Junior BuyerNHS

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and enthusiastic individual to join the Procurement Department as a Band 3 Junior Buyer.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to develop a career in procurement. Whether you are a recent graduate, have experience in an administrative or customer service role, or are looking to build a career within the NHS, this role offers comprehensive on-the-job training and development within a supportive and experienced team.

Working alongside the Buying Team Supervisor and Senior Buyers, you will support the delivery of an efficient, responsive and high-quality procurement service. You will assist with the purchasing of goods and services, ensuring that procurement activities are carried out in accordance with the Trust's Standing Financial Instructions, procurement legislation, and internal policies and procedures.

As your knowledge and experience develop, you will be given the opportunity to undertake purchasing activities independently, including supporting low to medium value procurement exercises for goods, equipment, services and maintenance contracts. You will gain exposure to procurement best practice, supplier engagement, contract management and stakeholder relationship management.

This position will not be supported for visa sponsorship. All applicants are expected to have valid right to work document to work in the UK when applying for this position.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will be organised, proactive and customer-focused, with excellent communication and organisational skills. They will be comfortable working both independently and as part of a busy team, managing a varied workload and responding to changing priorities.

This role requires a strong commitment to delivering excellent customer service and building effective working relationships with colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders across the organisation. You will play an important role in ensuring that procurement supports the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care by providing a professional, efficient and value-for-money service.

The post holder will report to the Buying Team Supervisor and will be supported through structured training and development to build the skills and knowledge required for a successful career in NHS procurement.

Job description

Specific Responsibilities

Provide a customer focused service that is polite, giving accurate and timely information to the end-user

Liaise and consult with Trust Departments, colleagues and other stakeholders as appropriate, to ensure a sound and effective procurement service is delivered.

With support from Senior Buyers, provide internal colleagues with guidance regarding the appropriate compliant procurement route.

Prioritise the work load, ensuring urgent items are dealt with efficiently and highlighting potential delays to Buying Team Supervisor and end-users.

Work closely with departments to ensure complete, accurate and relevant specifications are prepared for goods and services.

Advise users and suppliers of the correct processes for acquiring goods and services within the Trust

Ensure compliance with policies and systems and provide assistance where required

Obtain quotations where appropriate using negotiation skills to minimise expenditure but maximise other possibly non-financial advantages including areas of cost avoidance.

Proactively increase the Catalogue/Contract coverage through Integra by identifying contract gaps and highlighting to Souring Colleagues enabling them to arrange contract coverage.

Responsible for ensuring that requisitions/purchase orders are raised in line with procurement procedures confirming the relevant standards for quality and safety are applied.

Please see attached job description for further information.

Please see attached job description for further information.

About us

We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you'll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we've achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.

We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.

If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.