Procurement Assistant
We will not tolerate discrimination on any of the following: gender, marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, religion, age, disability, working pattern, caring responsibilities trade union activity or political beliefs-or any other grounds.
The Trust is currently under-represented in terms of staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. We encourage applications from all backgrounds to improve the diversity of our workforce and to better reflect the communities we serve to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place; every time.
The Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy early if a large number of applications are received.
Due to the volume of applications received for our advertisements, we will only contact those candidates shortlisted for interview via email; we aim to do this within 4 weeks of the closing date. If you do not receive the email, it will be that you have not been shortlisting on this occasion.When applying for this position, it is essential that you read the job description and person specification fully. Please use the supporting information space to demonstrate your ability to undertake this role, drawing on your skills, knowledge and experience.
We also offers a range of excellent benefits including a pension scheme, up to 33 days Annual leave (exclusive of bank holidays), training and development opportunities, access to NHS discounts, Car Lease Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme, NHS Mortgages and Childcare Vouchers.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Procurement Assistant post based at the Trust Headquarters in Bolton.
North West Ambulance Service Procurement Department has just attained ‘Good’ as part of the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework (CCIAF).We are looking for an enthusiastic, reliable and motivated individual to join our friendly, professional and busy Procurement team. The post holder will provide high quality first line helpdesk and systems support via email, phone and remote log on to all e-procurement systems users.
In addition, the post holder will advise on all day to day Procurement transactional requirements in line with policies and procedures.
We are looking for a person with good general administrative and customer service skills. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the Trust; they must be confident in dealing with queries by phone, email or face to face.
Main duties of the job
Candidates must be able to work as part of a team, with an organised approach to work, paying attention to detail and prioritising their workload.This is an office-based administrative role based at Ladybridge Hall in Bolton with the flexibility of home working to suit the demands of the role and department. This policy is flexible and will be discussed in detail at interview stage.
The hours of work for this role will be part time, Monday-Friday 1.15pm to 5pm
“NWAS is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all underrepresented groups to ensure our workforces reflects the diversity of the communities we serve”.
Working for our organisation
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides 24 hour, 365 days a year accident and emergency services to those in need of emergency medical treatment and transport.
Our highly skilled staff provide life-saving care to patients in the community and take people to hospital or a place of care if needed.We also provide non-emergency patient transport services for those patients who require non-emergency transport to and from hospital and who are unable to travel unaided because of their medical condition or clinical need.
Alongside the other emergency services, we also work to ensure the safety of the public and treatment of patients in the event of a major incident.
We also deliver the NHS 111 service in the North West. NHS 111 replaced NHS Direct in 2013. This service was introduced to make it easier for people to access local NHS healthcare services in England. It provides non-emergency medical help fast, and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The key dates for the stages of recruitment are: Advert closes – 2 May 2025
Interview date – 23 May 2025
Please ensure you have read the full Job Description and Person Specification before applying for this role.
Due to an uplift in the national living wage from 1st April 2025 the Trust have taken the decision to temporarily increase the rates of pay for the banding associated to this role to £24,625 (full time salary - pro rata for part time staff).This will be reviewed once we receive notification of the annual pay uplift review from NHS Employers for 2025/26.
Person specification
Skills
Essential criteria- Good communication skills appropriate for a wide range of audiences (written/phone/face to face) – good interpersonal skills
- Ability to function both as a team player and self-motivator.
- Ability to manage, organise and prioritise own workload with the ability to work to strict deadlines
- Analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to think clearly and remain calm under pressure.
- Customer Service skills.
- Literate/numerate.
- Problem solving skills.
- Computer Literacy (skills) basic knowledge and proficiency of I.T. packages particularly in the use of word processing, spreadsheets, and data bases (or commitment to train).
- Smart appearance, flexible; highly motivated; proactive
Qualifications
Essential criteria- General standard of education GCSE or equivalent – Including Mathematics and English.
- A willingness to work towards a professional qualification in Procurement and Supply
- Willingness to undertake any training as required by the Trust
- Experience in a Procurement and Supply Environment or other office environment.
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience in a Procurement and Supply Environment or other office environment.
Values
Essential criteria- Working together – demonstrate collaborative and inclusive working and challenge behaviour that is not inclusive or acceptable
- Being at our best – professional and adaptable and takes pride in work
- Making a difference – act with compassion, kindness and integrity towards everyone
Any offer of employment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information, provide false or misleading information.
Should you be successful at interview stage successful candidates will receive a conditional offer of employment, this will be subject to the NHS Employment Checks Standards.
Right to work - You will be required to provide a valid right to work in the UK document. North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust are currently able to provide sponsorship for roles that identified under the Health and Care visa, further information on this can be found here Health and Care Worker visa: Your job - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Reference checks - This will cover a minimum of a three year period and will include a request for the number of days and occasions of sickness absence covering a minimum two year period. In line with equality legislation, the earliest point at which we will ask health related questions is when an offer of employment has been made.Absences related to disability may be excluded from these considerations; consideration would be given as to what would be a reasonable attendance level, based on the information available. Absences related to pregnancy, maternity and/or gender reassignment will be excluded from these considerations.
Detailed information on the NHS Employment Checks Standards is available on the NHS Employers website; search ‘employment checks’.
DBS Checks - If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made for this disclosure.
Occupational Health - You will require satisfactory medical clearance.
Whilst not a condition of employment, all staff are encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as this remains the best lined of defence against COVID-19.
From 1^st September 2018, Section 2 of the Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions will automatically apply to the calculation of unsocial hours for all appointments that commence in post from this date (except secondments).
If you do not have regular access to your email please contact a member of the HR Hub Team on 03451122018.