Procurement and Supply Assistant - Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

Procurement and supply assistances are found in all organisations where goods and/or services need to be sourced and purchased in line with national or international procurement laws, or internal governance processes. This occupation is found in the following sectors;

• public sector such as the NHS, the Emergencies Services, Local Authorities, Central Government and the Education Sector.
•  private sector such as Finance, Construction, Energy, Utilities, Mining, Facilities, Automotive, Manufacturing, Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Fashion, Food, Hotels, Hospitality, Entertainment and IT.
• Third Sector including charities and other not for profit organisations.

For more information visit the Institute of Apprenticeships.

In their daily work, an apprentice interacts with their procurement teams as well as colleagues from other internal departments such as operational functions, finance, legal, IT, sales and marketing. This role also includes interaction with external stakeholders such as suppliers. This role may involve off site and supplier visits, however it will be mainly office based.
 

An employee on this apprenticeship will be responsible for:

• Contributing to the sourcing of new suppliers using market research for on-going tenders on behalf of the wider team.
• Challenging the organisational need for the purchase especially where Corporate Social Responsibility or value for money considerations suggest the procurement can be better channeled through existing assets or an existing contract.
• Support activities such as construction projects and capital expenditure
• Assist with the monitoring of the commercial benefits and status of procurement projects, for example, spend and trend analysis, cost-benefit analysis saving profile - forecast and actual; and may utilise that information to support procurement decisions, assist with supplier reviews or in developing reports for other parties, such as the Category Manager or Head of Procurement.
• Supporting a wide range of procurement processes including the conduct of tenders, with the use of e-tendering tools (e.g. managing supplier correspondence).
• Working with management to develop procurement documents (e.g. ITT templates and T&C’s).
• Basic understanding of regulations, internal policies and procedures, to educate the wider business areas (helpdesk support) and adopt commercial best practice.
• Supporting development of consistent procurement processes and procedures.
• Having strong customer focus, commercial acumen and a pro-active approach striving to meet the demands of customers in a timely manner.
• Supporting supplier negotiation and help to ensure value for money deals are obtained.
• Collating relevant management information to report to the wider procurement team and in preparation for internal/external audits.
• Working with internal and external clients to facilitate a wide range of procurement processes.
• Ability to set up, facilitate and administer e-tendering and e-evaluation systems, including management of supplier correspondence.
• Ensuring all procurement systems and databases are managed, maintained and information cleansed for accurate reporting.
• Adhering to corporate operating procedures – (if in public sector governing public procurement, including compliance with the Public Contracts Regulation).
• Being responsive to customer enquiries and support contract and supplier management activity across a range of commercial areas.
• Building excellent working relationships with peers, colleagues, customers, suppliers and other external stakeholders.
• Providing prompt procurement system advice to buyers, across the business, to enable compliance and best practice.
• Providing timely returns and accurate statistical data as required ensuring that Commercial data are recorded.

You will need:

To be aged 16 or older

To be employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week with 20% of your normal working hours set aside for you to complete your training and study

5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including Science, English and Maths or a relevant Level 2 qualification and Functional Skills at Level 2 in English and Maths

All applicants must have an interview and assessment in

Typical roles within the apprenticeship include: Procurement contracts officer, Procurement coordinator and Purchasing assistant