AccountancyISCO 3343

Procurement support officer

A procurement support officer is a person who supports the members of a procurement team throughout a tendering procedure, makes sure every procurement document meets the procedural, technical and legal requirements, and sees that the meetings and other contacts the process involves are properly organised.

Check yourself in a minute: procurement support officer

Rate 5 of the 18 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

cooperate with colleagues

draft procurement technical specifications

maintain relationship with suppliers

perform procurement market analysis

assess procurement needs

About procurement support officer

Documents are the core of the work. The officer drafts the technical specifications for a contract, checks that each document in the file is complete and consistent with the rest, and works to the procedural rules that govern public procurement, where a defect in the paperwork can invalidate an award regardless of how sound the underlying decision was.

Understanding the need comes before specifying it. The officer assesses procurement needs. Supplier management belongs to the same role once contracts are in place.

The process is a collaborative one. The officer cooperates with colleagues across the organisation, works within the organisational structure and the organisational guidelines, and organises the meetings, clarifications and correspondence a tender generates. Ethics are an explicit part of this: the officer follows the ethical codes of conduct the organisation has adopted, and avoids conflicts of interest.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (18)

e-procuremente-procurementThe functioning and methods used to manage electronic purchases.procurement lifecycleprocurement lifecycleThe procurement lifecycle includes the various phases from planning and pre-publication to post-award and contract management.moralitymoralityThe principles and beliefs derived from a code of conduct, accepted by a large group of people, that make the distinction between what is right and wrong behaviour.teamwork principlesteamwork principlesThe cooperation between people characterised by a unified commitment to achieving a given goal, participating equally, maintaining open communication, facilitating effective usage of ideas etc.organisational structureorganisational structureFramework of the different departments within the organisation, as well its people, their roles and responsibilities.supplier managementsupplier managementThe methods and techniques to ensure that external services and configuration items, which are necessary for the service delivery, are available as requested and as agreed at the service level.cooperate with colleaguescooperate with colleaguesCooperate with colleagues in order to ensure that operations run effectively.provide technical documentationprovide technical documentationPrepare and distribute documentation to ensure all people involved in the production receive relevant and up-to-date information.draft procurement technical specificationsdraft procurement technical specificationsDraft technical specifications that enable potential bidders to submit realistic offers that directly address the underlying need of the organisation. This includes setting objectives and minimum requ...maintain relationship with suppliersmaintain relationship with suppliersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.draft tender documentationdraft tender documentationDraft tender documentation which defines the exclusion, selection and award criteria and explains the administrative requirements of the procedure, justifies the estimated value of the contract, and s...perform procurement market analysisperform procurement market analysisCollect information on key market drivers and on the potential bidders in order to provide an in-depth view of which supplies and services can or cannot be provided by the market and under what condit...assess procurement needsassess procurement needsDetermine the underlying needs of the organisation and of the end-users regarding the subject matter of the procurement, including the possible impacts in terms of value for money or environmental imp...manage contractsmanage contractsNegotiate the terms, conditions, costs and other specifications of a contract while making sure they comply with legal requirements and are legally enforceable. Oversee the execution of the contract, ...apply certification and payment proceduresapply certification and payment proceduresApply the verification principles and the financial control framework which ensure that the relevant supplies, services or works are delivered in compliance with the terms and conditions of the contra...adhere to organisational guidelinesadhere to organisational guidelinesAdhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.use e-procurementuse e-procurementUse digital procurement technologies and e-procurement applications and tools in order to reduce administrative burden, improve efficiency, and strengthen transparency and accountability of procuremen...adhere to organisational code of ethicsadhere to organisational code of ethicsAdhere to organisational European and regional specific standards and code of ethics, understanding the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and apply this awareness.
Optional (8) — show
project management principlesproject management principlesDifferent elements and phases of project management.communication principlescommunication principlesThe set of commonly shared principles in regards with communication such as active listening, establish rapport, adjusting the register, and respecting the intervention of others.manage relationships with stakeholdersmanage relationships with stakeholdersCreate and maintain solid internal and external relations with stakeholders at operational level based on mutual trust and credibility in order to achieve organisational goals. Ensure organisational s...develop performance orientation in public administrationdevelop performance orientation in public administrationFocus efforts and prioritise work to deliver value for money, in line with public service guidelines and policies, in order to achieve cost savings and strategic and sustainable goals, proactively ide...implement risk management in procurementimplement risk management in procurementIdentify the different types of risks in public procurement processes and apply mitigation measure and internal control and audit processes. Adopt a proactive approach to protect the interests of the ...use different communication channelsuse different communication channelsMake use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.use communication techniquesuse communication techniquesApply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.address problems criticallyaddress problems criticallyIdentify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and a...

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Frequently asked questions

What does a procurement support officer do?

Procurement support officers assist the staff of the procurement team throughout the procurement processes, making sure all procurement documents are compliant with procedural, technical and legal requirements, and that meetings and other contacts are well organised.

What skills does a procurement support officer need?

A procurement support officer needs 18 essential skills, including e-procurement, procurement lifecycle, morality, teamwork principles, organisational structure.

Will AI replace procurement support officer jobs?

The AI disruption score for procurement support officer is 78/100 (very high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: e-procurement, provide technical documentation, apply certification and payment procedures. Most resilient: morality, cooperate with colleagues, teamwork principles.

AI Replacement Risk

78/ 100
Very High Risk
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Quick Facts

ISCO GroupBusiness and administration associate professionals
Essential Skills18

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