Procurement Officer

On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a Procurement Officer (Inside IR35) for a contract until March 2027 with possible extension based hybrid in Bristol. Role is also open to other locations within the UK. Office attendance is 1 or 2 days a month in Bristol.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence , as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.

The MOD is one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe and the single largest customer for UK industry. It currently manages approximately £20 billion of spend on capital investments in equipment and infrastructure every year. Over the next decade the MOD is committed to spending over £190 billion on equipment and support. The MOD’s customers include both the armed forces and national security agencies, and it has a diverse range of requirements, including military fighting vehicles, education services, nuclear submarines and facilities management .

The MOD’s aim is to provide its armed forces with the best capabilities to enable them to protect the UK’s security and advance national interests, both now and in the long term.

To do this the MOD has an annual budget of almost £53 billion and a workforce comprising 197,000 people. of which 54,000 are civilians working for the UK MOD.

The work really matters; the MOD offers a range of engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services they provide, in many locations across the UK. We support teams working in HR, Primary Health Care, Corporate Services, and many others.

Role Profile:

To support a portfolio of high-profile defence procurement programmes. Working within an established commercial team, you will play a key role in the development and delivery of sourcing strategies, procurement activities, tendering exercises, contract development, and stakeholder engagement across complex defence projects.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on procurement professional with strong public sector sourcing experience who can confidently operate across pre-procurement, tendering, governance, and contract award activities.

As a Procurement Officer , your main responsibilities will be to:

PLEASE NOTE: Active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.

- Develop and implement sourcing and commercial strategies.
- Support procurement and contracting activities across acquisition and support programmes.
- Develop pre-sourcing strategies and commercial approaches for complex procurements.
- Prepare and manage Invitation to Tender (ITT) and Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) documentation.
- Draft, negotiate, and support the award of contracts and contract amendments.
- Manage end-to-end tendering activities, including supplier engagement and bid evaluation.
- Prepare and publish Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) notices in compliance with procurement regulations.
- Support Cabinet Office approval processes and governance requirements, including CAMS submissions.
- Engage with legal teams, commercial assurance bodies, Cabinet Office stakeholders, and programme teams.
- Prepare exemption requests, justifications, and approval packs where required.
- Identify and mitigate commercial, contractual, and procurement risks.
- Evaluate supplier proposals to ensure value for money and alignment with programme objectives .
- Support the development of business cases and commercial approval documentation.
- Deliver commercial reporting and provide procurement advice to senior stakeholders.
- Conduct post-award reviews and capture lessons learned to improve future procurements.

Essential:

- Proven experience working in a public sector procurement or sourcing environment.
- Strong experience preparing procurement artefacts including ITTs, ITNs, tender packs, evaluation documentation, and contract documentation.
- Knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23).
- Experience managing competitive and/or non-competitive procurement exercises.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to engage confidently with senior internal and external stakeholders.
- Knowledge of public sector procurement regulations and governance processes.
- Ability to work independently , manage multiple priorities, and operate as a self-starter.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Active SC Clearance with Sole British Nationality.

Desirable:

- Ministry of Defence (MOD) or Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) experience.
- Familiarity with Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR).
- Experience working with Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR) and Qualifying Defence Contracts (QDCs).
- Experience supporting defence, engineering, maritime, weapons, or military capability programmes.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, the MOD encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates . Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

As a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, the MOD welcome applications from veterans, service leavers, reservists and military spouses or partners. Applications from eligible candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following “this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.