Procurement Project Manager - Tayside & Dundee

Key Role Information:

Salary range: circa £40K per annum

Location: This role can be delivered remotely with occasional travel to Tayside

Permanent, Full time: (although requests for other working patterns/hours will be considered)

Closing date: 8th June 2025

About the Role

The Procurement Project Manager will be responsible for contributing to the success of client institutions across the Tayside area. The post holder will be required to utilise techniques of cost reduction, cost avoidance and demand aggregation, coupled with production/leverage of enhanced management information, market intelligence and advanced supplier management techniques including monitoring and delivery of improvements in ethical/social and environmental aspects and continue to maintain APUC’s position as a leading Centre of Procurement Expertise. The post holder will be deployed to various client institutions across the Tayside region, typically on a medium-term basis.

Prospective candidates should have experience of working within a procurement role with some autonomy, and have relevant tendering experience with appropriate knowledge of EU / Scottish procurement regulations. Of particular importance are excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities:

• Manage senior and operational stakeholder and key supplier relationships;
• Manage routine higher value tendering and implementation of collaborative agreements in the institution; Manage the procurement of institution wide specific goods/services/works requirements;
• Increase the Procurement Capability of the Institution;
• Assist in the delivery of institutional focussed procurement awareness training;
• Represent the institution on the various forums and contribute to sector wide joint initiatives in relation to procurement;
• Assist in undertaking statutory UK procurement reporting for the institution and routine procurement reporting from data for the relevant academic year; and, Implement the requirements of Procurement Legislation
• Develop and facilitate the procurement processes based on the “Procurement Journey” and provide operational guidance for / to those involved in lower value procurement below formal tender levels;
• Assist in implementing the Scottish Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan and move the institution to raising its attainment level versus the Flexible Framework;

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills:

• Have effective and highly responsive customer management skills;
• Be of high intellectual calibre, with the highest ethical standards;
• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or working towards this (preferred);
• Have the essential competencies of clarity of purpose, self-confidence, integrity with strong influencing ability;
• Have knowledge of Scottish/UK purchasing legislation as it relates to the HE/FE sector;
• Demonstrate sound commercial acumen;

Experience:

• Have proven project management skills and of meeting demanding targets and deadlines on a day-to-day basis;
• Have extensive procurement experience including the management of end-to-end tender processes, contract drafting and negotiation and contract management;
• Experience in production and manipulation of procurement related data and production of management reports;
• Advanced spreadsheet skills and the ability to use financial models

Contacts and Relationships:

• The post holder must build strong working relationships with relevant stakeholders and develop the reputation of APUC as a source of expert guidance and support both to institutional customers and suppliers; and,
• Must be able to influence, negotiate and achieve consensus with clients, colleagues and contractors.
• They must maintain a positive, supportive, can-do attitude at all times and be a role model for less senior staff.

About APUC

Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) is the Centre of Procurement Expertise for, and owned jointly by, all of Scotland's Universities and Colleges. With collaboration, responsibility, and integrity at the heart of what we do, we're all about helping our member institutions achieve their objectives, whether you are putting together Framework Agreements, or working directly in one of our client institutions.

Joining APUC means joining a community of peers, and getting the chance to get together often and having network opportunities throughout the year. Peer support and collaboration is integral at APUC.

We currently employ around 90 people, most of whom are based within Colleges and Universities but with some based in our regional offices in Stirling (HQ), Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Why Work at APUC

• Full time hours are 35 hours per week on average and can be worked 5 x 7 hour days or you can compress your hours to work either 4.5 days per week, 9 days per fortnight (so a long weekend every 2 weeks) or 9.5 days per fortnight. If you choose a 9 day fortnight, our default non-working time is a Friday but occasionally other days can work better. Requests for other working patterns/reduced hours will be considered.
• We aim to provide a work life balance for colleagues and offer flexible work options for all including flexible start and end times and options to take longer or shorter lunches as preferred.
• Your holiday entitlement (given in hours) is equivalent of 26 x 7 hour days and an additional 14 x 7 hour fixed and floating days to cover bank holidays and the festive break.
• We are closed for the festive period (between Christmas and New Year) and Good Friday and Easter Monday. Every year!
• You will be automatically enrolled into our pension scheme and our Group Life Assurance which is based on your annual salary from day 1 of employment.
• We offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental pay (subject to eligibility criteria).
• Wellbeing activities and events are organised throughout the year in accordance with key national mental and physical health awareness dates.
• Career development is important to us and all staff have regular performance reviews and there is a variety of funding options to enable staff to pursue professional and leadership qualifications, as well as other learning and development opportunities such as access to our Procurement Skills Development Programme and internal workshops.
• Cycle-to-work schemes are available with Cycle Solutions and Halfords (maximum value of £3,000).
• Retail and gym membership discounts & offers with access to our mydiscounts portal.
• Home & Technology benefit is an affordable way of accessing new technology by making savings on National Insurance. Products include tablets, laptops, desktops, SmartTV's, games consoles along with garden furniture and equipment, home improvement tools and more.
• Access to Scotwest Credit Union which offers a range of affordable loans, mortgages and savings accounts.
• We have an Employee Wellbeing Policy and Annual Plan, a team of trained Mental Health First Aiders, and all of our people managers are trained in providing support for employees experiencing mental health issues. Our EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) can be accessed through an online portal which gives access to a library of health and wellbeing articles, as well as allowing you to book counselling sessions.
• We have an Employee Representative and Consultation Group, who meet quarterly. We regularly ask for feedback in a variety of ways at company events or through surveys.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying please email your full CV along with covering letter, explaining why you feel you would like to work with APUC and in the particular role mentioned, noting your current salary level and notice period.