Fixed Term Contract: FTC for 6 months
Welsh Language: Not Applicable
Start Date: 3 August 2026 (fixed term for 6 months)
About the Role
Procurement Services is a key part of the University, providing professional commercial services to support the purchase of goods and services across the organisation.
The Procurement Administration Assistant role provides essential support to the Procurement Services team by proactively monitoring renewal processes, maintaining the integrity of the procurement database, and ensuring compliance obligations are met.
The Procurement Administration Assistant operates independently, managing and taking ownership of their own workload to ensure activities are completed successfully within the required timeframes. The role also works collaboratively with the Category Managers, wider Procurement Services team, and other key stakeholders on a range of procurement activities and projects.
With excellent communication skills, the Procurement Administration Assistant is a trusted advisor, proactively building networks and relationships across the organisation, providing support and guidance to colleagues on Procurement policies and procedures, and signposting to associated due diligence policies where necessary.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist with the management of non-complex under £60k contract renewals including liaising with stakeholders, providing support and advice to facilitate renewals, sharing best practice and maintaining records, escalating contracts to Category Managers for formal review as necessary.
- Review and action purchase requisitions to ensure they are processed and executed in line with university policies.
- Support activities to ensure compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations such as the publication of notices.
- Supports the Procurement Services team in providing advice and guidance on Procurement policies and procedures, including Responsible Procurement and sustainability practices, to stakeholders across the university.
- Review and maintain Procurement records for data accuracy, including periodic reconciliation with stakeholder records.
- Produce monthly reports and proactively manage the process to facilitate timely contract renewals.
- Support the collation of contract data as required, e.g. for Freedom of Information requests.
- Provide support to the Category teams with tendering activities.
- Provide administrative support to the Procurement Services team such as scheduling meetings, taking minutes and other ad‑hoc requirements.
- Work collaboratively with Procurement Services team members and wider internal stakeholders on activities to deliver the Procurement Strategy and Responsible Procurement Strategy.
- Attendance at regular team and stakeholder meetings.
- Undertake specific tasks and projects at the request of the Head of Procurement, Deputy Head of Procurement and Senior Category Manager.
- Further opportunities to support initiatives such as Responsible Procurement, database and process development projects if desired.
About You
- GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above, or equivalent.
- Experience of the Purchase to Pay process and purchasing principles.
- Ability to use IT systems with confidence and experience using standard Microsoft applications, particularly Word, Excel, Teams and Sharepoint Lists.
- Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to work on own initiative, manage a varied workload pro‑actively, managing timelines and deadlines appropriately.
- Ability to build rapport and communicate clearly, both in spoken and written English.
- Experience of working remotely and in an office environment, with the ability to work successfully independently as well as part of a virtual team.
- A positive approach and commitment to excellent customer service.
- Strong skills in processes for record keeping and documentation management.
- Has or working towards Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Certificate or equivalent experience.
- Experience of using SAP Ariba and Spend Management Purchase to Pay functionality.
- Knowledge or awareness of public sector procurement, PCR 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23).
- Knowledge or awareness of data protection principles and GDPR legislation.
- Understanding of information and cyber security practices.
- Knowledge or awareness of the tender process and associated considerations.
- Knowledge or awareness of Responsible Procurement principles and sustainability practices.
- Working knowledge of PowerBI, Microsoft Forms and Power Automate.
What's in it for you?
At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance.
Work location
It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We would expect this to be approximately once per month.
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