Apprentice Buyer

Employer headingApprentice BuyerBand 2 to Band 3Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.Job OverviewStart a career that makes a real impact—every single day.As an Apprentice Buyer at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, you’ll play a vital role in supporting one of the UK’s largest and most respected NHS teaching trusts. Our Supplies and Procurement teams ensure that clinicians and services have the right products and services, at the right time and value, to deliver outstanding patient care.In this role, you’ll learn how procurement works in a complex, fast paced NHS environment—supporting sourcing activities, placing and managing orders, working with suppliers, and developing strong commercial and analytical skills. You’ll be guided by experienced professionals and gain a nationally recognised procurement qualification as part of your apprenticeship.What does it take?We’re looking for someone enthusiastic, organised and keen to learn. You’ll enjoy working with people, be comfortable with numbers and data, and have an eye for detail. Most importantly, you’ll be motivated to develop a long term career in NHS Supplies and Procurement—no previous experience required.If you want a career with purpose, opportunity and real responsibility from day one, this is where it starts.Interview Date Monday 01 June 202637 Hours 30 Minutes/WeekYou will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancyNO AGENCIES PLEASEMain duties of the jobDutiesAs an Apprentice Buyer, you will support the Trust’s procurement function to ensure goods and services are purchased efficiently, compliantly and in support of high quality patient care. Key duties include:Assisting Buyers and Procurement Managers with the purchasing of goods and services for clinical and non clinical areasRaising and managing purchase orders using the Trust’s Procurement and Finance systemsLiaising with suppliers to place orders, agree delivery dates and resolve queries or issuesMonitoring order progress, chasing late deliveries and helping to resolve invoice discrepanciesSupporting tendering, quotation and market testing activities in line with NHS and public sector regulationsAnalysing basic spend, price and supplier data to support value for money decisionsWorking closely with wards, departments and clinical teams to understand requirements and provide Supplies and Procurement adviceMaintaining accurate records, contract information and audit trailsSupporting compliance with NHS Supplies and Procurement policies, sustainability goals and ethical purchasing standardsActively participating in apprenticeship training, assessments and workplace learning activitiesDemonstrating NHS values in all interactions, with a strong focus on teamwork, integrity and continuous improvementThis role offers hands on experience, structured development and a clear understanding of how procurement directly supports frontline healthcare services.Working for our organisationAs a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)Freeman HospitalNewcastle Dental HospitalCramlington Manor WalksUrgent treatment centresNewcastle Fertility CentreNorthern Centre for Cancer Care, North CumbriaNorthern Genetics ServiceThese include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustDetailed Job Description And Main ResponsibilitiesWhy work with us?At Newcastle Hospitals, you’ll be part of a supportive, forward thinking organisation with a strong focus on learning, innovation and improvement. We invest in our people, offer clear development and progression routes, and provide the chance to build a meaningful career while contributing to healthcare for our local communities and beyond.Flexible working?We offer flexible working arrangements, including a hybrid working model, which would be introduced from nine months into the apprenticeship.Be part of a small team of buyers, supervised by a Team Leader which will be responsible for the order processing and customer service activity relating to a discrete group of requisitioning departmentsEnsure that ‘requisitioned to order’ lead times are adhered toEnsure that goods/services ordered are progressed and delivered to the requisitioning department in a timely mannerEnsure that invoice queries relating to orders placed are resolved satisfactorily within set target timeEnsure effective communications with requisitioning departmentsEnsure that the procurement process is compliant with the Trust’s Corporate GovernanceCompletion of NVQ Level 3 Business AdministrationYou will be appointed at a Band 2 salary for the duration of the Apprenticeship (12 - 18 months), upon successful completion you will move to a Band 3.Apprenticeship Posts “You will need to be able to meet all the eligibility requirements as prescribed by the apprenticeship criteria to undertake the role”.To Be Eligible For An Apprenticeship You MustHave the right to work and remain in the UK. Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years.Provide original evidence of required English and maths qualifications.Further InformationYou will not be considered if you have an equivalent or higher qualification in the same or a very similar subject.You must not be engaged in any other funded training or education programme.We cannot sponsor applicants during or on successful completion of the apprenticeship so please ensure you meet visa status eligibility.We cannot accept applications from student visa applicants. Please be advised if you are a 'Non-UK National' applicant you must meet the eligibility criteria and fulfil the settlement requirements of the apprenticeship course funding. Your settlement status will need to be verified as eligible for funding, by the relevant apprenticeship provider, for you to formally enrol on the course. Further details can be found on the UK Government website.Person specificationKNOWLEDGEEssential criteriaUnderstand a range of work procedures and practices, which require a base level of theoretical knowledge through formal training or equivalent experienceSkillsEssential criteriaGood keyboard skills with experience of MS Office Suite including Word and ExcelGood customer service skillsGood numeric and literacy skillsGood communication and organisational skillsExperienceEssential criteriaExperience of working in a teamDesirable criteriaPrevious purchasing experienceQualificationsEssential criteria5 GCSEs (or equivalent), including the English and MathsEnglish and Maths at Level 2 (GCSE 9-4 or A*-C, or Functional/Key Skills at Level 2)Desirable criteriaEuropean Computer Driving LicenceImportant note on completion of reference section of Application FormAll references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.Employer certification / accreditation badgesDocuments to downloadJD & PS (PDF, 395.8KB)Newcastle Staff Benefits (PDF, 274.4KB)Behaviour and Civility Charter (PDF, 93.8KB)Apply online nowFurther details / informal visits contactName Lorraine Lowrie Job title Purchasing Manager Email address lorraine.lowrie@nhs.net Telephone number 0191 2137809