Senior Procurement Business Partner

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House Ipswich IP1 2BX - Hybrid working
• Salary: 48163 - 58850 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week - flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

At Suffolk County Council we are reimagining what local government can achieve. As a Senior Procurement Business Partner you will play a key role in shaping smarter more sustainable procurement strategies that deliver real value to our communities and the environment. Your fresh thinking and commercial insight will help us evolve improve and make a lasting impact. Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Senior Procurement Business Partner you will play a key leadership role in the team delivering high-quality timely commercial and procurement support to the council.

Senior Procurement Business Partners are dedicated liaisons to specific service areas providing tailored procurement support and acting as the primary link between departments and the wider procurement team.

Our Procurement Team is proud to assist a wide range of departments across Suffolk County Council including:

• Adult Social Care
• Childrens and Young Peoples Services
• Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
• Public Health and Communities
• Corporate Services
• Growth and Highways Infrastructure

This means your work will have a direct impact on essential services that touch the lives of people across Suffolk every single day.

As a Senior Procurement Business Partner you will also take the operational lead in a key area of our teams work whether thats shaping procurement strategy and/or policies including Social Value or driving service improvements.

On a typical day you might:

• Lead the delivery of a wide range of procurement projects planning and implementing continual improvement.
• Provide expert advice and practical support to stakeholders helping them achieve their goals while supporting the councils wider objectives.
• Build partnerships with internal and external stakeholders acting as a trusted advisor.
• Lead and support tenders and negotiations and ensure compliance with UK procurement legislation and the Councils Procurement Rules.
• Present clear concise business cases and reports to senior officers and council members.
• Line manage mentor and support colleagues deputising for the Strategic Procurement Business Partner when needed.
• Provide general advice on contract management ensuring contracts are managed in line the Councils Contract Management Standards.
• Provide advice on social value making sure our procurement activities create positive outcomes for Suffolks communities.
• Review and triage procurement requests liaising with stakeholders as necessary to gather the information needed to establish an accurate procurement pipeline.
• Attend webinars and events on current procurement legislation regulatory changes and areas of best practice.
• Proactively lead and take part in lessons learned workshops to identify areas for continuous improvement.

You will be empowered to use your consultative skills technical expertise and commercial awareness to create value for Suffolk County Council and the communities we serve.

We hope you will bring

• Professional procurement/commissioning qualification (CIPS) or equivalent experience.
• Enhanced interpersonal persuasive and negotiating skills.
• Appreciation of working within a large complex political organisation (ideally within the public sector).
• Strong project management commercial leadership and strategic planning skills.
• A collaborative spirit and a drive for continuous improvement.
• Proficient IT skills including e-tendering systems MS Excel Word and Teams/SharePoint.
• Strong communication skills including verbal written and presentation.
• A positive can do approach to work a willingness to learn and innovate.

Even if you dont meet every requirement we encourage you to apply. We value fresh perspectives and a willingness to learn and grow.

You can view a full list of requirements in theJob and Person Profile (Word).

The team

You will join a friendly professional Procurement Team that plays a key role in the strategic management of the councils wholly owned companies delivering commercial challenge and ensuring cost-effective efficient service provision. We support Directorates with tenders and quotations offer training and development and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Our team office days are Tuesday and Thursday with the remaining days being days are incredibly valuable for sharing ideas supporting each other and enhancing our sense of belonging to the procurement team.

Our team is proud to make a positive difference for Suffolk and were committed to supporting each others wellbeing growth and success. We offer diverse and active staff networks great flexible working options and the opportunity to improve the lives of Suffolk residents.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Juliette Orsler or Neil Holland for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling:

Juliette on or emailing: or

Neil on or emailing: .

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click Apply Now to start your online application.

Step 3 -Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note:Without a CV your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing:or calling. If you are invited to the next stage of selection you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date:11.30 pm 30 November 2025.

Interview date: 10 and 11 December 2025.

Promoted as PJ (Platinum Job) on Suffolk Jobs Direct.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid