Job Description & Person Specification >
Torbay Council is an organisation with purpose. As part of our ambitious commercial services function, you will play a vital role in helping the Council and its wholly owned companies deliver high quality services, secure best value, and support our communities.
As a Procurement and Contracts Officer, you will join a proactive and supportive team dedicated to transforming commercial practice, driving innovation, and strengthening supplier relationships across a diverse range of spend areas. This is an exciting opportunity for a procurement professional who wants to influence positive change and help shape the commercial landscape of Torbay.
In this engaging and varied position, you will:
- Lead and manage end to end procurement processes for a portfolio of contracts, including high value, high risk and complex procurements with a focus on Place and Capital, so experience in procuring works contracts would be of benefit.
- Provide specialist commercial advice across procurement, contract management and supplier relationship management.
- Ensure compliance with the Council’s Constitution, Public Contracts Regulations, and wider statutory obligations including social value, transparency, equality and sustainability.
- Support the development and delivery of commercial strategies, working collaboratively with Directorates, wholly-owned companies and external partners.
- Lead contract management activities including performance monitoring, risk management, change control, dispute resolution and contract variations.
- Build strong relationships with suppliers, local SMEs, voluntary and community sector partners, and public sector organisations.
- Contribute to embedding best practice, innovation, and continuous improvement across the Council’s commercial activities.
- Help develop commercial capability across the organisation through training, guidance and mentoring.
You will bring:
- Strong operational experience in procurement and contract management, ideally within the public sector.
- Excellent influencing, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to work autonomously, prioritise a varied workload and make evidence-based decisions.
- Strong knowledge of public procurement legislation, policy and best practice.
- Experience in tender management, market engagement, commercial evaluation and contract mobilisation.
- Confident communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly to a range of audiences.
- A collaborative, adaptable mindset aligned with Torbay Council’s core values.
Torbay Council is committed to providing a supportive, rewarding and flexible work environment. The role supports hybrid and home-working arrangements and requires the ability to travel within Torbay and occasionally across the South West/UK.
If you’re an enthusiastic and professional commercial practitioner looking for a role where your work genuinely contributes to better outcomes for residents, businesses and communities — we’d love to hear from you. Join us and help shape Torbay’s future.
This position is for a fixed term of 12 months from the start date.
For an informal chat please contact Chanelle Busby on 07443 682724 or chanelle.busby@torbay.gov.uk. Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 20th April 2026. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Our adverts do sometimes close early – even where there’s a published deadline – so if you’re keen, please apply as soon as possible.
This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
For a full job description, visit: https://www.torbay.gov.uk/jobs/job-descriptions/procurement-and-contracts-officer/
Skills
- Proven commercial skills including delivering or providing advice on:
- Commercial evaluation;
- Pre-market engagement and market analysis;
- Identification of appropriate routes to market and procurement procedures;
- Tender documentation drafting, including contract preparation;
- Tender analysis and evaluation;
- Managing and facilitating tender moderation sessions;
- Drafting Regulation 84 reports and award approval requests;
- Drafting outcome notification letters and supplier feedback;
- Contract mobilisation;
- Performance monitoring;
- Change control;
- Risk analysis, mitigation and management.
- Proven ability to work on and prioritise multiple projects across a diverse range of subject matters, dealing with conflicting and ever changing priorities.
- Proven influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills and the ability to use these skills when dealing with situations where there may be resistance to ensure compliance, improved performance and / or positive outcomes for all parties.
- Proven problem solving skills to facilitate:
- Identification of creative and innovative commercial solutions to meet Council needs and priorities;
- Identification of causes of contractual issues and the provision of informed and imaginative solutions to address them.
Knowledge
- Knowledge of contract clauses, contract formation and development, contract management and compliance.
- Specialist knowledge of the procurement cycle, methodologies and tender management.
- Knowledge and understanding of key commercial processes across diverse areas.
- Knowledge of e-procurement and e-tendering systems.
Experience & Qualifications
- Operational commercial experience of procurement and contract management.
- Demonstrable experience of working proactively within a commercial environment and the successful management of tenders and contracts.
- Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply or equivalent or 2 years’ experience in an operational procurement or commercial role.
- Educated to Degree level or equivalent or demonstrable academic or professional ability or experience in the relevant field.
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