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We are looking for a Senior Purchasing Manager to join our central procurement team. Operating in a highly devolved organisation, we need someone who is able to identify opportunities to enhance value for money, and lead a team in a complex environment to deliver change intiatives to realise benefits.

The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic.

The Purchasing Department, which is a part of the University’s Finance Division, supports the academic, research and administrative community at the University providing sound procurement advice and timely information, and delivering a range of services including category management, supplier management, tendering, procurement process design & training.

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

The Senior Purchasing Manager leads a team of professional procurement staff and is accountable for designing and implementing a portfolio of effective University-wide procurement strategies in respect of multi-million pound spend areas.

The post holder will coordinate communications and consultation activities across the University in respect of the entire portfolio of category areas, to ensure that the strategies align to the University’s wider objectives and the needs of departments, and to inform ongoing supplier management and continuous improvement.

This post is part of the procurement management team in the central procurement function within the University.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

You will be based in Hythe Bridge Street but can agree a pattern of regular remote working with your line manager (minimum two days’ a week in Oxford).

We need someone with proven experience of procurement leadership with an ability to ensure a high quality procurement service is delivered.

You should have experience of developing and implementing category strategies for complex and high value categories of spend, and be able to demonstrate the analytical, stakeholder management and commercial skills required to drive out value for money from a wide variety of spend categories.

The University has a complex and incredibly diverse spend profile, and its structure is highly devolved – this means we need someone able to stay focussed on the activities most likely to drive out value for the organisation and to influence and drive change.

You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.