Contract & Supplier Management Specialist

Open-ended Contract, Full time (35 Hours per week)

We’re looking for great people to join our Contract & Supplier Management (CSM) team in our award-winning Procurement department.

Procurement at Edinburgh University is undergoing a major transformation as we extend the scope of our influence and impact across our £1bn world-renowned organisation.

Our vision is “To become world class in everything we do, recognised as a trusted strategic partner in the successful delivery of the University’s Strategy 2030”.

To deliver on our commitments we are now looking for people who make things happen, who challenge the status quo, are excited about working in a diverse, dynamic environment and really want to make a change.

The Opportunity:

We are looking for a Contract & Supplier Management Specialist to join our Strategic Procurement team. The Department currently comprises of four ‘Category’ Teams; Information Services & IT, Professional Campus Services, Estates & Buildings, and Laboratories & Medical - of which the CSM Specialists will be allocated. Embedded within the Strategic Procurement function, the Contract & Supplier Management Specialist is responsible for supporting the delivery and development of the contract and supplier management activities within the Procurement Department, ensuring the right outcomes are delivered and the performance of contracts is maximised, as well as adding value through enhancement of supplier relationship management.

Through the development of strong internal and external relationships, the post-holder will effectively manage a range of key suppliers to maximise the outcomes and benefits to the University through supplier relationship management and contract management processes, with the objective of delivering the following:

• Effective management and monitoring of supplier performance and supply chain risks;
• Commercial and operational value through its contracts with its suppliers, reducing costs and increasing value-add;
• Environmental and social impact through the life of the contracts, driving forward the responsible procurement agenda; and
• Identification of opportunities for in-life innovation and creativity to drive efficiency and consistency.

The post-holder will join a forward-thinking, ambitious and supportive procurement team, already well advanced in a service transformation programme. As part of the wider Finance Directorate, we aim to deliver world-class services to the University’s academic teaching and research staff and our professional services colleagues, in keeping with the institution’s Top-20 World Ranking.

You will engage directly with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that Procurement delivers innovative, fit for purpose solutions which are aligned to University objectives and Government policy.

Candidates will be encouraged to exercise initiative and discretion, taking ownership of CSM projects that deliver maximum benefit across the University.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Self-motivated and proactive, with a passion to help shape and develop the service.
• Good commercial competence, risk management, and strong negotiation skills
• Personal credibility and ethics; capacity and confidence to manage contracts and deliver change with aptitude for implementing and improving best-practice procedures.
• Demonstrable experience of negotiation skills
• Relevant contract and supplier management experience
• Good computing literacy and numerical analysis skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills and commercial judgement.

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