Senior Procurement & Contracts Manager

Remote with travel to London as required

Did you know that there are at least 17.5m people in the UK in vulnerable financial circumstances, who are poorly served or unfairly excluded from mainstream financial services?

That’s nearly a third of all adults in the UK.

We are Fair4All Finance. We are a not-for-profit organisation working with Financial Services providers to improve the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances by increasing access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services.

We are continuing our work under the new Government, and as a result we are now seeking a Senior Manager to lead our Procurement and Contracting strategies, ensuring streamlined processes and compliance. The successful individual will play a key role in driving value, overseeing market engagement, and working closely with stakeholders to deliver on key strategic priorities.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to our mission of improving financial wellbeing for people in vulnerable circumstances.

Role purpose

The Senior Procurement Manager will primarily focus on providing leadership in developing procurement strategies across all categories, including innovative and agile requirements. You will be supporting the team in executing procurements and implementing best practices, fostering a performance-driven, compliant procurement culture. This involves engaging with supply chain actors and bidders, promoting financial inclusion. You’ll be part of a collaborative, mission-driven team with a strong influence in the financial services and social impact sectors, working alongside a committed board and high-level stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead process simplification to streamline procurement and contracting, ensuring market readiness and effective communication.

• Oversee planning and project management for various market routes, focusing on innovative and agile requirements.

• Lead the development of procurement strategies and support the drafting and review of contractual documents.

• Manage a centralised procurement and contracts database, conducting regular compliance checks.

• Support the design and application of the subsidy control framework, including running competitions and maintaining records.

• Ensure value delivery by setting up contracting arrangements with appropriate safeguards and risk management.

• Collaborate with leadership and external partners to deliver key operational priorities, acting as a liaison with legal and GDPR specialists.

• Provide inclusive leadership and team development, enhancing contract management and commercial negotiation capabilities.

Essential experience:

• Strong knowledge of procurement and contract management, with strong practical application.

• Expertise in Public Contract Regulations (PCR 2015) and procurement tools.

• Proven ability to negotiate complex commercial agreements, identify risks, and apply mitigations.

• Experience in process improvement, with a willingness to challenge existing practices for better outcomes.

• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, and experience collaborating at leadership level.

• Inclusive leadership and coaching abilities.

Desirable experience:

• Experience with data protection, subsidy control, and social impact initiatives.

• Background in social impact/financial inclusion or working in a startup environment.

• Passion for supporting vulnerable communities and comfort in navigating complexity and uncertainty.

  Personal Characteristics

• Passion for our mission to increase the financial resilience of people in vulnerable circumstances

• Able to deal with complexity and uncertainty whilst work under your own initiative

• Comfortable with calculated and thoughtful exploration of new ideas and methodologies

• Seeking continued learning and development and enjoy developing others

• Be great at building relationships at all levels

Who are Fair4All Finance?

We are a not-for-profit organisation working with Financial Services providers to improve the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances by increasing access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services.

Founded in 2019, we are are funded from the Dormant Assets Scheme. The scheme is led by the financial industry and backed by the UK government. This makes it possible for money in dormant bank and building society accounts to be used to help good causes.

Our vision is of a society where the long-term financial wellbeing of all people is supported by a fair and accessible financial sector.

You can find more information on us and our work at www.fair4allfinance.org.uk.

Our Benefits include:

Financial Security:

• Pension (2:1), group life assurance, critical illness, and income protection, family leave

Wellbeing:

• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, agile working, health cash plan, health & wellbeing resource hub (including an Employee Assistance Programme)

Personal & Professional Development:

• Discretionary Training budget

• Book Club – mission aligned, up to 4 per year

Fair4All Finance is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. We value different perspectives, experiences, and expertise, encouraging everyone to grow and contribute fully. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including age, gender identity, disability, marital status, race, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and socioeconomic status.

We ensure fair and equitable treatment for all team members and applicants and actively recruit from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to making reasonable adjustments to support candidates and promote flexible working for a healthy work-life balance.

To apply, submit your application via Applied by Friday, 25th October 2024, at 12 noon.

Interviews will be held throughout October and early November 2024. For informal inquiries, please contact us at jobs@fair4allfinance.org.uk.

Please note that your application will be reviewed through a blind, unbiased process, so be sure to provide clear, specific examples in your responses. Your CV will only be reviewed at a later stage in the process.