Procurement Assistant (Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS FT)

Job overview

Please note this is a secondment opportunity as fixed term cover for maternity Leave. Please discuss applying for a secondment role with your line manager to gain approval prior to applying. This posts end date will be 30th November 2025. Part time hours will also be considered for this role, hours and working days can be discussed.

Working on behalf of Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust couldn’t be more rewarding. Be part of a procurement function that’s makes a real difference and goes the extra mile to demonstrate value for money.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on challenge, is highly motivated and with the drive, enthusiasm and ability to work in a strategically challenging and rewarding healthcare environment.

Main duties of the job

You will work closely with the Purchasing Team leader in obtaining the maximum possible value from the money spent by the trust on goods and services. In addition, this role is also key in identifying and delivering cost saving opportunities whilst at the same time ensuring a consistently high-quality service is delivered by the trusts purchasing team.

This role will also ensure that all requests for goods and services not available via managed catalogues are processed effectively and efficiently whilst liaising with and supporting the contracting teams in identifying additional goods and services that should be contracted.

You will be a team player with a keen eye for detail with excellent interpersonal skills and to be able to communicate clearly and concisely at all levels.

Working for our organisation

We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

Our workforce of nearly 5,000 across both sites comprises more than 50 nationalities. We strive to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer, which is recognised as a pioneer in its equality, diversity and inclusion work. The Trust is proud to have achieved numerous external accreditations and is working towards achieving the Anti-Racist Organisation Framework, recognising the importance of anti-racism in all that we do.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To support the Purchasing Team Leader and to be responsible for ensuring that all requisitions for goods and services are processed effectively and efficiently and to identify additional goods and services that should be formally tendered. To assist and contribute to the effective management and control of the Trust non-pay expenditure.

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION ATTACHED

Person specification

Qualifications

• • 5 GCSE’s (A-C) or equivalent including Math’s and English Language.
• • Educated to NVQ Level 4 or Higher National Diploma level or evidence of working at equivalent demonstrable level.

Mental effort

• • Able to work alone and as part of a team
• • Ability to problem solve
• • Able to escalate concerns within timeframes
• • Frequent requirement for concentration, work pattern is predictable
• • Able to manage own stress levels effectively
• • Must be able to work in fast a paced environment

Experience

• • Previous experience working within a procurement environment
• • Experience of working under pressure to strict deadlines and prioritizing workload.
• • Experience of e-procurement systems, processes and catalogue management.

• • Previous NHS experience

Skills

• • Excellent organisational skills.
• • Demonstrable knowledge of Procurement and Customer Care
• • Competent in data input spreadsheets (preferably Excel) and word processing (preferably Word).
• • Numerate
• • Excellent Interpersonal Skills
• • Problem Solving Skills
• • Excellent Customer Service Skills
• • Flexible approach to work / adaptable
• • Able to work on own initiative/solve problems.
• • Enthusiastic/self-motivated
• • Good Keyboard Skills
• IT Literate
• TEAMS Aware