Procurement Consultant

Our local authority client based in Shrewsbury are urgently seeking an experienced Procurement Consultant.

*Remote working

*£500 to £550 Outside IR35

The Assignment

Children’s Services is the next major category to be addressed. The Council is beginning to establish the full pipeline and needs a consultant who can quickly understand the service context, develop the category approach and work alongside commissioners to progress priority procurements. The successful consultant will provide informed, diplomatic challenge while helping stakeholders reach solutions that are commercially credible, compliant and appropriate for a large rural authority. There is also important crossover with Adults and Public Health, so the category approach must recognise shared markets, services and commissioning priorities.

Key responsibilities

• Engage with Children’s Services commissioners to understand the current pipeline, service pressures, priorities and intended outcomes. • Develop a coherent Children’s Services category plan, connected to relevant activity across Adults and Public Health.
• Translate commissioning requirements into clear, proportionate and commercially robust procurement strategies.
• Lead and support complex and high-value procurements from early market consideration through to award and mobilisation.
• Use market knowledge to test assumptions, identify risks and shape realistic sourcing options. Act as a critical friend to commissioners, providing constructive and diplomatic challenge where proposals may have unintended commercial, contractual or delivery consequences.
• Help stakeholders balance compliance, value for money, provider-market capacity, service quality and outcomes for children and families.
• Bring structure and expertise without judgement, helping the service build sustainable capability as work progresses.

Candidate profile

• Significant procurement and category experience within Children’s Services, ideally in local government.
• A strong understanding of commissioning environments and the ability to work collaboratively with commissioners.
• Experience developing category plans, sourcing strategies and procurement pipelines.
• Knowledge of relevant provider markets, potentially including children’s social care, social worker supply, SEND, early intervention, specialist placements and third-sector services.
• A track record of leading complex or high-value service procurements.
• The ability to connect Children’s Services requirements with related activity across Adults and Public Health.

Please apply with your updated CV ensuring that any gaps in employment are explained.

At this point, may we take this opportunity to thank you for the interest you have shown in this role. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we receive, it is not always possible to respond to everyone. Therefore, unless you hear from us within the next 7 days, your application for this vacancy will have been unsuccessful.