Procurement Manager – Infrastructure and Environment

About The Job

Salary: £50,269 - £53,460 a year plus £3,203 car benefit allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Procurement Manager – Infrastructure and Environment to join our team and play a key role in delivering high-quality, value-for-money services across a diverse and challenging portfolio.

In this role, you will lead end-to-end procurement projects, developing and implementing effective procurement strategies that reduce cost while maintaining service quality. You will act as a trusted procurement advisor, providing best-practice and legally sound guidance and constructive challenge throughout the lifecycle of each project. Through effective intervention and the application of appropriate procurement options under the regulations and evaluation strategies, you will drive incremental value and positive outcomes.

You will be expected to advise on projects across all categories of expenditure, including works, services and supplies, spanning general fund, capital, external grant funded and HRA-funded schemes. The portfolio will include complex and high-risk projects, requiring sound judgement, commercial awareness and a confident, solutions-focused approach.

Working collaboratively, you will matrix manage Procurement and Market Intelligence Officers, alongside other managers and Category Managers, on a project-by-project basis. Strong stakeholder management skills will therefore be essential, as you balance competing priorities and ensure procurement activity aligns with organisational objectives.

This is an excellent opportunity for a procurement professional who thrives in a strategic, fast-paced environment and is passionate about delivering value, quality and continuous improvement across infrastructure and environmental services.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

You will have proven experience leading compliant procurement projects within public and/or private sector organisations, with a strong track record of delivering innovative solutions and achieving cashable savings. You bring a sound understanding of the economics of procurement and market development and are confident applying this knowledge to drive value for money. With excellent verbal and written communication skills, you can negotiate, influence and build effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders in a commercial environment.

You are proactive and self-motivated, able to act on your own initiative to develop and implement continuous improvement in procurement processes. Highly organised and detail-focused, you can successfully manage multiple work streams at different stages of development simultaneously. You will have up-to-date knowledge of current UK procurement legislation and EU procurement directives, procurement best practice, tools and techniques, including the use of e-procurement systems, and an understanding of how procurement legislation impacts procurement options, market management, finance and contractual arrangements.

You will also be working towards CIPS membership or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and expertise through experience.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer…