Senior Purchasing Specialist - Patient Care

The Patient Care category team is one of the two clinical category teams within BWPC. Their remit primarily focuses on high volume, low value ward-based consumables such as Bandages, Syringes and Infusion Products, however they also support our trusts with the procurement of a number of High Value and complex products and services, such as Pathology and, Beds Mattresses & Trolley's.

The team is made of 8 procurement professionals, lead by the Category Manager who offers leadership, direction and strategy as well as the first route of escalation for any challenges encountered by members of the team. The Senior Purchasing Specialist role, which we are currently recruiting for, is a key member of the team and integral to the success of the individual members and of the team as a whole.

In addition to typically running 2 or 3 complex high value procurements, the Senior Purchasing Specialist acts as a deputy for the Category Manager during periods of annual leave or unavailability, in both internal and external meetings as well as ad hoc queries that may arise. In normal day to day working the Senior Purchasing Specialist should also expect to support in leading the team as well as offering advice and guidance on specific procurement projects and activities.

Continuing the development of the category team is a key objective for the next 12 - 24 months. The current team are highly motivated and enthusiastic but will further benefit from the addition of Senior Purchasing Specialist, with procurement experience and a willingness to support the development of others.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your specialist skills, managing large scale complex strategic procurements to both organisational and patient facing services. This role is suitable for an experienced individual looking mentor and support an established team whilst also providing specialist advice and support to a wide range of customers.

Senior Purchasing Specialists are also expected to build and maintain stakeholder relationships with a variety of role across the trusts. Day-to-day activity will include attending stakeholder working groups and meetings on behalf of the consortium, either via 'teams' or in person, progressing projects against agreed timeline and specific actions, and feeding back to management as necessary.

BWPC are a commercial function embedded in acute healthcare setting, strong communication skills are required when working with clinical colleagues to interpret procurement theory, legislation & process so that they see the benefit in working with procurement colleagues and how procurement adds value to their role, objectives, and the delivery of patient care.

Lastly, ensuring compliance to policy and regulation is another key part of the role. This includes compliance with the trusts Standard Financial Instructions, Public Contract Regulation, Social Value & Net Zero, as well as observing and enforcing purchasing ethics.