Procurement Manager

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council; Droylsden; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern LGPS is establishing an FCA authorised investment management company and seeking a Procurement Manager to lead end-to-end procurement across strategic spend. You will shape policy, run competitive tenders and ensure compliant, auditable processes in a regulated public sector environment.

Reporting to the Finance Director, you will drive supplier evaluations, negotiations and governance reporting, partnering with Legal and Third Party Relationship Manager to maximise commercial outcomes

Qualifications

• End-to-end procurement experience across public sector or regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of public procurement legislation and governance.
• Proven ability to deliver value for money through competitive tendering and supplier evaluation.
• Ability to lead procurement strategy, policy development and category management.
• Experience building relationships with senior stakeholders and external suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Northern LGPS's procurement strategy, policies and framework, ensuring compliance with the Procurement Act 2023.
• Lead competitive sourcing and tender exercises across investment services, technology, operational support and professional services.
• Design fair, transparent and auditable supplier evaluation and selection processes.
• Manage procurement records, transparency reporting and documentation to support governance and audit requirements.
• Coordinate contract negotiations with Legal and the Third Party Relationship Manager to secure commercial value and manage risk.
• Identify opportunities to deliver savings, efficiencies and value for money across third-party spend.
• Monitor procurement budgets, expenditure and cost-saving initiatives.
• Act as subject matter expert on public procurement, providing guidance and training across the organisation.
• Work with operational, investment, finance and corporate teams to provide commercial advice on sourcing strategies and supplier capability.
• Build relationships with administering authorities, suppliers and other stakeholders to support collaborative procurement opportunities.
• Provide procurement reporting to senior leadership and governance committees, highlighting spend, savings, supplier performance and procurement risks.

Skills

End-to-end procurement

Public sector procurement

Commercial negotiation

Vendor management

Strategic sourcing

Job description

Lead procurement for a new investment management company

Northern LGPS is entering an exciting new phase of its development, establishing a new FCA authorised investment management company to manage around £70bn of assets on behalf of three Local Government Pension Scheme funds. As Procurement Manager, you'll play a key role in ensuring procurement is strategic, compliant and delivers value for money across the organisation.

Reporting to the Finance Director, you'll lead the end-to-end procurement lifecycle, shaping procurement strategy, managing sourcing activity and ensuring compliance with the Procurement Act 2023. You'll work closely with colleagues across the organisation to build strong commercial partnerships and establish procurement practices that support Northern LGPS's long-term success.

About Northern LGPS

Northern LGPS is a c£70bn pooled investment partnership for the Local Government Pension Scheme, bringing together the investments of Greater Manchester Pension Fund, Merseyside Pension Fund and West Yorkshire Pension Fund.

Building on the foundations of its collaboration over several years, Northern LGPS is now entering the next phase of its development. This phase focuses on establishing an FCA authorised investment management company with a dedicated senior leadership team, strengthening governance and creating a clear operating model to support long-term investment outcomes.

For those joining at this stage, the opportunity is exceptional. These roles offer the chance to shape strategy, set standards and build leadership capability for the long term, working closely with the partner funds, who are both shareholders and clients, Boards and regulators to ensure Northern LGPS continues to evolve as a well-governed, resilient investment organisation.

Our culture

As Northern LGPS continues to evolve, we are building a collaborative, open and trusting organisation where people can do their best work.

We believe strong outcomes come from working together, sharing knowledge and supporting one another. Our flexible and hybrid working arrangements give colleagues greater flexibility in how they manage their time, while supporting collaboration and colleague wellbeing.

We are developing a supportive learning culture where people are encouraged to grow, contribute ideas and help shape how the organisation works. Our ambition is to build a resilient and sustainable organisation that delivers for its Partner Funds over the long term.

Main responsibilities

You’ll:

• Develop and maintain Northern LGPS's procurement strategy, policies and framework, ensuring compliance with the Procurement Act 2023.
• Lead competitive sourcing and tender exercises across investment services, technology, operational support and professional services.
• Design fair, transparent and auditable supplier evaluation and selection processes.
• Manage procurement records, transparency reporting and documentation to support robust governance and audit requirements.
• Coordinate contract negotiations, working closely with Legal and the Third Party Relationship Manager to secure commercial value and manage risk.
• Identify opportunities to deliver savings, efficiencies and value for money across third-party spend.
• Monitor procurement budgets, expenditure and cost-saving initiatives.
• Act as Northern LGPS's subject matter expert on public procurement, providing guidance and training across the organisation.
• Work closely with operational, investment, finance and corporate teams to provide commercial advice on sourcing strategies and supplier capability.
• Build strong relationships with administering authorities, suppliers and other stakeholders to support collaborative procurement opportunities.
• Provide procurement reporting to senior leadership and governance committees, highlighting spend, savings, supplier performance and procurement risks.

What we’re looking for

You’ll bring strong procurement expertise together with the ability to develop commercial strategies that deliver value while ensuring compliance within a regulated public sector environment.

We’re particularly interested in professionals who can demonstrate experience of:

• End-to-end procurement and sourcing.
• Public sector procurement legislation and governance.
• Competitive tendering, supplier evaluation and contract negotiation.
• Commercial contract management and supplier performance.
• Procurement strategy, policy development and category management.
• Delivering value for money, cost optimisation and commercial savings.
• Building relationships with senior stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Providing procurement advice, guidance and governance across an organisation.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient volume of suitable applications.

Equal opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and able to thrive. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process to support your application, please let us know, and we will work with you to meet your needs.