Innovation Procurement Lead

Job Description

Location - Milton Keynes or London (minimum of two days a week in the office. You can do more than two days if preferable) plus some ad hoc travel to other CPC offices

Reporting to - Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre

Band - 4.1

Salary - £68,000 - £74,000 (depending on office location and proven ability)

Working hours - Full time (9 day fortnight companywide)

Contract type/duration - Fixed term contract for 12 months (PAYE)

Closing date - 2nd October 2024

If successful you will be contacted by a member of the recruitment team for a phone interview

Connected Places Catapult (CPC) is the UK Centre of Excellence for urban innovation and mobility with a role to catalyse the innovation market in the UK and globally. From our Urban Innovation Centre in London, we provide world-class facilities and expertise to support the development of new products and services, as well as opportunities to collaborate with others, test ideas and develop business models.

Purpose of the role

The Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC) is a specialised initiative focused on creating new value in the public sector by bringing in innovative solutions at scale through the use of procurement.

Through the Connected Places Catapult, and funded by Innovate UK, the main focus of IPEC is to upskill public sector buyers (not just procurement teams) on how procurement can be used to deliver better, cheaper and quicker outcomes through bringing in innovative solutions.

Britain’s public sector spends £300 billion a year buying goods, services and works from the private sector, of which £60 billion is procured by the UK’s local government alone. This represents a huge market and a significant lever which public authorities can use to create and shape markets.

However, despite all this potential to drive strategic outcomes, public procurement is largely under-exploited as a mechanism for sparking and scaling innovation.

The UK Government’s Innovation Strategy notes “a low appetite for risk and experimentation” in public procurement, due to “the overall culture, expertise and incentive structure of the public sector”.

As a result, UK public procurement is still largely characterised by procedures which over-specify on requirements (leaving little room for innovation) and selection based largely on price. Faced with a whole box of tools, procurement professionals invariably reach for the same procedure each time.

This is a dynamic team leadership role responsible for the delivery of our demanding innovation procurement programmes to ensure they run smoothly. Working with external partners and colleagues across the business, you’ll play a key role in identifying the right challenges and help public authorities effectively scale innovative solutions from the market to realise business value. You’ll also be creative, fast-moving, self-motivated, work to a consistently high standard and be passionate about the broader tech landscape. You must have an excellent understanding of how procurement works in the public sector with knowledge of how procurement can be used as an enabler for innovation.

The role reports to the Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre and it will also work closely with the Delivery, Procurement and Marketing and Communications Teams, to help create and operate an offering that successfully introduces new products and services to the industry through using procurement.

This will require the individual to identifying new commercial opportunities where innovation procurement can be applied. They will work with internal colleagues and customers building and managing new and existing programmes where innovation through procurement is a specific delivery module, running a full end-to-end programme or upskilling and training public sector organisations or those selling into public entities.

There will also be the requirement to work with those stakeholders to develop sustainable businesses mapping against the relevant KPI matrix to increase GVA and show impact.

Key Responsibilities

● Lead on procurement deliverables for projects, acting as technical lead on innovation through procurement

● Where necessary, providing team leadership and guidance, by providing excellent frontline management; including setting objectives, providing performance feedback, resourcing to projects, communicating corporate messages, and daily management

● Drives operational processes and compliance within the team

● Ensures the team and programme deliver against KPIs and delivery plan

● Drive team productivity and quality of the team’s deliverables, including quality control

● Nurture a supportive and productive culture that upholds the mission and values of the Catapult

● Working with stakeholders (internally and externally) to develop innovation through procurement and related concepts to help solve industry challenges, including identifying and on-boarding industry partners who can support programmes through investment and in-kind expertise or facilities;

● Oversee the day-to-day running of the CPC portfolio of commercial innovation through procurement programmes , including managing some specific programme managers, partners, scheduling, operations and programme communications

● Oversee the processes for different routes to market that can be applied

● Work with Marketing and Communications with managing the programme’s online presence across website, blog and social channels, including finding compelling content ideas, planning with a possibility of writing posts

● Overseeing and ensuring the coordination of programme schedules, such as co-ordinating relationship with public sector teams (procurement and innovation) to optimise CPC resource and impact

● Support the Head of Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre and partners to set and deliver relevant goals and milestones in line with CPC KPIs

● Manage and track budgets relating to programme delivery

● Uphold and promote CPC’s values, ensuring an ethos of equity, inclusivity and diversity underpin your work activity, contributing to inclusive innovation across all Catapult activities

● Commit to equal opportunities and ethical practices in all aspects of work

● You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Catapult in achieving its strategic outcomes and ensure effective business operations

Requirements

Essential:

● Previous experience of developing innovation through procurement concepts that help address the barriers to scaling innovation in the public sector

● Experience and knowledge of how procurement and innovation works in the public sector with some experience of delivering some successful programmes

● Experience of presenting to individuals and groups including at board level and senior external stakeholders

● A proven ability to lead and work as a member of a team, influencing a variety of stakeholders across the spectrum of industry, academia and government

● The ability and knowledge to successfully match businesses with the most appropriate support

● A comprehensive knowledge of different sources of finance, both grant and commercial

● Experience of working with different types of organisations including corporate, academic and public sector

● A structured approach to delivering a programme of work to a consistently high standard

● Experience of managing a small team to deliver complex and high-value accelerator programmes

Desirable:

● Qualified to degree level or equivalent experience and qualifications

● Applied procurement to bring in innovation in the public sector with some knowledge of routes to market

● Experience of commercial bids, proposals and tenders

● Managed change in the public sector

● Knowledge of market innovation adding value to public policy outcomes

● Working with innovators, businesses and stakeholders in an incubator/accelerator environment

● Experience working within the mobility, urban planning, architecture, built environment, cities/local authorities, digital technology or related domains would be highly advantageous.

● Knowledge of the financial and practical support available to innovators

● Passionate about innovation adoption

● Experience of working in a start-up

● Some design thinking experience

Personal Characteristics

● High level of organisation and time management - the ability to get things done!

● Interest in public sector spend, and how procurement can be used to create value

● A keen interest in working in the tech and transport industry

● Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

● Impeccable attention to detail

● Good writing skills

● Self-starter and motivator

● A good sense of humour!

● Demonstrable prior experience working in a business engagement role.

● Excellent person organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise your own work, and coordinate the work of other team members within the wider programmes.

● The capability to work autonomously and as part of a team. You should be a real self-starter who is able to make things happen.

● Excellent inter-personal relationship skills, and the ability to influence others.

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with fluency in English an essential requirement of this role.

● Familiar with MS Office and Excel

Benefits

• 9 day fortnight for everyone, we have a full company shutdown every other Friday.
• 23.5 holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off.
• Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future.
• Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members.
• Cycle to Work Scheme encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute.
• Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being.
• Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations.
• Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities.

Employment here is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law. We also make all reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under laws protecting the rights of the disabled.