Procurement Officer - Working for Essex

About the role

Procurement Officer

Fixed Term, Full Time

£29,053 to £34,180 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 2nd September 2025

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract opportunity for up to 24 months

This position has been classed as an anywhere worker role but has an expectation that the successful candidate will attend the office, in Chelmsford at least 1 day per week, with the remaining time for remote working if desired, this will always be subject to organisation’s needs

The Role

The role is in a team sourcing and contract managing climate mitigation, waste, energy, Country parks and customer services

Corporate Services and Transformation

The Opportunity

The Procurement Officer will support the Procurement function in various aspects, supporting market engagement events, providing contract administration, as well as working on lower level sourcing and contract management activities. The Procurement Officer will also support the delivery of research and analysis which informs category plans and potential improvements to the management of suppliers and markets. The individual will seek opportunities to remove waste, implement technologies and automate processes within existing contractual restrictions.

The role requires good analytical skills to explore alternative solutions which meet customer requirements.

Accountabilities

Co-ordinating the support to market engagement events and providing contract administration.
Manage contracts to ensure that performance standards are achieved and any contractual, commercial or market risks are identified and appropriate mitigations put in place.
Lead the delivery of low risk sourcing processes, ensuring compliance with the Authority’s Procurement Policy and Procedures.
Lead the development, planning and delivery of improvement projects, ensuring effective stakeholder management and compliance with existing contractual requirements.
Adopt a continuous improvement approach to systems and processes to support the development of best practice for wider department benefit.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to ‘A’ Level standard and/or qualification by experience of working in a commercial environment.
Experience of running low level tenders with a working knowledge of public sector procurement law and experience of managing lower level contracts and monitoring and improving performance and mitigating risks
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel. Solid working knowledge of PowerPoint and MS Word.
Appreciation of working in a political environment and an ability to understand and respond to different perspectives.
Strong communication; verbal, written and presentation skills.
Strong customer focus with a drive to provide a valued service.
A positive attitude: a ‘can do’ approach, good work ethic and willingness to learn
Interest in pursuing a career in procurement and either studying for or wishing to study for CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) accreditation.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email jamielea.wallis@Essex.gov.uk

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours