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About the role:

The Global Procurement function is split into clusters and this role will report to a Senior Procurement Manager. The role will support the implementation of a sourcing plan and delivering procurement projects as required within the cluster.  This role will require effective stakeholder engagement within the cluster or globally whilst supporting the delivery of improvements and efficiency in procurement projects.

Main Responsibilities

Consultancy, analysis & problem-solving

• Builds an in-depth understanding of the specific operational context, opportunities and challenges facing their internal customer(s) to ensure the provision of procedural advice and support based on informed business insight.
• Pro-actively seeks internal customer and other stakeholder feedback to monitor satisfaction with the standard of functional advice and business support provided, enabling improvements to be made where issues are identified.
• Applies core technical/professional knowledge, recognised best practice approaches and insight from previous experience to resolve non-standard issues which arise in the provision of functional support to a specific organisational unit or area of corporate activity.

Service improvement

• Within their area of technical/professional expertise, identifies opportunities for procedural improvements within established policies and determines the most appropriate mechanisms and processes for implementing those changes. 
• Demonstrates awareness of relevant governance arrangements that relate to making system or procedural changes.
• Makes technical/professional recommendations to resolve specific or localised issues but also offers ideas which contribute to the development of wider solutions to broader business challenges and problems.

Functional expertise

• Provides pro-active professional advice and support to internal customers to ensure local or unit-specific business practices within their area of functional expertise are high quality, effective and compliant with relevant corporate policies.
• Completes an annual cycle of formally recognised Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain and deepen their professional expertise.
• Uses a variety of information resources and professional networks to maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in external policy, practice, and regulation within their professional discipline.

Commercial & Financial management

• Using agreed corporate systems and processes, plans and manages the budget for their area of activity/service provision, and conducts monthly and year-end reporting on income and expenditure, profitability, and risk.
• Shows an understanding of value for money/cost effectiveness in the advice, recommendations or service support provided to internal customers.
• Applies good judgment in a commercial context.

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develops good working relationships with appropriate colleagues throughout the British Council and in the relevant functional discipline to know who to engage with to enable effective implementation of procedural changes and improvements
• Builds a network of with external suppliers/providers/contacts to support effective service provision and knowledge exchange

Leadership & management

• Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure effective delivery of diverse responsibilities and internal customer deliverables over a monthly to quarterly time horizon.
• May act as formal line manager to a small team of para-professionals, working within the same (or related) area of functional expertise, responsible for their annual work plans and deliverables

Minimum/essential requirements

• Extensive experience of working in a similar role at a similar level managing procurement projects or procurement teams
• Experience in leading and managing effective negotiations
• In-depth understanding of procurement processes and complex competitive bidding 
• Good understanding of procurement project delivery, including Supplier Relationship Management
• Good business understanding across industry
• Understands and has used a variety of pricing models and tools.
• Understands legal and operational risks.
• Undergraduate degree holder or has relevant experience in procurement
• Qualified member of a professions body, e.g. CIPS or other relevant body or equivalent experience 
• The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required

Desirable

• Extensive experience with Strategic Sourcing with managing stakeholders’ team or experience in managing procurement teams or categories.

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Role Purpose

The purpose of this role is to ensure exams operations meet demand, whilst maintaining customer service quality, exams integrity and compliance standards in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. This role is ultimately responsible for efficient and effective capacity, cost management, test day delivery expected to guide and coach team members to meet operations and service delivery standards

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

Product Service Delivery

• Implements a range of standardised, operational procedures and systems within a given work plan to achieve specified, clearly measurable targets (revenue, volume, time and/or cost).
• Receives instructions and requests from cluster leadership and plans and organises given resources accordingly (often at short notice) to ensure that work is carried out efficiently and effectively.
• Adapts work plans where necessary to meet customer expectations.
• Drives continuous improvement at country level in the efficiency/cost effectiveness/quality of service delivery.
• Uses a range of standardised systems and processes to plan and coordinate effective, timely and cost effective logistical support to enable the delivery of high quality services to a range of customers (internal and/or external)

Customer service

• Takes end-to-end accountability for researching and obtaining satisfactory and timely resolution of complex/escalated customer (internal or external) operational complaints and issues, coordinating input from other colleagues/departments/managers as required, to do so.
• Ensures the customer is kept informed throughout the process.

Relationship & stakeholder management

• Develops good working relationships with appropriate colleagues to facilitate effective and efficient service delivery.
• As required, supports the Head of Operations in hosting/attending external events or meetings, ensuring these run efficiently and effectively and that a positive, professional image is projected.

Risk & compliance

• Uses standardised processes to monitor team/unit compliance with agreed corporate risk management procedures relevant to service delivery (e.g. child protection, security policies, financial protocols, antifraud measures) to protect the interests of the BC and its customers at all times.
• Highlights to senior managers any instances of non-compliance.
• Ensures team receive and maintain appropriate induction/training in all relevant risk management procedures.
• Uses standard corporate protocols to assess a range of risks in to service/product/programme delivery.
• Makes appropriate contingency plans to manage delivery safely and effectively in challenging or highrisk circumstances.

Analysis & reporting

• Uses agreed financial procedures/templates, conducts monthly and year-end analysis and reporting on income and expenditure/ profitability and risk/pipeline/actual performance versus plan targets

Commercial & resource management

• Directly plans and controls specific cost variables (rather than the total budget) to meet established.
• Targets, ensuring compliance with all relevant corporate financial systems and processes.
• Actively seeks to maximise value for money when acquiring resources, goods or services for the country operations. 
• Operates and runs regular reports on financial processes and procedures to enable effective budget and resource management.

Leadership & management

• Motivates and encourages team performance.
• Plans and prioritises country's operational activities, and supports team development towards effective delivery of services.
• Manages day to day performance of country operations team, dealing with sickness, discipline, motivation etc., to ensure high quality service delivery is maintained at all times.
• Tasks and coordinates others (e.g. third-party suppliers, external partners and internal colleagues) to complete activities in accordance with agreed service delivery/ contractual/ project milestones or requirements (e.g. cost schedules, time deadlines etc).
• Deputise for Cluster Head of Operations when required.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

Essential requirements:

• University degree in any subject or relevant qualification.
• Relevant experience of overseeing production of goods/provision of services.
• Experience of planning and delivery in a fast paced operational environment at a management level
• Experience managing large teams or demonstrating management potential.
• Experience of delivery change and ensuring that new ways of working are embedded.

Desirable:

• Experience working in Exam’s environment.
• Experience of leading on delivery of computer based exams

Further Information

• Pay Band – 7
• Remuneration: ZAR  65,393.00 Gross Per Month
• Contract Type – Two (2) Year Fixed Term Contract
• Location – Johannesburg, South Africa
• Department/Function -  English and Exams
• Additional information
• Language requirements: Strong written and oral English communication skills.
• The Role holder must have existing rights to live and work in the country the role is based.
• Closing Date – 30 June 2024. Applications will close at 23:59 East Africa Time