Procurement Manager

Role: Procurement Manager

Location: Tresham College – Kettering Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £39,697 and £46,349 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Procurement Manager to join our Finance department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Procurement Manager, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Strategic Procurement Leadership – Oversee procurement across the Group, ensuring compliance with regulations, developing value-driven strategies, and supporting sustainability and transformation initiatives.
• Operational Excellence & Compliance – Manage tendering processes, procurement systems, and contract negotiations while maintaining audit trails, regulatory compliance, and spend controls.
• Supplier & Contract Management – Lead supplier relationships, negotiate favourable terms, monitor performance, and maintain the central contracts database with accurate, auditable records.
• Staff Training & Support – Deliver training and guidance on procurement best practices, systems, and policies, supporting staff across departments and ensuring consistent application of procedures.
• Governance & Continuous Improvement – Monitor procurement performance through KPIs and dashboards, identify cost-saving opportunities, and contribute to finance system development and cross-college initiatives.

About you:

• Professional Qualifications & Experience – CIPS Level 5–6 (or working towards), GCSEs in English and Maths, with at least 3 years’ experience in procurement or supply chain roles.
• Procurement Expertise – Skilled in public sector procurement under the Public Contracts Regulations 2023, contract negotiation, supplier management, and use of frameworks like CCS, ESPO, and CPC.
• Analytical & Technical Skills – Proficient in spend analysis, KPIs, and financial data interpretation, with strong Excel skills and experience using procurement or finance systems.
• Communication & Leadership – Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, able to explain complex concepts clearly, lead procurement activities independently, and train non-specialist staff.
• Values & Flexibility – Committed to safeguarding, EDI, and the College’s values, with a flexible approach to working across sites and attending occasional evening events.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: 10 September 2025

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork – We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously – We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred – At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive – We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring – We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence – We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group’s policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.

Documents

TBCG Ex-Offenders Policy.pdf

JD PS Procurement Manager June 2025 FINAL.docx