About the role
We are currently looking for an IT Category Buyer for our Academic client based in Newcastle Upon Tyne to join a new growing team.
Salary £24,272 - £28,166
About the role:
Responsible for providing a professional, customer-focused, and effective buying service for the assigned categories and category specialist support to the Category Manager, ensuring that relevant Financial Regulations are adhered to.
You will ned to support a fast-paced and busy working environment as part of the wider Procurement team and work well with others. The ability to effectively work in finance systems and interact with other services such as IT and legal and maintain appropriate digital records. This role also requires paying high attention to detail.
Main Responsibilities:
Provide operational support to the Category Manager with category specialist purchases and requests
Facilitate the purchasing process from receipt of requirements to placement of the purchase order ensuring that all relevant approvals are in place for the assigned categories while continuing to keep the customer from Faculty or Service up to date on the status of their request. This may include:
Requesting a quotation from a preferred supplier or undertaking a 3-quote process for specialist purchases not currently covered by a contract, catalogue or punchout
Assisting the Category Manager with more complex, higher risk, or strategic purchasing requests
Identifying where additional approvals (for example from Legal, IT, HR, Marketing or Finance) are necessary before proceeding with the purchase request and coordinating these until approved
Ensuring proof of relevant approvals is evidenced in all purchasing requests
Run regular and ad hoc contract renewals reports, coordinate the renewal of assigned category contracts with the relevant service owners in Faculty / Service and assist the Category Manager with more complex and larger renewals.
Support the Category Managers in running the Supplier Relationship Management processes for their selected contracts by running reports, providing data, and populating performance dashboards, setting up and attending meetings and preparing meeting notes and actions.
Required Experience:
Detailed understanding of procurement processes and experience in coordinating complex approval processes in the assigned categories
Experience of delivery operational purchasing support for the assigned category, including taking ownership of obtaining approval from all relevant approval groups
Experience in dealing with suppliers on a transactional level, requesting quotations and negotiating pricing on these
Understanding of Supplier Relationship Management processes and have contributed to these
Experience of working with defined procurement specialist processes, systems, and procedures
Demonstrable success in building successful, cooperative, and collaborative relationships and internally and with suppliers
Benefits:
Up to 35 das holiday with the option to sell back up to 1 week
Structured career development and training
Discounted travel
Pension scheme
Competitive salary
If you are interested in this IT Category Buyer role, click ‘Apply Now’ and a member of our team will be in touch.