Procurement Specialist

Basis: Permanent, Full time 36 hours per week A £312 tax-free working from home allowance is also payable annually. Location: Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh or London (Hybrid – min. 2 days in office) or Remote (UK) Benefits: Outstanding benefits including Civil Service Pension Scheme, flexible working, 28+ days holiday, and more. About the Electoral Commission The Electoral Commission is the UK's independent body overseeing elections and regulating political finance. Everything we do is about ensuring trust, participation, and integrity in the democratic process. As we continue to deliver our five-year Corporate Plan, the Commission is building on a period of growth and change, expanding our workforce and modernising how we deliver our services to better support the needs of a changing democracy. As our organisation develops and adapts to meet future challenges, this post will play a vital part in supporting that progress and helping ensure we remain responsive to the democratic needs of voters, campaigners, parties and electoral administrators across the UK. About the role We are looking for a Procurement Specialist to join our Procurement team and help deliver effective, compliant and value-for-money procurement activities across the Commission. Reporting to the Head of Procurement, you will support the delivery of procurement exercises from initial requirements through to contract award and contract formation, working closely with stakeholders across the organisation. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced procurement professional who enjoys working in a collaborative environment, providing practical advice and helping colleagues navigate procurement processes and legislation. Key responsibilities include:

• Managing and supporting end-to-end procurement exercises and tendering activities
• Preparing procurement documentation, specifications, evaluation criteria and commercial requirements
• Advising stakeholders on procurement planning, governance and compliance requirements
• Supporting market engagement and supplier research activities
• Assisting with contract formation, approvals and mobilisation
• Supporting contract management activities including renewals, extensions and supplier performance monitoring
• Maintaining procurement records, contract registers and audit trails
• Identifying and escalating procurement and commercial risks
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of procurement processes, systems and guidance. About the team The Procurement team supports colleagues across the Commission to procure goods, services and technology solutions that help deliver our strategic objectives. The team provides expert procurement advice, ensures compliance with public sector procurement legislation and promotes best commercial practice throughout the organisation. Working as part of a supportive and collaborative team, you will have the opportunity to build relationships across all directorates, engage with suppliers and contribute to the ongoing development of procurement capability across the Commission. This is a role where your expertise will have a visible impact on the way the organisation delivers its services. Who we're looking for This role would suit someone with experience delivering or supporting procurement activities within a public sector or regulated environment. You will be organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple priorities while building effective relationships with stakeholders. We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
• Experience supporting or managing end-to-end procurement exercises, including tender preparation, evaluation and contract award
• Experience preparing procurement and contractual documentation
• Experience supporting contract management activities and supplier engagement
• Good working knowledge of public sector procurement legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023 and Public Contracts Regulations 2015
• Strong organisational and project management skills
• The ability to provide practical procurement advice to a range of stakeholders
• Experience using public sector frameworks such as Crown Commercial Service frameworks
• Experience using procurement and e-tendering systems such as Atamis or similar platforms
• A degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience
• MCIPS qualification, or working towards MCIPS, is desirable. Why work for us? The Role: This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your procurement career within an organisation that delivers work of national importance. You will gain exposure to a diverse range of procurement projects, work closely with senior stakeholders and contribute to improving commercial outcomes across the Commission. You'll be supported to develop your professional expertise while helping to embed best practice procurement and contract management across the organisation. The Office: Our offices provide welcoming, collaborative spaces where colleagues can connect, share ideas and work together across teams. Whether based in London, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, you will be part of a supportive working environment that balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of hybrid working. The Benefits: We offer a strong total reward package, including:
• Flexible working and hybrid model for office-based staff, with a minimum of 40% of working time spent in the office
• Flexi-time scheme, allowing flexible hours with the option to accrue and take flexi leave
• 28 rising to 30 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Civil Service pension scheme (28.97% employer contribution)
• Performance-related pay How to apply We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. To help reduce unconscious bias and ensure all applicants are assessed solely on their skills, knowledge and experience, we use an anonymous recruitment process. When applying, please provide an anonymised CV which omits your protected characteristics and any personally identifiable information: Do not include:
• Your name, address, phone number, email or other contact details
• Your date of birth or age
• Gender, ethnicity, nationality or other personal identifiers
• A photo of yourself
• Remove educational dates as these are a clear indication of your age
• There is no requirement to include your primary education details. Do include:
• Your employment history including employers and dates of employment
• Explanation for gaps in your history
• Your duties, responsibilities and achievements If your CV contains personal details (such as your name or contact information), we will be unable to consider your application. Please double-check your documents before submitting, including the file name you use to save and upload your CV. Supporting disabled applicants There may, however, be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. For example, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or seasonal recruitment activity, the Commission may need to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both disabled and non-disabled applicants. If you have a disability and would like to be considered under this commitment, please indicate this when you apply. We also welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process or within the workplace. Key dates
• Application deadline: Monday 12th October (23:59)
• Interviews (1st stage): 14th to 16th October
• Interviews (2nd stage): Week commencing 19th October Interviews may be conducted in-person or virtually via Microsoft Teams