Policy, and Systems Manager

Overview

Hours per week: 37

Contract type:
Permanent

Are you passionate about driving transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement across complex systems and processes? Do you have the leadership skills to shape compliance frameworks while keeping people and outcomes at the heart of decision-making? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Salary: £60,379 - £63,721 a year plus £3,203 car benefit allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type:
Permanent

Are you passionate about driving transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement across complex systems and processes? Do you have the leadership skills to shape compliance frameworks while keeping people and outcomes at the heart of decision-making? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

We are seeking a Policy, Performance and Systems Manager to provide strategic leadership across our procurement ecosystem. This is a pivotal role where you’ll ensure our systems, processes and performance data are used effectively to deliver strong outcomes and embed a culture of integrity and openness.

Working closely with senior managers, you’ll take the lead in designing and improving systems that not only support the council’s strategic objectives - including Luton 2040 - but also help us achieve meaningful Social Value outcomes from our contracts. You’ll play a key role in removing unnecessary barriers, introducing pragmatic solutions, and making sure that business needs remain central to the way our systems are configured.

• Lead on compliance and performance, using data and systems controls to strengthen transparency and accountability.
• Ensure procurement systems are effectively configured to deliver expected outcomes while staying aligned to business objectives.
• Provide insight through data analysis and reporting, sharing findings with colleagues at all levels to support effective decision-making.
• Develop strong working relationships with local partners and anchor institutions, co-designing initiatives that support supplier development and capacity building.
• Collaborate with the Economic Growth team to engage local suppliers, helping to grow their capability and confidence to bid for contracts.
• Regularly prepare and present reports, grounded in research and consultation, to support evidence-based strategies for improvement.

You will bring substantial experience of ensuring compliant processes and systems are in place to demonstrate value for money, alongside a strong background in purchasing and procurement with excellent commercial understanding of markets and the economics that underpin them. With in-depth expertise in procurement policy, system and tool development, and commissioning processes, you will be confident working in partnership with departments to embed best practice.

Your career to date will demonstrate leadership - both in managing teams and supporting staff development - as well as experience of working within a unitary authority or similarly complex, multi-functional organisation that serves the public good. You will be adept at acting on your own initiative while building positive relationships across all levels of the organisation, ensuring consistency, and escalating issues appropriately when required.

Highly skilled in preparing and presenting complex reports to senior management, you will combine strong analytical ability with excellent communication skills to inform decision-making. You will also be able to lead, motivate, and engage colleagues across different teams, fostering collaboration and improvement.

Your up-to-date knowledge of UK procurement legislation and relevant EU directives will ensure all activity is compliant, supported where necessary through liaison with legal experts. You will also have a demonstrable understanding of how legislation impacts markets, finance, and contractual arrangements. Ideally, you will be working towards, or already hold, membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or be able to evidence equivalent professional knowledge and experience.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the…