Procurement Business Partner

The Vacancy

This is exciting permanent opportunity for an experienced Procurement Business Partner to join the FSCS Procurement Team.

The successful role holder will be leading, advising and coordinating Procurement Processes within a regulated environment. As well as, ensuring we have appropriate performance management alongside robust oversight and controls over the most strategically important and critical suppliers to FSCS.

Key Priorities

Service Delivery

• Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organisation and be recognised as a trusted business advisor
• Adhere and hold others accountable to adhere to those Procurement policies, standards and procedures. Recognise & escalate non-compliance and other issues to the Procurement Manager where appropriate

Strategic Sourcing

• Understand and influence Stakeholders to deliver, maintain and improve strategic sourcing plans, using relevant management information and market intelligence
• Using category specific knowledge provide commercial and procurement advice and sound judgement to identify issues and recommend appropriate solutions
• Implement collaborative sourcing solutions and drive through benefits realisation plans

Tender Management

• Lead and execute the delivery of tender projects in an efficient, effective and timely manner. Identifying when project approvals are required and plan for them. Identify and resolve project issues
• Develop a clear procurement approach that reflects the needs of the business, the market and is aligned to procurement policy objectives, public procurement regulatory requirements and plans for the necessary approvals. Able to appropriately challenge risk
  adverse behaviours where appropriate
• Fully consider key financial and commercial issues in the development of the contracting model and implement these as appropriate in contract terms and conditions

Supplier Relationship Management

• Ensure that amendments to contracts are negotiated, agreed and documented effectively and adhere to the Procurement Policy. Challenge and resolve contractual non -compliance issues
• For key suppliers, to work with the contract owner to ensure appropriate contract management processes are set-up and supplier oversight is in place according to the standards set in the Procurement Handbook ensuring.

Procurement Related Management Information

• Ensure that accurate, complete and correct management information data are supplied and validated
• Support Procurement Manager in Risk and Controls Testing to provide evidence where requested

Working at the FSCS

At FSCS we are purpose driven and committed to delivering an exceptional service and results for our customers.

We have invested greatly in a flexible people offering that we're proud of, that our employees love and that supports and promotes diversity, inclusion, and overall wellbeing. Key benefits include:

• Employer pension contributions from 9% - 15% dependant on your contributions and length of service
• Life assurance, income and critical illness protection
• Private medical and dental insurance
• EAP and Virtual GP
• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays and the option to sell 5 or buy up to 9 additional days per annum to suit your lifestyle
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave - 6 months full pay
• Additional discounts and options to earn rewards to spend at your choice of retailer

About You

We have identified the following skills, knowledge, and experience as essential for success in this role however we understand that everyone's learning journey is different and there is no one size fits all. If you feel you have many of the below strengths but don't tick all the boxes, we'd still love to hear from you.

• MCIPS qualified or relevant equivalent supply-chain experience/ qualification
• Sound knowledge of Public Procurement Regulations and Public Contract Frameworks
• Ability to lead the end-to-end procurement process
• Good experience of successfully conducting a range of dialogues / negotiations across a variety of categories
• Broad category expertise (focus on services rather than goods) across both the Public and/ or Private Sector. It's desirable if you have experience of IT procurement
• In depth experience of working across departmental &/or organisational boundaries in leading strategic sourcing teams / projects
• Can use e-procurement tools to support the sourcing process

About Us

For over 20 years, FSCS has been the UK's financial safety net, protecting customers when authorised financial firms fail and helping them get back on track.

We are an independent, non-profit organisation set up by government, offering a free service where customers keep every penny of the compensation they are owed when they claim directly with us. FSCS is funded by the financial services industry through an annual levy paid by firms authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Through the 2008 banking crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic, FSCS has provided reassurance during the most challenging times, giving people confidence their money is safe. By maintaining trust in financial services, we help support financial stability and contribute to economic growth. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we've built a culture of empathy, resilience, and continuous improvement - always striving to do better and move faster in a complex financial landscape.

Join us and make a real difference.

Our Strategy

Prepare

What we are aiming for
We shall respond to large and complex firm failures, whilst maintaining our seven-day pay-out for savers in banks, building societies and credit unions. We will actively contribute to increasingly effective resolution when firms fail.

Why this matters
FSCS needs to contribute to public confidence and financial stability by being ready to respond when called upon across the full range of protected products.

Our approach

• Maintain well-tested contingency plans, backed by necessary capabilities and robust customer information.
• Collaborate with industry to improve the customer information we rely on for payouts.
• Improve our ability to respond quickly to investment and insurance failures.
• Work with industry and regulators to improve resolution arrangements.

Protect

What we are aiming for
FSCS is known and trusted for protection that puts people back on track through outstanding customer experience.

Why this matters
Customer expectations are rising. The service our customers receive must meet their expectations in terms of speed, accessibility and ease of use, in order to maintain consumer trust and confidence.

Our approach

• Exploit digital technology to create the service our customers expect, at lower cost to our levy payers.
• Improve the speed of our service by eliminating time and process inefficiencies, particularly with third parties.
• Exploit our new strategic partnership - by drawing on our partner's expertise, scale and experience.
• Provide continuity of cover for policyholders in failed insurance companies.

Promote

What we are aiming for
We shall raise awareness of FSCS protection across all of the products and services we protect, particularly retirement savings products.

Why this matters
Awareness of, and trust in, FSCS protection maintains confidence in a crisis. Awareness also helps to inform people's choices by increasing their confidence in buying protected services and understanding the risks of unprotected products.

Our approach

• Partner with the industry to raise awareness of FSCS protection across all protected products and services, focusing on retirement savings initially.
• Engage with consumers and provide information to help people understand protection and make informed decisions.
• Encourage customers of failed firms to come directly to FSCS with their claim.
• Work with our stakeholders to provide joined-up and easy to access information about FSCS protection.

Prevent

What we are aiming for
We shall collaborate with the regulators and industry to prevent future failure and to reduce future compensation costs.

Why this matters
FSCS compensation costs are rising fast - we project that compensation may rise from £405 million in 2017/18, mainly driven by escalating pensions claims. These costs put pressure on firms' finances and are passed on to consumers.

Our approach

• Commit to joint action with the regulators and industry to identify and address the root causes of mis-selling and other conduct issues which drive failure and compensation costs.
• Ensure consumers are alerted more quickly to vulnerabilities and risks as they emerge.
• Work with our partners to improve co-ordination across government, industry and regulators, ensuring insights and intelligence are generated and acted on.
• Feed back lessons learnt as a creditor and from recoveries activity, including working with the insolvency and insurance markets.
• Develop FSCS' own capability to provide actionable intelligence.