View Vacancy – SRR – Procurement Manager (EO)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Procurement Manager, job grade Executive Officer (EO), on a fixed term contract for two (2) years.

The jobholder will support the Director of Corporate Services (DCS) and His Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) as Senior Budget Holder by providing compliant and auditable procurement functions across the Saudi Arabian Network and in compliance with UK Government procurement policies. They will manage relationships with key contractors, undertake timely tendering exercises, oversee drafting of specifications by contract managers, and improve KSA Network’s internal procurement functions. The jobholder will also ensure that the KSA Network meets all internal reporting standards, especially around financial management, procurement, health and safety, and environmental considerations 

Duties and responsibilities:

– Procurement under £25k

• Manage and control all external suppliers with particular emphasis on service and maintenance contracts, furniture, transport, and building supplies.
• Ensure the procurement plan is up to date and executed within the agreed timeline.
• Ensure tender exercises are undertaken in a timely and professional manner, to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) policy/ standards, and in compliance with Saudi law.
• Establish formal feedback mechanisms for each contract to ensure Embassy staff can share ownership and report issues.
• Verify new KSA external suppliers, ensuring they are a legitimate business and comply with all local laws while meeting quality standards and providing value for money.
• Assist the DCS to manage the Mission’s suppliers’ database by setting up and maintaining a procurement contract dashboard and ensure contracts are renewed prior to expiry by Contract Managers.
• Work with teams to increase usage of government procurement card (GPC) spend.
• Responsible for writing procurement reports including tender reports, due diligence reports, and providing outcome of tenders to bidders.
• Identify weaknesses in the current procurement management and procedures, tackle issues on the basis of risk and budget, and develop plans to rectify.
• Assist in moderation of tenders at the evaluation stage.
• Review current purchasing function and skills base, identify training needs, implement improvements, and drive down costs.
• Assist in completing market surveys and due diligence on service providers.
• Review options for out-sourcing functions currently done in house.

– Support to Procurement Hub (for contracts above £25k)

• Work closely with the Procurement Hub in delivering Post Procurement objectives for procurement delivery above £25k to ensure accurate reporting and compliance.

– Supplier relationship management

• Review, report, and manage supplier relationships with the help of Post contract managers, including resolution of contractual disputes, taking appropriate action to protect the FCDO’s interest. 

– Compliance

• Conduct or direct the internal investigation of compliance issues.
• Identify compliance issues that require follow-up.
• Disseminate procurement best practice, including written policies and procedures related to compliance. Provide training to all teams annually.
• Undertake mystery shopper exercises.
• Oversee the annual internal audit check of systems and the Annual Compliance Certificate.
• Assign a contract manager to all contracts, ensuring they have completed up to date training. Assign contract management letters and checking regular reviews are completed with stakeholders.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on any other duties as required by Deputy Director of Corporate Services, Director of Corporate Services, and the Deputy Head of Mission (DHM). Any specific responsibilities could change in the future, and this would be at the discretion of the line manager and Senior Management. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as and when required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key behaviours required:

• Seeing the Big Picture – Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider Civil Service priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
• Making Effective Decisions – Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice. Carefully consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
• Changing and Improving – Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
• Working Together – Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
• Communicating and Influencing – Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.

Eligibility:

• The successful candidate must be able to secure a local residence and work permit in Saudi (iqama) OR already have the right to work and reside in Saudi.
• The British Embassy provides visa sponsorship. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their visa under the Embassy’s sponsorship.

• Experience of running large and complex tenders. Able to identify conflicts of interest and work with integrity.
• Previous experience of sourcing goods, services, and works, ideally for at least 1-2 years.
• Demonstrated project management experience from conception to delivery, ideally within a procurement context.
• Holds a relevant post-graduate or professional qualification; ideally holds CIPS Level 4 qualification or higher (or its equivalent) or is currently studying towards one.
• Demonstrates a collaborative approach to colleagues and stakeholder partnerships. Proven ability to engage at all levels internally across Embassy teams and with external stakeholders.
• Resourcefulness in solving problems and demonstrates good judgement.
• Excellent organisational skills for document and record management and high attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written. Confident and strong communicator with high customer focus and able to tailor approach to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely to different audiences.
• IT literate and well versed in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).