Strategic Procurement Manager

This is a fantastic premium opportunity for an experienced, Strategic Procurement Manager to take accountability for driving the fullest overall commercial value, in collaboration with the business, from key third party facing procurement opportunities, suppliers and contracts with a category management approach.

Your Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership

• Procurement support to high risk, high spend strategic technology or business services’ projects - specific leadership, to include running the end to end tendering process, contract and price negotiation
• Create new and innovative commercial supplier led models and opportunities that drive cost, risk and relationship value to the business
• Lead negotiator to multi-million pound contracts and sourcing arrangements

Category Management

• Design, lead and implement category market leading sourcing arrangements for designated spend category. Technical market expertise across either Technology (Infrastructure, Software and Services), Customer (e.g. Media, Advertising, Print), People (e.g. HR, Travel), Professional Services (e.g. Consultancy, Legal Services ) or FM (e.g. Catering, Cleaning, Security)
• On-going pro-active review of existing category arrangements in collaboration with category business executives and owners to ensure full compliance and at least cost
• Drive upwards supplier and channel compliance to the use of preferred and strategic suppliers

Supply Management Framework

• Ensure that the relevant key business stakeholders adhere to the Supply Management Framework
• Work in collaboration with the Supplier Management team with respect to the management of technology or business services’ strategic and preferred supplier relationships, leading on all commercial aspects

Compliance, Targets and Reporting

• Ensure the fullest compliance to the Procurement Policy for the relevant spend category, targeting a best in class 80% total spend influence by mid 2019
• Delivery of significant (£1M+) annual cost reduction and cost avoidance benefit
• Drive annual on-going reductions to the number of approved and preferred Oracle suppliers. Target no less than a 10% annual on-going reduction for the relevant spend category

Collaboration and Communication

• Build and mature strong senior stakeholder relationships throughout Royal London and other business areas for relevant spend category. Become a trusted partner through successful stakeholder engagement
• Pro-active business engagement to ensure Procurement Policy and compliant behaviour

Risk Management

• Identify relevant spend category related risks and develop strategies and controls to mitigate the risks
• Ensure relevant audit actions are correctly tracked and completed
• Identify and introduce opportunities (fresh thinking) for all risk matters specific to spend category

Skills and Expertise Required

• Demonstrable experience across procurement and supplier management, preferably within the financial sector
• Very strong knowledge of commercial models and approaches/techniques necessary to achieve best in class procurement deals
• Spend category management expertise across a broad range of indirect spend categories
• Proven ability to achieve substantial cost benefit
• Strong selling style and effective communicator, collaborator and influencer
• Good Technical Skills – Systems, Microsoft Office suite etc.
• Proven negotiation skills and comprehensive knowledge of contract law
• Degree educated and/or relevant professional qualification desirable, e.g. MCIPS

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