Category Officer – Oxfordshire

Contract – minimum 6 months

£20.98 per hour Umbrella (approx. £41,000.00 per annum)

Full time

Job Description: Procurement/Category Officer – Children’s Services
Location: Hybrid (1 day per month in County Hall, Oxford; additional day quarterly)

Hours: Flexible, with core hours between 8am – 6pm, Monday – Friday

Overview:
We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Procurement Officer to join the Children’s Services procurement team. Reporting to the Category Manager for Children’s Services, you will play a key role in delivering procurement and contract management projects, including tender preparation, contract monitoring, and procurement compliance. This role is ideal for someone at an assistant level looking to progress into an officer role, with significant experience in public sector procurement, particularly in Children’s Services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Respond swiftly to procurement requests, managing a busy inbox and handling RFQs.
• Confidently moderate procurement processes, ensuring compliance through to contract award.
• Undertake contract extensions and variations in line with Local Authority governance.
• Finalize the opening round of frameworks, moderate submissions, issue letters, conduct due diligence, and ensure timely contract signing.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Significant experience in public sector procurement, particularly in Children’s Services categories.
• Experience with end-to-end procurement processes, with minimal supervision.
• Proficient in using procurement systems such as Atamis and ProContracts.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver procurement projects within deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023 and public sector procurement compliance.

Desirable:

• MCIPS (Level 4) qualification preferred, but not essential.
• Experience with contract management in Children’s Services.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced procurement professional looking to advance their career in a public sector environment focused on Children’s Services.

To find out more information please contact Abbie at abbiek@4recruitmentservices.com

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. We are an equal opportunity agency.