Procurement and Contract Management Service - Lead

Licensed sponsor United Kingdom Full-time Posted 1 hour ago

Corporate Services Group (CSG) plays a central role in enabling Audit Scotland to deliver its work effectively, efficiently and sustainably. The group brings together key professional services that support the organisation’s people, finances, governance, facilities and wider business operations. As the organisation continues to respond to changing priorities, increasing complexity and future operating needs, CSG is evolving to provide more cohesive, proactive and resilient support across the business.

This means strengthening our professional capability, improving how we plan and manage services, and ensuring we make best use of our resources, systems and supplier relationships. The development of a more mature procurement and contract management service is an important part of that wider direction of travel. It will help ensure that procurement decisions are well planned, commercially sound, compliant and aligned with Audit Scotland’s strategic priorities, while supporting better value, reduced risk and improved service outcomes.

Overall purpose of the role

This is a new role within Audit Scotland’s developing procurement and contract management service. Working with the Business Support Services Manager, the postholder will provide the specialist procurement, contract management and commercial expertise needed to support service delivery, compliance, assurance, capability development and continuous improvement. The role supports good decisions across the full procurement and contract lifecycle, from early planning and route-to-market advice through to effective contract ownership, supplier performance, value for money, risk management and exit planning.

The role acts as Audit Scotland’s specialist lead for procurement and contract management, providing practical advice, commercial guidance, professional judgement and assurance support to colleagues across the organisation.

You will support good procurement and contract management practice across the organisation, contributing to a wide range of procurement activity while helping to embed more consistent and active contract and supplier management. The role includes management and development responsibility for a small procurement and contract management team, with a focus on coaching, knowledge sharing and supporting organisational capability across commissioning, procurement, contract ownership and supplier management.

You will work with CSG leaders and colleagues to support a consistent, collaborative and resilient procurement and contract management service.

What you will be doing

Our vision is that public money is well spent to meet the needs of Scotland’s people. The outcomes we want to achieve are that:

Public services in Scotland work better together to target resources more effectively.
Financial planning and management are more effective across Scotland’s public services.
Public bodies deliver clearer and more transparent reporting.
Our recommendations have a positive impact for people in Scotland.

In this role, you will help colleagues apply effective procurement, contract management and commercial practice through the following responsibilities:

Specialist procurement advice and planning

Provide specialist input to the procurement strategy, annual procurement plan and pipeline, working with CSG leaders and colleagues to align priorities with organisational need.
Support procurement improvement activity by developing practice, guidance and tools that strengthen service resilience and organisational capability.
Ensure procurement activity supports value for money, sustainability, fair work, community benefits and proportionate governance.
Maintain awareness of Scottish public procurement legislation, guidance and good practice, ensuring these are reflected in local processes.

Procurement practice and commercial support

Lead or support procurement exercises, including regulated procurements and higher-value tendering activity, providing specialist guidance where needed.
Advise on route to market, evaluation methodology, supplier selection and contract award, ensuring procurement activity is clear, proportionate and well documented.
Apply professional judgement to procurement matters, interpreting relevant legislation, guidance and good practice to support proportionate and defensible decisions.
Review and approve tender documentation, procurement strategies, evaluation reports and award recommendations where appropriate.
Help colleagues understand procurement options, risks, benefits and value-for-money considerations.
Support commercial discussions with suppliers, ensuring decisions are well documented, proportionate and defensible.

Contract and supplier management

Support the development, embedding and improvement of Audit Scotland’s contract management framework, helping to ensure proportionate and consistent arrangements are in place for key contracts and that contract owners are supported to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
Help ensure contracts are actively managed throughout their lifecycle, including mobilisation, performance monitoring, governance meetings, risk and issue management, variations, renewals, exit planning, benefits realisation and lessons learned.
Support effective supplier relationship management, helping colleagues manage performance, service quality, value, escalation routes and commercial boundaries in a consistent and constructive way.
Support proportionate assurance on key, higher-risk or higher-value contracts, helping contract owners manage risks, dependencies, obligations and value-for-money considerations.
Identify opportunities to improve service quality, supplier performance, efficiency, savings, sustainability outcomes and risk reduction across the contract portfolio.

Capability building, coaching and knowledge sharing

Build internal capability through coaching, practical guidance, templates and knowledge sharing, helping colleagues apply good procurement and contract management practice confidently and consistently.
Manage and develop a small procurement and contract management team, supporting professional growth and effective service delivery.
Promote a culture of collaboration, proportionality, accountability and continuous improvement.

Governance, assurance and reporting

Ensure compliance with organisational procurement policies, delegated authorities, records management requirements and governance arrangements.
Maintain oversight of the procurement pipeline, contract register, forward contract review cycle, supplier performance information and procurement and contract management risks.
Provide clear reporting to CSG leadership and relevant governance groups on procurement activity, risks, issues, benefits and improvement actions.
Support internal and external audit activity relating to procurement and contract management.
Deal with a range of confidential information in compliance with Data Protection regulations

Stakeholder and partnership working

Build strong relationships with managers, budget holders, project leads and corporate services colleagues.
Act as a practical commercial adviser to teams seeking procurement and contract management support.
Draw on Scottish Government shared service support where required, ensuring specialist advice and additional capacity are used proportionately to support service resilience and effective delivery.
Work with Finance, Digital, Corporate Governance and other teams to ensure joined-up procurement decision-making.

Knowledge & Experience

Person specification - specific knowledge and experience

Essential

Experience providing specialist procurement, contract management and commercial advice in a public-sector or similarly regulated environment. Experience supporting complex or high-value procurement activity and strengthening contract management practice, supplier performance arrangements and organisational capability. (S/I/A)
Strong knowledge of Scottish public procurement requirements, contract management good practice and commercial risk. Knowledge of Public Contracts Scotland, PCS-Tender, procurement governance, contract registers, supplier management, performance monitoring and contract lifecycle management. (S/I/A)
Specialist procurement and contract management judgement, stakeholder engagement, influencing, coaching, negotiation, commercial analysis, supplier performance management, risk management, prioritisation and clear report-writing skills. (S/I)
Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience, with practical experience of regulated procurement, contract lifecycle management, commercial advice, assurance support and stakeholder engagement. (S)
Collaborative, proportionate, solutions-focused, accountable, resilient and able to work confidently with colleagues and stakeholders across the organisation. (I)

Desirable

Experience supporting procurement or contract management improvement, including developing guidance, improving processes, or helping colleagues adopt more consistent practice. (S/I)
Knowledge of collaborative frameworks, sustainable procurement, fair work, community benefits and public-sector reporting expectations. (S)
Project or programme management skills, facilitation skills and experience developing guidance or training materials. (S/I)
MCIPS or working towards MCIPS. Relevant project, programme or management qualification such as PRINCE2, MSP, CMI or equivalent. (S)
Experience supporting professional capability, service improvement and more consistent contract ownership, supplier management and assurance arrangements across an organisation. (S)

*S = Shortlisting criteria I = Interview criteria A = Assessment / Exercise

Interested? Next steps

Download the attached role profile for detailed role information.

Click apply to submit an application.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, we cannot guarantee that CVs will be screened alongside your application form, therefore please ensure your application form includes all information required to demonstrate you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role.

If you require an alternative way to apply under grounds of a reasonable adjustment, please get in touch with a member of the HR team.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 1 November 2026.

Interviews will be held in-person at our Edinburgh or Glasgow offices on 11 and 13 November 2026.

A presentation will be required as part of the interview process.

Audit Scotland

Our vision is that public money is well spent to meet the needs of Scotland's people.

To achieve this, we support the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission to provide clear, independent and objective assurance on how effectively public money is being managed and spent. Our work covers almost £70bn of public spending, about 250 public sector accounts, and the services and projects that affect all people and communities in Scotland.

As well as what we do, how we do it is integral to delivering our vision and critical to our wellbeing and our organisational success. We put our organisational values of equality, independence, innovation, integrity and respect at the heart of everything we do.

We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles, working from our main offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.

There has never been a more interesting or important time to join us. We offer a rewarding place to work, a supportive and open culture and a wide range of professional development opportunities. Benefits include 42 days of annual leave including public holidays, an attractive local government defined benefit pension scheme with 17.6% employer contributions, personal development allowances and flexible working hours.

Diversity and Inclusion

We value the unique perspective a diverse workforce brings to what we do. Therefore, we’re keen to increase representation in our workforce and support progression of minority ethnic groups. We are also a proud disability confident employer and an accredited menopause friendly employer.

Reasonable Adjustments

Audit Scotland’s recruitment process may include various stages and activities including application forms, online assessments, and interviews, to assess whether you meet the requirements of the role.

As a Disability Confident and a Menopause Friendly employer, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible recruitment where everyone is supported to perform at their best.

When applying for a job with Audit Scotland, you will be asked in the application form if you need an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process. Please include the reason you require an adjustment and details of what adjustment/s might help.

Some examples of adjustments that have been given to candidates include changing the time, location or format of interviews and providing additional time in any assessments and interviews. This is not an exhaustive list, and we will consider any adjustments that you might need.

As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, our equality network groups would be delighted to offer an insight into Audit Scotland’s culture of inclusivity. If you wish to hear more about life at Audit Scotland or wish to speak with someone about the possibility of any adjustments, please contact Careers@audit.scot or call 0131 625 1500 for further information and a member of the HR team will be in touch.

How we work

We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles. They work in a hybrid environment, covering time in the office, at home as well as at client sites across Scotland. This isn’t your typical work from home or work from office type job. We’re flexible about working patterns and we’ve transformed how we deliver high-quality public audit.

We support you to work in the ways that achieve the best results for you, your team and the business, including your physical location and how you manage your hours. Put simply, we trust you to do your job, and want you to have the ability to have a rewarding work-life balance and best support your individual circumstances, be that childcare, adult carer responsibilities or managing disabilities.

Other conditions

Audit Scotland is committed to ensuring that

We minimise our impact on the environment in accordance with Government policy affecting public sector organisations.
We uphold the principles of equality, fairness & diversity.
We all work within a safe environment and adhere to good standards of health & safety.
All information is protected and managed appropriately.
We maintain independence and political neutrality.