We support hybrid working, allowing flexibility while ensuring employees can excel in their roles, with an expectation of 1-2 days per week in the office.

Reading Borough Council is looking for a Procurement and Contracts Manager to play a vital role in supporting our Digital & Technology procurement needs. This role acts as a dedicated business partner for budget managers across the entire Council and collaborates with digital technical experts to ensure the best value for money solutions are in place for a digitally secure and innovative organisation. It will deliver sourcing and ensure robust contract management related to the Council's technology landscape, including:

• Software and applications (SaaS, onpremise, cloud services)

• Digital infrastructure and networks

• Professional digital and IT services

• Artificial Intelligence

You'll help ensure procurement processes run efficiently and in full compliance with regulations, supporting delivery of critical digital capabilities that underpin every service across the organisation. Contract values typically range from £5k to major multimillion pound programmes.

You will want to have knowledge of the Procurement Act 2023, and ideally Public Contracts Regulations 2015 - top candidates will have completed the Procurement Act eLearning course. The role works with a range of contract types including service contracts, framework and DPS callo ffs, call off arrangements, and digital specific commercial agreements (such as licence subscriptions and support/maintenance contracts). You'll work closely with a range of service managers and suppliers to ensure effective contract delivery, risk management and value for money across our entire technology portfolio. Holding a Level 4 or higher CIPS qualification is preferable, although apprenticeship and training options will be available.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the Role

This role is key to ensuring procurement processes follow our internal governance requirements, plans proactively for procurement cycles, and supports implementation of Council policies such as Social Value and working towards Net Zero. The postholder will oversee a diverse portfolio of technology contracts, including software licensing, cloud hosting, digital transformation programmes, managed services and infrastructure support.

You will lead procurement activity and support the mobilisation of new applications, upgrades and enterprise wide digital solutions. The role also helps ensure commercial compliance across essential corporate digital services such as Microsoft licensing, telephony and unified communications, enduser devices, data platforms and IT support arrangements.

By embedding best practice procurement arrangements and ensuring compliance with governance frameworks, this role helps secure value for money while supporting essential corporate initiatives across the Reading borough.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage end-to-end procurement processes, including complex tenders and competitive quotation exercises across a range of digital and technology requirements, ensuring timely and transparent delivery of a wide-ranging portfolio of projects.

• Ensure adherence to public procurement regulations, including the Procurement Act 2023 and associated legal frameworks.

• Support service leads in defining technical and commercial requirements, ensuring supplier engagement and market understanding for IT-related categories.

• Oversee the procurement of software including upgrades and renewals, ensuring alignment to technical architecture principles.

• Embed category management approaches to optimise outcomes, including consideration of lifecycle costs, interoperability, application rationalisation, data security and ongoing support needs.

• Support contract mobilisation and transition activities for digital systems and services, ensuring clarity of SLAs, KPIs, data handling requirements and risk management.

• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to ensure successful delivery of procurement activities, meeting deadlines and achieving Council priorities.

• Incorporate social value, ethical procurement and sustainability principles into procurement strategies, supporting local economic growth and community development.

• Oversee digital contract management practices, ensuring delivery of outcomes, performance and cost monitoring, and change/risk management.

About You

We're looking for a procurement specialist with expertise in market engagement, procurement strategy, and strong contract management.

• Experience in leading complex procurement programmes, ideally in the public sector.

• Strong understanding of a range of contracts and commercial agreements.

• Ability to ensure adherence to governance structures and corporate compliance.

• Knowledge of category management, supplier negotiations, and commercial risk mitigation.

• Ability to provide professional challenge and secure outcomes.

• Familiarity with budget management and financial planning within procurement operations.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with experience in stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration.

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

• Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading

• Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees' skills are developed and used effectively

• Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential

• Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

• A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years' service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave

• A wide range of flexible working opportunities

• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)

• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted

• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work

• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

For more information or an informal discussion, contact Ade Marques - Director of Digital & IT - ade.marques@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Monday 6 th April 2026
Interview Process: Competency-based interview.
Interview Date: Proposed 20 th and 21 st April 2026