I have recently joined Tenet as a Procurement Consultant, a role which supports my work/life balance requirements, working three days per week. I could tell at interview that Tenet would be a great company to join – not only from interaction with the MD and my potential line manager, but also from the warmth of the welcome through the door from those who are now my colleagues both within Tenet and within our sister organisation Crescent Purchasing Consortium. I had no doubts in accepting the offer when it came through and the support that I received from HR colleagues in the weeks before I actually started only reinforced the feeling that I had made the right decision!

As a Procurement Consultant, I support a FE College and a HE college – both located in the Greater Manchester area, in a role that really plays to my strengths. The role builds on all of the elements of procurement skills that I have developed both as a Procurement Officer and as a Category Manager in previous roles, blending these traits with business improvement techniques and customer service skills that I have honed during my 30+ years in private practice and within the public sector.

Secondments into client organisations are nothing new to me and working in the colleges that I support is a wonderful way to raise my profile within their organisations and make myself available to them, which is key to the success of providing consultancy support to our client base. Like many Tenet colleagues, I am the go-to Tenet person within the colleges that I support and I sit at the heart of their procurement decision making functions. This does not leave me isolated from Tenet, and I am in regular touch with my manager. I am also part of a wide network of colleagues who share ideas and support each other from locations across the UK. This, coupled with the central resources we have at our fingertips makes me feel both supported and empowered at the same time.

A typical day will see me reviewing organisational spend, advising budget holders on aspects of procurement technique, managing procurement processes, developing potential for collaboration, feeding back into wider organisational frameworks development and generally reacting to what comes through the door. I am at my desk three days a week, so diary management and communication is key to ensuring that my clients are supported across the entire week. I am not alone in this style of working and many of my colleagues have work patterns that span 2, 3, 4 and 5 days each week. This gives our customers the flexibility they need for their procurement activity support and the mix of days that I and my colleagues work ensures that there is always a Tenet presence when our clients need it.

I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity of joining the Tenet team and look forward to continuing to develop as a chartered procurement and supply specialist in such a friendly, supportive and professional environment.