Overview

We are looking for a Sustainability and Social Value Specialist at the East of England Collaborative Procurement Hub, you will lead, implement, and act as the subject matter expert on sustainability strategy for the Hub and its customers procurement activity. You will embed sustainable principles and innovative approaches into our procurement lifecycle.

Supporting the development and delivery of a strategic and operational procurement sustainability and social value service. You will have the ability to influence stakeholder behaviour and work collaboratively with our partners in NHS Procurement in Partnership, across the regional and national landscape of NHS procurement. Excellent interpersonal, communication and analytical skills, along with strong project and procurement management experience are required.

The role is hybrid, with time split between the Hub’s office based in Cambridge and remote working.  Some travel within the East of England region is required along with occasional travel to other areas. Please visit our website www.eoepch.nhs.uk for more information on how the Hub supports within the NHS.

The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic individual wanting to make a positive difference in the NHS. Skills, experience, and a passion for this subject area are essential, together with a need for strong practical implementation experience.

You will be the subject matter expert in Sustainability and Social Value for the organisation, leading a number of initiatives on behalf of its members, providing strategic leadership and responsibility for multiple procurement programmes to improve value and quality for member trusts and the organisation.

Acting as an ambassador for the Procurement Hub and senior stakeholders on the Sustainability and Social Value agenda. Working closely with key stakeholders and internal and external customers, you will set up and support collaborative project groups working at all levels of stakeholder seniority.

You will implement sustainability strategies for Procurement Hub and its members. Specific considerations will include social value, carbon reduction, environmental impacts, sustainable development, modern slavery, supplier diversity and resilience, plus a wide range of other environmental and socio-economic factors whilst working with our existing teams to operationalise strategic and operational initiatives.

Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children’s ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Job summary

The East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (the Hub) is a collaborative NHS organisation that works with customers by using procurement and commercial expertise to drive value and efficiencies across the NHS.  Our purpose is to provide creative procurement solutions, strategic purchasing support and specialist knowledge to the member NHS trusts and publicly funded bodies who are out customers.  As part of the NHS ourselves, our fundamental aim is to save the NHS money whilst improving patient care.  Collaboration is key to achieving this.

Every member of the award-winning, not for profit Hub team works collaboratively, playing their part in:

  • fostering partnerships – local, system and regional
  • meetings customers’ procurement needs.
  • delivering cash-releasing savings and efficiencies
  • reducing duplication
  • improving patient care
  • driving healthcare innovation

The Hub is hosted by West Suffolk NHS FT, providing the legal entity for the operation of the Hub and is the employer of all our staff.

As a Sustainability and Social Value Specialist, you will lead, implement, and act as the subject matter expert on sustainability strategy for the Hub and its customers procurement activity. You will be the organisation’s expert in Sustainability and Social Value, leading several initiatives you will establish the Sustainability and Social Value approach for the Hub.

You will support the development and delivery of a strategic and operational procurement sustainability and social value service. Influencing stakeholder behaviour and engagement by driving forward compliance with environmental legislation, best practice and cutting-edge leadership in all aspects of sustainability and working towards Net Zero government targets. Advising on the impact of the procurements sustainability initiatives and the implementation of NHS policy or initiatives and service developments. To operate across and develop a profile across the membership, other public sector anchors in the East of England and nationally including the Greener NHS and external professional sustainability circles to promote the work of the Hub as an exemplar of best practice. Be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the overall approach and ensuring systems and processes for procurement are appropriate, fair transparent and non-discriminatory in line with national policy and relevant legislation.

You will provide specialist knowledge and advice on sustainability strategy development and implementation across the whole range of clinical and non-clinical activity. Embed sustainable principles and methodologies of innovation into the procurement portfolio. Developing and implementing performance measurement frameworks for sustainability, social value and governance across the Hub and customers to evaluate the impact of the strategy.

Person specification

Education & Qualification

Essential criteria
  • Educated to a master’s level or equivalent experience working at a senior level in a specialist area in the Sustainability and Social Value industry (public or private sector)
  • Evidence of continuous professional development
Desirable criteria
  • Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or appropriate professional institute or relevant experience.

Experience & Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Self-motivated and a logical and innovative practitioner of Sustainability and Social Value.
  • Experience of developing a sustainability programme delivering demonstrable benefits
  • Senior stakeholder influencing experience across multiple sites or organisations.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Excel to an advanced level to produce graphs, mathematical and logical formulas
  • Understanding of risk management and business processes, policies and procedures, and how to best apply them within the context of a situation being analysed.
  • Knowledge of the CIPS Supply Code of Ethics.
  • Understanding of the legislative and NHS position, policies and aspirations around the sustainability and social value agenda, and the ability to apply that knowledge to a situation to find a best solution.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of developing a sustainability programme delivering demonstrable benefit
  • In-depth expert knowledge acquired over a significant period of time across the following relevant areas: Sustainable development, Carbon reduction, Modern slavery and labour standards, Social value , Procurement

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Strong persuasion and influencing skills.
  • Ability to manage and coordinate large and complex projects involving multiple personnel from different organisations.
  • Ability to analyse and evaluate data and make recommendations on the best value options for procurement and supply.
  • Generate solutions to complex problems around implementation of sustainability and social value principles in procurement activity
  • People skills – ability to lead delegate, empower, influence change and lead people in a challenging environment.
  • Ability to produce organisational policies and guidelines for defined areas of responsibility (eg legislation, directives)
  • Ability to manage resources and financial risk.
  • Ability to manage and prioritise own workload and the workload of support staff.
  • Ability to travel to meetings on a regular basis, including outside of the East of England area.
  • Meets tight deadlines in a fast-paced dynamic environment with high levels of performance.

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Self-reliant and tenacious
  • Self-confident and motivated
  • Tact and diplomacy
  • Supports and encourages enthusiastic teamwork.
  • Values diversity
  • Highly analytical
  • Flexible approach to working hours/duties
  • Drive and initiative