• Brisbane - CBD
• Full Time 

An exciting opportunity to work inside Government to support social enterprise procurement and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive Australia.

• Are you passionate about unlocking business as a force for good?
• Do you have exceptional time management and communication skills?
• Do you excel at stakeholder and customer management?
• Do you understand social procurement policy opportunities and challenges?

Then we would like to hear from you!

Through the Social Enterprise Jobs Fund, Queensland Government has committed to helping more social enterprises supply goods and services to the government. They will do that by working with Social Traders to build the capability of government buyers in social procurement. This role is a Social Traders employee to be seconded into Queensland Government Procurement and build on the work already underway through the Social Traders Pilot Project Extension.

About Social Traders 

Social Traders is the trailblazer of social enterprise procurement in Australia. We connect certified social enterprises with business and government members. By activating the power of social enterprise procurement, we create positive impact through jobs, community services and support for the most marginalised. 

Objectives of the role

This role is a direct employee of Social Traders to be seconded to support Queensland Government Procurement (QGP) to deliver on social enterprise procurement objectives of the Social Enterprise Jobs Fund and Queensland Procurement Policy. This role is funded by Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) and will sit alongside the QGP Social Procurement Advisor within Department of Energy and Public Works.

Its key functions are to work actively within Queensland Government Procurement to increase procurement with genuine, quality social enterprises. The role will also support the delivery of the Social Procurement Work Plan within Department of Energy and Public Works.

Your key responsibilities

• Provide guidance and advice to government agencies on how to undertake social procurement that results in increase spend with social enterprises and jobs for disadvantaged Queenslanders. This includes market intelligence, procurement and engagement strategies, evaluation support and social clauses guidance.
• Identifying procurement opportunities for social enterprises by working in partnership with category leads and key stakeholders across all government departments, government-owned corporations and statutory bodies.
• Facilitating workshops with government agency buyer teams, targeting standing offer arrangements to include social criteria, contacting procurement leads of upcoming tenders as identified in the forward procurement pipeline, and undertaking detailed departmental spend analysis with social enterprises.
• Provide advice to suppliers on how they can partner with social enterprises, utilise their services within their supply chains, and advance the government’s social objectives (as outlined in Principle 2 of the Queensland Procurement Policy).
• Facilitating collaboration in government and industry to identify and enable more opportunities for social benefit suppliers to secure government tenders.
• Support the delivery of the market development component of the Social Enterprise Jobs Fund.
• Assist in the development of agency specific opportunity analysis reports that document specific opportunities for each agency to deliver on the Queensland Procurement Policy commitment to increase spend with genuine, quality, social enterprises.
• Project management to support the effective delivery of the Social Procurement Advisor’s social procurement work plan.
• Supporting the development of tools and resources that support the capability of government buyers to undertake social procurement.
• Participate in Social Traders team and organisation-wide meetings and share learnings back with the team as agreed between Social Traders and Queensland Government Procurement.

About you

You possess excellent communication skills commercial acumen, are self-driven, have an innovative mindset and are a team player. You will help unlock the potential of social procurement with your passion for social enterprise, working across Queensland Government to “support disadvantaged Queenslanders – by increasing procurement with genuine, quality social enterprises”.

You will bring a set of skills in change management, influencing and excellent client servicing. You are a comfortable networker who enjoys working with people at all organisational levels. 

Your skills and experience

• Tertiary qualification in relevant discipline preferred. 
• Excellent communication skills, commercial acumen, self-driven, innovative mindset, team player. 
• Highly developed relationship building, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a strong customer service orientation.  Ability to work autonomously.
• Demonstrated track record in account management/stakeholder engagement roles. 
• Experience working in/with Government and/or social enterprise. Demonstrated commitment to social change and the mission and values of Social Traders.
• Knowledge and understanding of procurement - Demonstrated ability to solve problems in challenging environments. Strong understanding of social enterprise and the benefits they deliver.

Key relationships

• Internal Social Traders - Social Procurement Services, Social Procurement Innovation, and Advocacy & Government Relations
• Internal Government – Government departments, statutory authorities and owned corporations
• External - Social enterprise sector; local government, commercial suppliers to Government

What we offer you

• Full time-based in Brisbane CBD – sitting inside Queensland Government Procurement
• Ongoing support for professional development 
• Employer-funded Employee Program (EAP) access for you and your immediate family.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please express your interest by APPLYING and submitting your Resume and Cover Letter.