Sustainability Manager for Procurement / Responsible Procurement Manager

About APUC

Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) is the Centre of Procurement Expertise for, and owned jointly by, all of Scotland's Universities and Colleges. With collaboration, responsibility, and integrity at the heart of what we do, we're all about helping our member institutions achieve their objectives, whether you are putting together Framework Agreements, or working directly in one of our client institutions.

Joining APUC means joining a community of peers, and getting the chance to get together often and having network opportunities throughout the year. Peer support and collaboration is integral at APUC.

We currently employ around 90 people, most of whom are based within Colleges and Universities but with some based in our regional offices in Stirling (HQ), Glasgow and Edinburgh.

About the role

We are excited to offer an excellent opportunity for a passionate and ambitious sustainability professional seeking the next step in their career. This role focuses on the responsible procurement of goods and services within the Higher and Further Education (HE/FE) sector in Scotland. We welcome applications from individuals with either procurement or sustainability-related experience, eager to join our team. This is a strategically important position within APUC, offering a chance to make a meaningful impact. The role is to lead, promote, and support sustainable business activities and responsible procurement practices within APUC and across the HE/FE sectors. This role will also serve as a key representative and operational coordinator, driving best practices across the sector to ensure responsible and sustainable procurement is implemented effectively.

The role reports to the Head of Responsible Procurement and sits withing the Strategic Sourcing Team and you can be based in either our Stirling or Glasgow office. The individual must be highly knowledgeable, engaged and invested in sustainability, in particular regarding the impacts of climate change and the development of a fairer, greener society and have excellent interpersonal skills to engage and influence with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and peers. The role will play an important part in the delivery of a flexible/dynamic full supply chain management service across a broad range of work areas to both APUC and stakeholders across the sector.

The post holder will be an ambassador for APUC, the HE/FE sectors and for the professions generally. They must demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism and ethical behaviour, whilst working with a passion to bring positive change to the sector.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Skills

·      Passion for Sustainability: A proactive and innovative mindset focused on driving change and continuous improvement in sustainability practices.

·      Deep Understanding of Supply Chain Impacts: Expertise in the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of multi-level supply chain management, particularly concerning modern slavery, human rights, biodiversity, and climate change.

·      Expert Knowledge in Sustainability: In-depth understanding of broader sustainability issues with key competencies including clarity of purpose, confident integrity, and strong influencing abilities.

·      Strong Negotiation & Communication Skills: Ability to effectively influence and engage stakeholders at all levels within the organisation.

·      Legislative Awareness: Knowledge of relevant GPA/PRA and responsible procurement legislation, particularly as it applies to the Higher and Further Education sector.

·      Customer Management: Highly responsive and effective customer management skills, ensuring satisfaction and alignment with sustainability goals.

·      Attention to Detail: A methodical approach to systems management and organisational tasks, ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in execution.

·      High Intellectual Calibre & Ethical Standards: Demonstrates exceptional intellectual capacity paired with the highest levels of integrity and ethical conduct.

Required Experience

·      Experience: Project related experience in procurement, supply chain management, or sustainability-focused roles, with a proven ability to manage sustainability or procurement initiatives from start to finish, including research, execution, and reporting.

·      Strong background in sustainability: Demonstrated experience in addressing complex sustainability challenges and successfully delivering sustainable outcomes.

·      Project management skills: Experience managing projects, meeting tight deadlines, and achieving targets in a fast-paced environment.

·      Effective communication of sustainability: Proven ability to explain sustainability issues and solutions to a variety of stakeholders.

·      Understanding of tendering and supply chain management: Familiarity with procurement methodologies and best practices.

·      Collaboration with stakeholders: Experience working with internal and external stakeholders on ethical sourcing, environmental impact assessments, and carbon reduction initiatives.

·      Data analysis and reporting: Ability to analyse data and produce clear, actionable management reports.

·      Advanced Microsoft Office skills: Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft Office tools.

·      Communication skills: Strong interpersonal skills and experience using remote collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.

Contacts & Relationships

The post holder must build strong working relationships with all stakeholders and foster the reputation of APUC as a source of expert guidance and support on sustainability and responsible procurement both to institutional customers and to suppliers.

Why work for APUC

• Full time hours are 35 hours per week on average and can be worked 5 x 7 hour days or you can compress your hours to work either 4.5 days per week, 9 days per fortnight (so a long weekend every 2 weeks) or 9.5 days per fortnight. If you choose a 9 day fortnight, our default non-working time is a Friday but occasionally other days can work better.
• We aim to provide a work life balance for colleagues and offer flexible work options for all including flexible start and end times and options to take longer or shorter lunches as preferred.
• Hybrid working with colleagues coming into the office 5 days per fortnight. This role can be based in either Stirling or Glasgow. Space is available for those who want to come in more often, and we have in-person and online events throughout the year to make sure we stay well connected.
• Your holiday entitlement (given in hours) is equivalent of 26 x 7 hour days and an additional 14 x 7 hour fixed and floating days to cover bank holidays and the festive break.
• We are closed for the festive period (between Christmas and New Year) and Good Friday and Easter Monday. Every year!
• You will be automatically enrolled into our pension scheme and our Group Life Assurance which is based on your annual salary from day 1 of employment.
• We offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental pay (subject to eligibility criteria).
• Wellbeing activities and events are organised throughout the year in accordance with key national mental and physical health awareness dates.
• Career development is important to us and all staff have regular performance reviews and there is a variety of funding options to enable staff to pursue professional and leadership qualifications, as well as other learning and development opportunities such as access to our Procurement Skills Development Programme and internal workshops. Cycle-to-work schemes are available with Cycle Solutions and Halfords (maximum value of £1,500). Retail and gym membership discounts & offers with access to our mydiscounts portal. Home & Technology benefit is an affordable way of accessing new technology by making savings on National Insurance. Products include tablets, laptops, desktops, SmartTV's, games consoles along with garden furniture and equipment, home improvement tools and more. Access to Scotwest Credit Union which offers a range of affordable loans, mortgages and savings accounts. We have an Employee Wellbeing Policy and Annual Plan, a team of trained Mental Health First Aiders, and all of our people managers are trained in providing support for employees experiencing mental health issues. Our EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) can be accessed through an online portal which gives access to a library of health and wellbeing articles, as well as allowing you to book counselling sessions. We have an Employee Representative and Consultation Group, who meet quarterly. We regularly ask for feedback in a variety of ways at company events or through surveys.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying please email your full CV, along with covering letter, explaining why you feel you would like to work with APUC and in the particular role mentioned, noting your current salary level and notice period.