Operational Buyer

NHS Band 3 Salary: £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Hours Per Week: Full-time 37.5 hrs Contract Type: Permanent We are looking for a motivated and customer‑focused Buyer to join our Procurement & Supply Chain team within Single Corporate Services. This role supports multiple NHS organisations and plays a key part in delivering an efficient, value‑driven procurement service. About the role As an Buyer, you will provide end‑to‑end tactical purchasing support, including raising requisitions, converting them into purchase orders, resolving invoice queries, and sourcing requirements through our eProcurement systems. You will act as a key contact for departments and suppliers, ensuring excellent customer service and adherence to Trust procurement policies. Key responsibilities - Raise and process requisitions and purchase orders. - Manage invoice queries to ensure suppliers are paid within NHS 30‑day terms. - Support catalogue updates and maintenance. - Obtain quotations and negotiate with suppliers to secure value for money. - Advise departments on procurement processes, contracts, and purchasing best practice. - Assist with identifying savings opportunities through spend analysis. - Maintain procurement records, including Atamis updates. - Support the wider Procurement team with administrative and operational tasks. What we’re looking for - Good general education, including English and Maths. - Strong customer service and communication skills. - Ability to work independently, prioritise workload, and use initiative. - Competent IT skills (Word, Excel, databases, eProcurement systems). - Experience in procurement or supply chain environments is desirable but not essential. For full job details and person specification please refer to enclosed job description. Essential - Good general standard of education including Mathematics and English Language to NVQ 4 or relevant equivalent. - Must be prepared to work towards the completion of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPs) or equivalent. Desirable - NVQ 3 in Supply Chain Management or Level 2 of CIPS - Experience of using a procure to pay system e.g., Oracle - Working knowledge of public sector procurement processes Experience Essential - Ability to communicate in written and oral English. - Ability to operate a personal computer with knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, database, and presentation software. - Ability to understand and work with financial, administrative and personnel processes and practices. - Good Communication: written & oral at all levels. - Interpersonal, able to work as part of a large team. - Able to use initiative and work independently. - Well organised, able to prioritise workload Desirable - Competent with Word, Excel and electronic cataloguing and procurement systems to an intermediate level - Be able to identify trends from statistics in order to plan future areas of expenditure which could generate savings opportunities. - Experience of negotiating with suppliers and customers in a large organisation and a track record of achieving significant cost reductions. Experience of obtaining competitive quotations.