Buyer at University of Cambridge
Job Description
The Procurement Services team at the University of Cambridge has undergone an exciting change over the last 2 years, expanding the team and progressing the way we work with our suppliers and internal customers. Join our dynamic team of procurement professionals as we look for a skilled Buyer to drive excellence in our sourcing strategies and procurement processes.
As a Buyer at the University of Cambridge, you will play a pivotal role in fulfilling the procurement needs across our diverse devolved departments. With a focus on understanding project needs and offering expert procurement advice, you will be the key point of expertise during tender processes. But that’s not all – your role extends to managing relationships with internal and third-party customers, as well as external suppliers, ensuring seamless coordination and a smooth procurement experience for all involved.
The Role
As a Buyer you will be responsible for fulfilling purchasing needs across the devolved departments of the University. You will be highly adaptable and will be allocated work with different departments to procure goods and services. Working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure all parties receive excellent service, and drive tangible value for money.
You will aim to identify and understand the needs of the project, offer advice on suppliers, act as key point of expertise during the tender or dispensation-from-competition process, and see purchases through to completion. This role manages relationships with internal and third-party customers, and with external suppliers, employing excellent coordination skills to ensure a smooth purchasing process for all stakeholders across all aspects of each project.
Your Skills
The ideal candidate will have experience of working in a complex procurement environment, ideally in both the public and private sectors. You will be able to demonstrate experience of building strong relationships internally with customers and externally with suppliers to enable the delivery of objectives. Experience of letting / tendering one-off high value agreements and/or frameworks with suppliers to generate savings and efficiencies is highly desirable with the ability to manage the implementation of contracts a pre-requisite. A Bachelor’s degree is preferred with CIPS part-qualified ideal but not essential.
Benefits
The University offers an excellent benefit package including:
- 36 days annual leave, inclusive of Bank Holidays
- Defined benefits pension schemes
- Flexible working options
- Family-friendly initiatives
- Career development opportunities
- Support for health & mental wellbeing
- Discounts on shopping
- Rental deposit scheme
- Public transport season ticket loans
- Tax-efficient bicycle and charity-giving schemes
Location
The University is supportive of hybrid working, where some work is undertaken on University premises and some in a remote working environment. The aim of our approach is to enable as many staff as possible to work in a hybrid way if they wish and where their role allows.
The Finance Division has embraced hybrid working and individuals are currently working with their team two days a week from a University site, principally Greenwich House, and three days worked remotely (for those working a standard Mon to Fri week). This arrangement is subject to change and will not form a part of the contractual terms of the role.
Funding for this post is permanent.
We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
