Procurement Business Partner

We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive and motivated professional to join our small and friendly devolved Procurement Team as a Procurement Business Partner (PBP). The PBP will report into and support the Procurement Manager. As there is no formal category buying structure ultimately you will need to gain experience across all areas of the business to maximize the added value to the business. The PBP will be an advocate of Procurement within the business and will also be involved in the development of the Procurement strategies and policies e.g. sustainable procurement required for a large business.
This role has a dual focus i) Supplier Assurance, standards and compliance and ii) supporting procurement activity in the Professional Service areas of the business, including Finance, HR, IT and other indirect services e.g. Consultants. This role will be key to ensure that the business selects and approves vendors that deliver the most suitable commercial value to GB Railfreight.
The extent of Procurement support by business area will vary but will entail the PBP agreeing a strategy with the SME, potentially leading them through the procurement process from market evaluation and supplier selection through to contract award and, in some cases, contract and dispute management.
The Recruitment process
We will aim to shortlist within 2 weeks of application. The recruitment process for this role will be an initial Teams call followed by an online assessment after which successful candidates will progress to a face to face interview in our Doncaster or Peterborough office. A presentation of 5-10 mins will form part of the face to face interview.
Closing date for application: 20th May 2024. We reserve the right to close any job early where we have high volumes of candidates.
Responsibilities:
What you'll do

• Partner with subject matter experts (SME's) in Finance, HR, IT and with other indirect services spend e.g. Consultants, undertaking procurement activities providing support and guidance as required from supplier selection, engagement, RFQ/ITT through to contract award.


• Lead the Supplier Approval and review process for the business, ensuring that all approvals and renewals are conducted in a timely manner to protect clients from risk. Developing supplier assurance information and visibility through reporting.


• Maintain the procurement contracts register and an approved supplier list and access to industry supplier databases (RISQS)


• Procurement lead on compliance on IR35, Modern Slavery, supplier diversity/sustainability in the supply chain.
  
  Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and persuade both internal stakeholders and suppliers, and to work well in a team;


• A Procurement background and CIPS L4 preferred. Experience in Rail and or Project Management would be advantageous to make an immediate impact, adding to the effectiveness and operational efficiency of the team as it responds to increasing customer demand;


• Proven ability to work in diverse teams in a complex organisation. The post holder will be required to work within cross functional teams, and will need to demonstrate leadership where relevant.


• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders in the business, at a variety of levels and across multiple regions;


• Comfortable with leading or supporting the Procurement process by co-ordinating and drafting all required documentation including specifications, selection and award criteria, contract schedules


What else you need to know

• We care about our staff and don't want you to have to travel more than 45 minutes for work. Fatigue is a big consideration in this safety driven industry.


• You must be prepared to travel to our other sites as and when required. Travel costs will be covered outside of your normal office location.
  
  GB Railfreight is one of the railway industries modern success stories. Starting in 1992 with just 2 employees we now have over 1300 employees and are continuing to grow. So what do we do…quite simply we move over 20% of Britain's Rail freight with 99% reliability. Working here is rewarding, busy, dynamic, diverse and fun! We are very value driven here at GBRf and we really live and breathe our values.

Professionalism - Safety and security is paramount in our business, and we feel that this embodies the foundation of a high achieving safety culture
Support - We look after our people and they in turn are encouraged to look after each other
Communication - The transparency of our is business is valued by our colleagues and customers
Trust and Empowerment - We believe that openness and honesty make for the best relationship because it leads to trust and confidence
Enjoyment - Taking pleasure in coming to work at GBRf is actively encouraged right from the top

Salary: Circa £50,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
Working Pattern: This is predominantly an office based role working Monday - Friday within the hours of 8am - 5pm with occasional travel to other GBRf locations and suppliers meetings. The opportunity for remote work may be available following successful completion of your probation depending on the needs of the business.
Some of the key benefits you'll get from working in this role are:
As well as a competitive salary package, 25 days annual leave and enrolment into our Industry Wide Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, we offer a generous Healthcare package, online benefits portal offering hundreds of discounts at nationwide retailers and an electrical Vehicle scheme (after the first 12 months of your employment) and much more. We also reward our staff with regular social events extending to days out for you and your family.
You will be offered unparalleled training and development prospects to prioritise your growth inline with our people centric culture, benefiting from a selection of internal courses and external certifications offered through our industry renowned Development Functions.
Inclusion without exclusion
At GB Railfreight we recognise that having a more diverse range of people leads to greater innovation. We want to create a diverse workforce and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds with the aim to have a workforce representative of wider society. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace in line with our values.
We recruit and develop people who are best suited to the requirements of the role on offer
If you are passionate like us about EDI, we welcome any new join employees to join our People and Culture working group to help us continue the good work.