NWSSP – NHS Wales Procurement Shared Service is an established Procurement Service assisting the Health Boards and Trusts across Wales to deliver patient centred services. We are an award-winning service focusing on value, safety, excellence, innovation and quality. Our aim is to have seamless procurement processes in place that releases clinical time to focus on patient care and develop a value based procurement approach based around patient outcomes.

Working within the NWSSP Cardiff & Vale University local Procurement team – this is truly an exciting time to be joining NHS Wales’ Procurement Services and the post-holder will play a leading role in the delivery of the Medical portfolio across Wales

• Lead the organization & delivery of Services, in conjunction with staff having a role in delivery of related projects & activity.
• Ensure that Procurement Services achieve our operational and financial objectives and act in compliance with EU legislation, UK law and Health Board / Trust Standing Financial Instructions.
• Provide vision and leadership in the development and implementation of a sourcing service improvement within the Procurement function, ensuring that systems, processes, policies and procedures are in place to enable the team to deliver its strategic and operational targets.
• Lead, motivate and develop his/her team to deliver agreed performance targets in key areas, including:
  • Delivering high standards of customer service through the provision of Procurement activities
  • Ensure delivery of an efficient and effective service across NHS Wales
  • Delivery of schemes and projects to time and budget
  • Utilization of Oracle financial management system and other enablement technology applicable to capital
• The Assistant Head of National Sourcing is a key member of the Procurement management and, as such, makes a key contribution to the development of the Procurement function, its strategic direction and annual business plans.
• There is significant freedom to act within this role, and the Assistant Head of National Sourcing- is expected to adjust to significant and sudden variations in workload.
• The Assistant Head of National Sourcing – liaises directly with senior colleagues in partner organizations and supplier organizations, to ensure that the Health Board / Trust functions are able to meet the priorities and demands of their Capital requirements. This will require high level skills of diplomacy and priority planning.
• The Assistant Head of National Sourcing often acts without reference to the Deputy Head of National Sourcing/Head of Procurement and is given freedom to achieve objectives/timescales in his/her own way, working within broad professional policies. The nature of the Procurement function requires the Assistant Head of National Sourcing to be flexible and professional at all times.

Communications & Customer Relations

• Establish, implement, maintain and develop effective communication systems:
  • within the Procurement function in order to facilitate the flow of communication across the team
  • externally, between Procurement and its partner organizations ensuring that customers are managed appropriately, and issues and queries are resolved
  • externally, with suppliers in order to keep abreast of current technology, market forces and products and services
  • externally, with other public bodies to collaborate and benchmark
• Provide professional, expert advice to customers within the Health Board / Trusts and wider Health economy on matters relating to operational Procurement
• Promote constructive relationships with partner organizations at all levels, seeking opportunities to enhance relationships and improve mutual understanding.
• Influence the Procurement Services Senior Management Team, partner organizations and suppliers in order to implement new and innovative working practices

Service Delivery

• Lead the team to deliver commitments made to partner organizations within the Procurement Service Level Agreement.
• Prioritize the support provided to the Procurement function and its partner organizations on the basis of operational priorities, taking the required action within the operational area to ensure that targets are achieved in line with the portfolio of KPIs.
• Contribute to NWSSP, Health Board / Trust and All Wales Procurement strategies, and KPIs.
• Contribute to NWSSP Procurement Business Plan.
• Work closely with the Head of Operational Procurement to develop performance targets for the Procurement function and to monitor these through an agreed set of performance indicators.
• Responsible for delivering the strategic operational objectives of the Procurement function, defining project direction, ensuring active involvement and ensuring effective measurement against strategic objectives.

Change Management

• Develop and implement change projects for operational Procurement issues.
• Lead and develop the team to achieve the transition to an operational service which is high performing and customer focused. This includes the organization of resources and the human resources aspects of change including monitoring compliance with Health & Safety/Risk Management legislation.
• Realize and demonstrate the cost and quality benefits of change programs, using learning to develop further improvements
• Co-ordinate physical moves and site changes
• Lead and develop the team to bring about a high performing/customer focused Procurement function

People Management

• Manage and develop all staff within own team service, undertaking all aspects of people management including recruitment and selection, induction, performance management, managing attendance, and dealing with disciplinary, grievance and capability issues as appropriate in line with organizational policies.
• Across the function, will be the lead link for human resources activities, ensuring that performance management and development is fully implemented, providing support and guidance to colleagues across the team to ensure compliance with NWSSP HR policies and procedures.
• Responsible for recruitment, selection, induction and staff returns for the function as a whole.
• Identify departmental training and development needs and create departmental learning and development plans for the team and individual operational staff in line with NWSSP performance review guidelines and KSF outlines.
• Ensure that Performance Management and Development is fully operational within the function (including regular appraisals, PDP’s and CPD plans) and implements staff training and development and succession planning
• Undertake an annual workforce planning exercise to ensure there are sufficient staff to meet the service needs; and develop a recruitment and resourcing plan for the operational team in conjunction with Heads of Local Procurement.
• Deploy staff in the most effective manner in conjunction with the needs of the service (including the appropriate skill-mix and use of a range of working patterns to meet service delivery and staff needs).

Resource / Team Management

• Responsible for resources assigned to the operational area including capacity and activity planning.
• In conjunction with the Head of Procurement, undertake budget forecasting, planning and monitoring
• Identify and secure resource requirements for service developments.
• Ensure that financial and Procurement procedures are fully implemented and operational across the team.
• Monitor and manage staff costs in line with the annual business plan requirements.
• Proactively contribute to reviewing expenditure within the function.

Service Improvement

• Contribute and participate in the strategy development for the function in conjunction with the Head of Procurement/Deputy Head of National Sourcing.
• Contribute and participate in the Business Planning process and implement the agreed business plan for the operational area.
• Responsible for the development, implementation and management of all Policies and procedures for the function and be the link person for advice/support of other trust specific policies/procedures.
• Responsible for developing and implementing change proposals for operational activities and the wider supply chain to maximize efficiencies for the partner organizations.
• Responsible for ensuring effective communication between staff within the function and work collaboratively towards the strategic objectives within the Procurement Business Plan.
• Ensure internal audits are undertaken to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the customer services and operational sections of the function.

General

• The post holder is a senior operational manager within the Sourcing team, and as such will be involved in NWSSP wide projects, using their influence and expertise to contribute to the development of the NWSSP (for example, Lean projects in other functional areas)
• Authorized signatory for expenses for Procurement staff and for information relating to salaries.
• Provide cross cover and support across the Procurement function.

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Essential
  • Educated/qualified to degree level OR evidence of relevant equivalent experience
  • Post graduate degree (MA/MSc/MBA) or demonstrable equivalent experience in relevant area
  • Quality to MCIPs (level 5/6)
  • Specialist knowledge of contract law/EU legislation to support public procurement
  • Understand business benefits supporting introduction of strategies, including etendering, auctions and catalogue management
  • Sound knowledge of HB/procurement processes/procedures
  • Sound knowledge of NHS and government policies and the political and economic climate within which healthcare is delivered
  • Sound knowledge of strategic and operational procurement management
  • Knowledge of best practise/benchmarking and performance measurement techniques
  • An understanding of the role and function of NHS Health Boards, Health Authorities and Local Government Desirable (for use in shortlisting)
  • Knowledge of e-business systems
  • Qualified in project management ie Prince2 or alternative methodology

Experience

• Experience of successfully using service/process improvement/ culture change methodologies i.e. LEAN, Six Sigma or equivalent
• Demonstrable track record of achievement of operational management, and delivery of operational strategic objectives
• Proven experience of handling ‘complex’ and/or high value procurements on time, and within budget
• Expertise in EU procurement and contract management, obtained via further training and/or relevant experience
• manager of people, and ability to build, lead, motivate and develop teams using appropriate management and development systems and theories
• Well development influencing skills with significant experience/negotiating skills, a good builder of productive relationships
• IT Proficiency particularly in the use of word processing, spreadsheets, databases and use of the web for researching
• Evidence of continuous professional development, education and training at a senior management level
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively to multidisciplinary groups of staff at all levels
• Ability to diagnose problems and propose creative and practical solutions.
• Ability to engage, motivate and influence individuals outside the formal area of management responsibility, and at a senior executive level
• Ability to demonstrate sound analytical reasoning, effective decision making and an ability to identify and manage risks
• Standard keyboard skills and ability to use email, internet and standard work processing packages

Skills and Attributes

• Self motivate
• Ability to demonstrate empathy where appropriate
• Good organiser of time and activities, able to identify key issues and priorities, and work to stretch targets
• Ability to analyse and act upon complex data sets
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to articulate oneself
• Enthusiastic, passionate and committed to making a positive difference to the organisation. Ability to function both as a team player and self motivator
• Ability to develop relationships and establish consensus with a variety of key players both within and external to the Health Board
• Customer focussed and high quality service driven
• Decisive, taking difficult decisions and managing associated risk
• Ability to manage change and its effects
• Evidence of continuous personal development
• Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Welsh

Other

• Ability to access transport (public and/or private) to travel off site for meetings (as appropriate), throughout Wales and other parts of the UK
• Deliver excellent customer service to our internal and external customers, helping us to maintain the customer service excellence standard