within Procurement, you will have a good base of IT and Communication skills, keen to learn, enthusiastic and outgoing in a professional manner.

Our aim is to work closer with the Procurement Managers and Specialist’s developing negotiation skills, identifying items that could be catalogued so the buying process can be actioned more efficiently saving time & expense.

If you have a sociable side, there is a team within WPL who arrange online quizzes and days out which you would be more than welcome to join in with.

You will support the Senior Buyer and Procurement Managers in the delivery of the Cost Improvement Plan (C.I.P) to ensure an effective and efficient e-procurement service is provided to end users. Provide a high level of customer service to both internal and external customers, using initiative to provide an effective procurement service.

In addition, you will assist senior staff to implement change and seek to continuously improve the service to our clients and enhance procurement expertise.

• Communicate with and brief clinicians and other service users on costs and benefits associated with products/services.
• Seek to develop productive on-going relationships with end users and suppliers to achieve best value.
• Maintain regular contact with end users and suppliers; develop knowledge of service requirements and provide relevant information.
• Identify services that would increase the efficiency of those you support and take action to investigate and implement.
• Identify and network with contracting and materials management teams.
• Deal with urgent requests to ensure product availability to facilitate delivery of services, and adjust work plans and resources accordingly.
• Mentor and train new staff and cross-cover for your team members.
• Share best Practice within the team.

• Align to WPL vision, procurement strategies, legislation, policies and procedures and work plans to deliver the agreed portfolio of procurement projects.
• Identify and report cost reductions from product standardisation and rationalisation.
• Manage resources to deliver agreed work plans, showing a willingness to be flexible to reflect changing priorities.
• Achieve cost savings through use of procurement and sourcing solutions.
• Ensure appropriate compliance on all purchases and ensure accuracy on all orders.
• Complete quotation exercises
• Analyse spend reports and identify trends to improve catalogue coverage and identify CIP opportunities

• Act as help desk contact for customers and supplier representatives, liaising with suppliers over details of orders to ensure accuracy. Respond promptly to enquiries and complaints and ensure user requests are actioned effectively to support front line services.
• Promote closer working relationships between procurement and supply chain colleagues.

• Generate purchase orders from approved requisitions assigned to the Buyer’s workflow daily, within the agreed SLA, and using the Trust e-Procurement IT System
• Make use of national contracts where available.
• Spot trends and analyse product usage to identify opportunities to increase contract coverage working closely with the Strategic Team.
• Ensure catalogues are fit for purpose and kept up to date, using available data to advise decisions
• Advise customers on Standing Financial Instructions, including procurement governance requirements
• Provide management information when required to support work of contracting teams to increase contract coverage using the appropriate Contract Management IT System.
• Participate in team building, training and development.

• Comply with all administrative procedures to ensure compliance with best practice procurement.
• Communicate effectively with the team on day-to-day priorities, workload management and team morale to ensure cohesive service delivery.
• Supports induction of new starters, training in own area of work.
• Use initiative to challenge BAU so we achieve improved results and efficiencies and share good practice with Procurement Managers.

This advert closes on Thursday 3 Oct 2024