F&C 5796 - G2 Trainee Procurement Officer (Graduate)

Actual Closing Date Applications must be received by 8 November 2026 at 11:55PM. Location and Hours Location: Council Headquarters, Hamilton Hours: 35 hours per week, Permanent Work Pattern: Monday - Thursday 8.45am - 4.45pm, Friday 8.45am - 4.15pm Salary: £31,242 - £38,779 per year Job Description An exciting opportunity has arisen for a number of self-motivated individuals to join the Procurement Service at South Lanarkshire Council as Trainee Procurement Officer(s) (Graduate). This "hands-on" role requires the development of a broad knowledge of purchasing and negotiation to assist in delivering our daily procurement activities. Working within a dedicated, fast-paced team, you will manage your own procurement projects from day one with the full support of a mentor and line manager. The Service aims to develop highly trained professionals capable of working proactively within a challenging and evolving public sector environment. As part of your professional development, you will be expected to undertake a course of study leading to the Level 4 Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). The Procurement Service is led by 2 Procurement Advisors, whose areas of responsibility consist of: Social Work, Education, Finance & Corporate and IT, Housing & Technical, and Community & Enterprise. The Procurement team manage the contract requirements of all Council goods, works and services, including construction, social care commissioning and IT contracts. The successful candidates could be placed in either team. You will be interacting with colleagues from across the Council, to understand their requirements, and guide them through an appropriate and compliant procurement process, with the appropriate support in place. Successful candidates will commence work as Trainee Procurement Officers Grade 2 Level 2. They will be allocated a range of projects which will allow them to build their skills and competences, in line with the Procurement Skills Matrix and Scottish Government’s National Procurement Competency Framework, to progress from Grade 2 Level 2 to Grade 2 Level 4. Once you have achieved CIPS Level 4 and Grade 2 Level 4, Trainee Procurement Officers will be allocated more complex projects, which will allow them to demonstrate that they have achieved the skillset required of Procurement Officers. Requirements The Successful candidates will have an honours degree, and will be able to demonstrate a genuine enthusiasm for developing a career in procurement. We would be particularly interested to receive applications from candidates with a minimum 2:1 degree in supply chain, business, procurement or law, or those with procurement or purchasing experience. Highly developed communication and analytical skills are required for this role, and some previous work experience in a commercial environment and/or administrative role is desirable, along with the ability to plan and organise a challenging workload. Additional Information Meet the Team If you are interested in applying for this role, there is an opportunity to come along to our Procurement recruitment event on 26 October (10:00 am to 12 Noon) to gain a better understanding of the role. This will be held in person at our Council Headquarters in Hamilton ML3 0AA. Existing team members currently working in this role, along with Senior Officers and Procurement Advisors, will be present, giving you the opportunity to ask questions. Candidates are encouraged to attend the event in advance of submitting their applications. Interview Process Interviews are anticipated to take place in person, at South Lanarkshire Council Headquarters in November 2026. Candidates invited to interview will be required to deliver a presentation on a topical area of Procurement. Candidates will be notified of the subject area of the presentation no less than 2 weeks before the interview and will be required to submit their presentation no less than 1 week before the interview. Equal …

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