Procurement Assistant

Cardiff, Glasgow, London

Ofgem, an independent National Regulatory Authority, safeguards electricity and gas consumers’ interests by ensuring value for money, security of supply, and sustainability. Operating within a legal framework, Ofgem collaborates with the government, the energy industry, and stakeholders.

We’re currently seeking a procurement assistant. This position is situated in the strategic finance sector of the Finance, Procurement, and Risk Department, dedicated to facilitating teams in judiciously allocating funds, ensuring adherence to appropriate methods, and mitigating risks effectively. Its significance is paramount in the contemporary energy market and aligns with Ofgem’s transition to an organisational design emphasising professions and adaptable resourcing.

Your primary responsibility involves supporting the procurement team, ensuring the accurate creation of purchase orders for supplier payments, and enhancing data quality within finance systems leading to the general ledger. You will play a pivotal role in reviewing and approving/rejecting purchase orders for Ofgem, necessitating a team player with enthusiasm and keen attention to detail.

As the Procurement Assistant, your key responsibilities involve processing accurate purchase orders (POs), confirming budgetary sign-offs, and maintaining an updated procurement contract register. Tasks include supporting Ofgem colleagues in PO-related activities and aiding procurement managers with document reviews and data input on the procurement system.

The role extends to assisting Finance, Procurement, and Risk teams with compliance and administrative duties, encompassing spot checks on expense claims and coordinating bookings and meetings. A comprehensive approach ensures that PO information is correct, accessible, and current, contributing to the overall efficiency of procurement processes and organisational compliance.

An eligible candidate should possess proficiency in numeracy, an adept understanding of MS Excel and other MS Office packages, keen attention to detail, effective team collaboration, excellent communication skills across teams and the ability to prioritise tasks with experience in corporate/systems management.

If you are prepared to contribute your expertise with authentic enthusiasm and steadfast attention to detail, we extend an invitation for you to become part of an exciting opportunity. Join us in shaping the future of Ofgem’s internal communications landscape.

Your commitment and skills will play a pivotal role in influencing and enhancing our communication strategies for the better. Embrace this chance to be a driving force in our continuous journey towards excellence. Apply today and become an integral member of our dynamic team dedicated to making a positive impact on our organisation’s trajectory.

Ofgem is a non-ministerial government department and an independent National Regulatory Authority. Our principal objective is to protect the interests of existing and future electricity and gas consumers. We do this by promoting value for money, promoting security of supply and sustainability, for present and future generations of consumers, domestic and industrial users, the supervision and development of markets and competition, regulation and the delivery of government schemes. We work effectively with, but are independent of, government, the energy industry and other stakeholders within a legal framework.  

This role sits within the strategic finance side of Finance, Procurement and Risk Department which supports teams to spend money on the right things, in the right ways, and through the effective management of risk to help Ofgem deliver its priorities.  This is of critical importance in the current energy market and at a time when Ofgem is evolving to an organisational design that focuses on professions and flexible resourcing.  Your role is to provide support primarily to the procurement team for ensuring purchase orders are raised correctly to allow payment to suppliers and strengthen quality of data flowing through finance systems to the general ledger.  You be responsible for reviewing and approving / rejecting purchase orders for Ofgem.  We are looking for a team player who is enthusiastic and gives attention to detail

Key Responsibilities 

• Process any purchase orders (POs) received ensuring information provided is accurate 
• Ensure audit trail of budgetary sign off has been obtained for PO requisitioners  
• Review and update the procurement contract register with PO details ensuring data is correct, recorded, accessible and up to date 
• Support wider Ofgem colleagues with raising and amending POs 
• Assist procurement managers and officers with specific activities to support efficient procurement such as reviewing of documentation and inputting data onto the procurement system 
• Support across the Finance, Procurement and Risk teams with other compliance or administrative tasks such as conducting spot checks on expense claims, making bookings or arranging meetings. 

Essential Criteria 

• Numeracy skills  
• Able to use MS excel and other MS office packages 
• Detail-conscious 
• Team player with ability to communicate well across teams and use own initiative 
• Able to prioritise work 

Desirable Criteria 

• Finance or procurement experience 
• Corporate/systems background 

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Please refer to the Candidate Pack and Role Profile attached for full details.

Alongside your salary of £23,450, OFGEM contributes
£6,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; Hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but is in review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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Job contact :

• Name : Cheryl Stobo
• Email : Recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk