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Regional Facilities Procurement Specialist FCO - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

FCO - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Brussels, Belgium

The Company

To meet the challenges relating to the transformation of procurement in government the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has embarked on a change programme of procurement optimisation. Through the introduction of regional procurement specialists, staff, customers and suppliers will benefit from simplified, standardised and streamlined services in procurement.

The Role

The role is part of our drive to create procurement leaders closer to where procurement business is conducted regionally and in support of the FCO’s commercial strategy. Pace will be important and would deal specifically with securing savings through procurement in conjunction with Corporate Service Managers (CSMs) at the UK’s European Embassies and Consulates. You would work with European CSMs to assess the VfM in procurement and develop the business case(s) for running and managing certain categories of procurement on a pan-European or sub-regional basis. Savings delivery is paramount.

The role reports to the London-based Commercial Director and works closely with other London-based procurement staff as well as with regional corporate service teams. The role holder will also have responsibility for developing our ‘in region’ staff dealing with procurement in order to raise awareness of and improve delivery of procurement projects. The role includes assessing the feasibility of collaboration in procurement with other UK government departments collocated at the UK’s European Embassies and Consulates

The Regional Procurement Specialist duties & responsibilities will be:

  1. Gain visibility and clarification on the contracted value spend to enable consolidation of contracted services to the optimum number of suppliers in order to both deliver savings and simplify and streamline processes.
  2. Challenge and manage supplier/contract management overheads.
  3. Market-testing/Benchmarking of high-volume/low value suppliers.
  4. Ensure contracts and procurement activity is in line with audit requirements (as specified by FCO Internal Audit Department) and compliant with Corporate Procurement Group(CPG) policies.

Specific activities

  1. Working with CPG London based category teams and existing staff in the region:
  • Identify the scope of work involved in renewing/aggregating contracts
  • Write the relevant contract specifications, deliverables and KPIs using the necessary contract templates issued by CPG. (The contracts will be for services such as mobile phones services; LE staff healthcare; travel; and others).
  • Project manage the complete tranche of procurement related work.

Skills/Previous experience:

  1. In depth knowledge of EU procurement rules, tendering, contracts and requirements.
  2. Ability to write detailed and technical contract specifications including stringent and objective KPIs for service providers for evaluation of suppliers
  3. SRM and reporting on contract delivery and compliance
  4. Track record of strong project management, to ensure timelines are adhered to and deliverables met.

Essential skills include:

  • A recognised procurement qualification (eg MCIPS).
  • Good knowledge of EU/public procurement regulations.
  • Knowledge of the European market place.
  • Good negotiating and influencing skills.
  • Experience in sustainable procurement
  • Strong communication and customer/supplier management skills.
  • Good financial literacy.
  • Good computer literacy skills, in particular Microsoft suite.

Exceptional opportunities such as this are rare and if you are an experienced procurement professional looking for a challenging European procurement position then your prompt application is encouraged.

The closing date for applications is 12 October 2011.

Selection

Applications with a full CV and cover letter in English including a supporting statement setting out how the applicant meets the essential skills required for this post should be sent to the Recruitment Officer, (brussels.recruitment@fco.gov.uk) by 12 October 2011. Corporate Services Benelux (CSB), Avenue d’Auderghem 10, 1040 Brussels. Only those selected for interview will be contacted, the FCO does not provide reasons for non-selection at this short- listing stage of the recruitment exercise. Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Belgium.

Candidates selected for interview will be invited for interview at the British Embassy in Brussels the week commencing 17 October 2011.

The successful applicant will be required to undergo security checks before a formal offer of appointment can be made. No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

Equal Opportunity

The British Missions in Brussels as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is an equal opportunities employer. Applications are welcome from all suitably qualified applicants regardless of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or physical disability. We aim to reflect the diversity of society.

Closing Date: 12 October 2011

Gross Monthly Salary: €3975.60

Position Type: This position will be filled on a fixed term contract.