Senior Procurement Specialist

Applications are invited for a B3 vacancy to provide procurement advice and support within the procurement team of the Ferries Directorate. The post will have a primary focus on provision of advice in relation to the project for renewal of the Northern Isles Ferry Service (NIFS) contract.  This multi-million pound procurement is essential for the delivery of lifeline ferry services to island and remote mainland communities across the Northern Isles. 

Successful delivery of the NIFS replacement procurement will require personnel with appropriate procurement and commercial skills to be an integral part of the overall project team.  In addition to proven procurement expertise and strong project management skills, the successful post holders will also require personal resilience to work autonomously in a fast paced environment.  The project is also expected to generate a high level of external interest.

Appropriate advice and delivery support will be required throughout the procurement journey to help ensure a successful outcome, and compliance with all relevant legislation. The successful post holder will be required to work collaboratively with the contract development team to ensure that service levels are cognisant of Scottish Ministers’ and wider stakeholder requirements, as well as being both deliverable and capable of demonstrating value for money for the public purse.  

Success will also require strong people management skills, with a requirement to manage output from our specialist external commercial and legal support services. 

The post provides an opportunity to contribute to the development and delivery of lifeline ferry services essential for our island communities, on a project of significant local and national importance.

Responsibilities

• Provision of a robust procurement, contractual and commercial advice and delivery function within a newly formed team to ensure successful delivery of the high profile NIFS project and the wider Ferries Directorate as appropriate..
• Ensure the procurement competition for the NIFS replacement contract and other Ferries Directorate procurements as required is delivered in accordance with relevant procurement legislation, Transport Scotland’s Procurment Toolkit and best practice.
• Deputise for the C1 Procurement and Governance Manager as required (for example at Ministerial, senior management and stakeholder meetings) and provide project updates to the C1 Team Head and and senior management as required.
• Liaison with Transport Scotland’s Procurement Team, the wider Ferries team and external consultants to ensure project tasks are delivered timeously, and to an appropriate standard, to maintain project programme and budget. 
• Undertake the end-to-end procurement process, including the development of procurement documents, active participation in supplier meetings, provision of advice relating to tender queries and clarifications, and contract management where required.
• Assistance with development of, and subsequently helping to manage, the project governance and assurance processes, including proactively identifying and mitigating procurement risks. 
• Engagement with colleagues across Transport Scotland and key stakeholders to support work across the Ferries Unit. 

Qualifications

This is a specialist role which requires evidence of a commitment towards continuous professional development, including external, advanced level professional accreditation of CIPS Level 4 Advanced Diploma, WCC Advanced Practitioner Certification or relevant equivalent*; or a commitment to attaining such an accreditation once in post.

* ‘Equivalent’ may include accreditation from another relevant professional body or a relevant academic qualification at degree or post graduate level. Significant evidenced experience operating and delivering at an advanced level may be considered as equivalent when accompanied by a commitment to attaining an accreditation once in post.

Success profile Technical / Professional Skills:

• Commercial Competence - Practitioner 
• Continuous Improvement - Practitioner 
• Governance and compliance - Practitioner 
• Project and Programme Management - Practitioner 
• Self Development - Practitioner 
• Sustainable Procurement - Practitioner You can find out more about the skills required here: Procurement Competency Framework

Behaviours:

• Making effective decisions - Level 3
• Leadership - Level 3
• Communicating and influencing - Level 3
• Delivering at pace - Level 3

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk) How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement 1500  which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.  

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 6 October however this may be subject to change. If you require any further information on the post please contact Amanda Rutherford - amanda.rutherford@transport.gov.scot  About usTransport Scotland is the national transport agency, seeking to deliver a safe, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland. Transport Scotland is accountable to Parliament and the public through Scottish Ministers, with a budget of around £4 billion per year. Transport is a vital feature of the Scottish Government's focus on increasing sustainable economic growth, and transport investments and policies have major impacts on the economy, people, and the environment.  The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Working pattern Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role. From October 2025, the Scottish Government will require staff in hybrid-compatible roles to work in-person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. Location 

This post can be based in Glasgow or Edinburgh, with attendance at 177 Bothwell Street or Victoria Quay required 2 days per week and in line with our current ways of working, our team follows a hybrid working approach, where colleagues use a mix of office based and remote working (working from home) depending on the requirements of the role and personal circumstances. 

The post is a full-time role, but staff with different working patterns are invited to apply, and we will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for this post.

Equality statement We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further information Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. This role is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only.