Procurement Lead; FTC Job Edinburgh area,City of Edinburgh Scotland UK,Business

Position: Procurement Lead (18-month FTC)
Location: City of Edinburgh

About Adolescent Health Study

AHS is a UKRI‑funded longitudinal study recruiting 100,000 young people aged 8‑18 across the UK to follow mental and physical health over 10 years with data collection, biosamples, linked data, recruitment through schools and youth engagement.

Purpose of the post

The Procurement Lead will develop and deliver a procurement and commercial strategy that ensures value for money, compliance with the Procurement Act 2023, and supports the operational objectives of the AHS study.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a procurement and commercial strategy aligned with organisational goals and funding requirements.
Lead procurement planning across research programmes, operations, and corporate services.
Act as a subject matter expert on public procurement policy and best practice.
Drive continuous improvement in procurement processes, systems, and capability.
Oversee end‑to‑end procurement processes including tendering, evaluation and contract award.
Ensure compliance with UK public procurement regulations.
Draft, review and negotiate complex contracts including research, clinical and grant‑related agreements.
Manage contract lifecycle: performance monitoring, renewals and extensions.
Establish and maintain procurement policies, procedures and governance frameworks.
Ensure activities meet audit, transparency and reporting requirements for public funding.
Identify and mitigate commercial risks across supplier engagements.
Support internal and external audit processes.
Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships and collaborate with internal stakeholders.
Provide commercial advice to senior leadership and project teams.
Promote sustainable and ethical sourcing practices.
Deliver value for money through effective sourcing and negotiation strategies.
Monitor procurement spend and identify cost‑saving or efficiency opportunities.
Contribute to budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes.
Ensure funding is used appropriately, ethically and in line with public funding requirements.

Qualifications Essential

Professional qualification in procurement or supply chain (e.g., CIPS Level 5 or equivalent).

Degree or comparable experience in business, finance, law or related field.

Proven track record of managing complex procurement exercises and contracts.

Experience in regulated public‑authority procurement environments.

Strong understanding of UK public procurement regulations and best practice.

Commercial acumen with negotiation and contract management skills.

Experience drafting and reviewing heads of terms and commercial agreements.

Knowledge of intellectual property considerations in research contracts.

Strong experience in supplier and stakeholder management.

Excellent analytical, financial and problem‑solving abilities.

Strong communication and influencing skills across all organisational levels.

Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.

Desirable

CIPS Level 6 or equivalent.

Membership of a professional body (e.g., MCIPS or FCIPS).

Experience managing high‑value and complex contracts, including collaborative or partnership agreements.

Experience in procurement or commercial roles within charity and/or research sectors.

Detailed understanding of intellectual property considerations in research contracts.

Detailed knowledge of the UK Procurement Act and related regulations.

Experience drafting and reviewing heads of terms and commercial agreements.

Understanding of subsidy control, state aid, or funding compliance frameworks.

Ability to analyse procurement data and generate insights using tools such as Excel, Power BI or similar.

Experience leading organisational change or transformation programmes in procurement.

Ability to build procurement capability across a non‑procurement stakeholder base.

Dimensions

Full‑time role, 37.5 hours per week; offered initially as an 18‑month fixed‑term contract with potential route to permanency.
Flexible working across several locations in the UK; travel may be required to AHS sites and partner organisations.
AHS operates nationally across the UK.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer and commits to fair treatment of all applicants regardless of gender, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, dependants, religion or belief, race, disability, sexual orientation or age.

All hiring decisions will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination.

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