Workstream Lead Governance Procurement Transformation – AR

Job Details

Job Description: Workstream Lead – Governance (Procurement Transformation)

Role: Workstream Lead – Governance
Project: Procurement Transformation
Sector: Local Government / Public Sector

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Workstream Lead – Governance to support a procurement transformation programme within a local authority. The successful candidate will lead the design and implementation of effective governance arrangements across the procurement and contract management lifecycle, ensuring decisions are made efficiently, transparently and in line with legislative and organisational requirements.

The role will focus on moving governance beyond compliance and towards a more proactive approach that supports commercial decision-making, value for money and effective risk management. You will work closely with procurement, legal, finance, audit and corporate governance teams to establish clear decision-making responsibilities, approval processes and assurance arrangements.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design and implement a governance framework aligned with the procurement and contract management operating model.
  • Establish clear decision-making responsibilities, approval thresholds, escalation routes and accountability across the procurement lifecycle.
  • Ensure governance arrangements align with the Council Constitution, the Procurement Act 2023 and relevant public sector requirements.
  • Develop proportionate assurance processes, stage gates and checkpoints to support effective risk management, compliance and value for money.
  • Review existing governance arrangements to identify duplication, unnecessary delays and opportunities to streamline decision-making.
  • Develop practical governance tools, including RACI matrices, approval frameworks, risk checklists, policies, templates and reporting packs.
  • Align governance forums and reporting processes with procurement pipelines, category strategies and business cases.
  • Provide clear reporting and updates to senior stakeholders, including Corporate Management Teams (CMT), on governance, assurance, risks and progress.
  • Work collaboratively with procurement, legal, finance, audit, democratic services and other relevant teams to secure agreement on new arrangements.
  • Coordinate with wider transformation workstreams, including process, data, technology, organisational design and benefits management.
  • Pilot and refine governance arrangements before embedding them into business-as-usual operations.
  • Support training, stakeholder engagement and knowledge transfer to ensure new processes are understood, adopted and sustained.

Essential Experience and Skills

  • Significant experience in procurement, commercial governance or transformation within the public sector or another complex organisation.
  • Proven experience designing and implementing governance frameworks, including decision rights, approval thresholds, stage gates and escalation routes.
  • Strong understanding of public sector procurement and contract management requirements, including relevant legislation and governance obligations.
  • Experience translating high-level operating models into practical governance processes, tools and controls.
  • Ability to develop proportionate, risk-based assurance arrangements that support compliance, auditability and value for money.
  • Experience reviewing and improving governance processes to reduce duplication, delays and unnecessary complexity.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders across procurement, legal, finance, audit and corporate governance.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear governance documentation, guidance and senior-level reports.
  • Experience embedding new governance arrangements into operational teams and supporting adoption through training and handover.

Desirable Experience

  • Experience working within a local authority or central government organisation.
  • Knowledge of council constitutions, public sector approval processes and the Procurement Act 2023.
  • Experience supporting procurement transformation programmes and wider commercial operating model changes.
  • Experience developing governance products such as RACI matrices, approval frameworks, risk-based checklists and assurance reporting packs.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a proactive and commercially minded governance professional who can combine strong public sector governance knowledge with practical transformation experience. You will be confident challenging existing processes, building consensus across departments and implementing clear, proportionate arrangements that improve decision-making while maintaining compliance and accountability.