Manager - Procurement - Operational Strategy - Strategy and Execution

EY UK; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

EY-Parthenon, part of EY, is seeking a Senior Executive (Manager) to lead procurement and operational strategy projects across sectors. You will advise clients, take a leading role on engagements, and work as a credible, visible member of EY-client teams with strong interpersonal skills.

This role focuses on cost transformation, procurement value creation, and end-to-end delivery, including go-to-market collateral and business development support.

Qualifications

• Significant professional services/strategy consulting experience.
• Track record in delivering cost transformation and procurement initiatives.
• Strong analytical and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on strategic transformations and procurement improvements.
• Lead workstreams or contribute as a key team member on projects.
• Support business development efforts and build client relationships.

Skills

Project Management

Financial Analysis

Business Development

Communication

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Problem solving

Job description

Senior Executive (Manager) - Procurement, Operational Strategy, Strategy and Execution, EY-Parthenon

At EY, we're all in to shape your future with confidence.

We'll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.

Join EY and help to build a better working world.

The opportunity

At EY-Parthenon (EY-P), our unique combination of transformative strategy, transactions and corporate finance delivers real-world value - solutions that work in practice, not just on paper. Benefiting from EY's full spectrum of services, we've reimagined strategic consulting to work in a world of increasing complexity. With deep functional and sector expertise, paired with innovative AI-powered technology and an investor mindset, we partner with CEOs, boards, private equity and governments every step of the way.

The Operational Strategy practice within EY-Parthenon provides clients with pragmatic, results-oriented solutions that drive efficiency and performance improvement, helping solve their most significant financial and operational challenges.

We develop strategies and deliver value for clients, that optimise operations and enhance overall business value, leveraging deep sector and functional expertise, including:

• Cost transformation, procurement strategies & optimisation
• Transaction value creation, e.g. carve-outs and integrations
• Private Equity procurement value creation pre and post deal
• Contract separation

Our teams work closely with executive leadership across industries to identify opportunities for improvement (including quick wins), implement best practices, and ensure sustainable growth.

Key responsibilities

You’ll advise clients across a variety of sectors, supporting key decision makers in developing and implementing strategic transformations.

You will be expected to take a leading role on the ground with clients, working as a credible and visible member of joint EY-client teams. Depending on the size and type of project, you may be part of a large project team or lead on a workstream, with all the support you need from peers and senior team members to help you learn and flourish in these roles. Given the client-facing nature of the role, strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential to effectively engage with clients and pragmatically address their needs.

We also expect Senior Executives to play a supporting role in new business development efforts by qualifying targets, supporting on pitches/pursuits and preparing compelling go-to-market collateral. We expect you to establish, maintain and strengthen internal and external relationships to help build the profile of our team.

As an important member of a small and growing team, you would be expected to support in practical efforts to grow the practice, and in the coaching and counselling of junior team members to help them develop.

Skills and attributes for success

• Project Management - be part of project teams comprising EY-P colleagues and (potentially) client team members. Help the team drive progress at pace, through for example action tracking, development of project plans, cost/benefit analysis. Contribute to Engagement Management responsibilities including project commercials and risk management.
• Financial Analysis - Review/analyse financial information and scenario modelling to support decision making and execution.
• Business and Commercially Driven - working in a fast-paced, exciting environment with strong business acumen to really help add value to our clients.
• Value Creation: Ability to identify the key strategic priorities / challenges and pragmatically develop solutions or actions to address.
• Report Writing - Ability to produce clear, concise and client-ready reports that effectively communicate complex findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Business Development - assist in aspects of business origination, including pitches and presentations. Contribute to our practice development initiatives, supporting the continued focus on our team as a great place to work.
• Learning - Develop technical and personal skills to support achievement of career goals, through a blend of structured learning, coaching and experiences.
• Stakeholder management and communication - Ability to effectively engage and manage stakeholders by tailoring communication to influence, align, and drive outcomes. Ability to build trust through clear, concise, and proactive updates.
• Role Model - Act as a role model and support the development and coaching of junior team members.

To qualify for the role you must have

Specialism / experience in:

• Professional services / strategy consulting experience, either gained wholly within consulting or through a combination of consulting and industry roles.
• Track record of involvement in delivering (cross-sector) for third party spend:
  • Opportunity assessments
  • Cost reduction delivery programmes

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to link operational analysis to financial statements and understand the implications of findings to client strategy.

Ideally, you'll also have

• Experience across multiple sectors, ideally within one or more of our priority sectors which include Consumer & Retail, Industrials and Energy (including Automotive, Aerospace & Defence, Utilities and Oil & Gas), Life Sciences (including healthcare) and Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT).
• Expertise within multiple categories of spend, across Indirects and Directs, with an understanding of the key cost drivers and levers to deliver value.
• Experience in supporting building strong working relationships with senior clients, including influence, advice and support to key decision makers.
• Experience in supporting sales and business development processes for professional services projects in a large-scale consulting environment.
• A track record of involvement in delivering cost transformation with clear, quantified impact, including responsibility for managing project workstreams / teams and vendors.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and experience of producing and reviewing high calibre reports, papers, presentations and thought leadership.

What we offer you

We will fuel your ambition and potential with future-focused skills development that equips you with state-of-the-art methodologies and technology-enabled solutions. With more than 15,000 people in 150 countries, you will join an inclusive and empowering culture that values your uniqueness, prioritizes your wellbeing, and immerses you in the diverse thinking and cross-cultural experiences necessary to help deliver impact to clients across the globe and to help build a better working world. Learn more about careers at EY-Parthenon.

EY Building a better working world

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.