Procurement Manager - 3 Month FTC

Debenhams Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Manchester is seeking an Interim Procurement Manager for a 3-month FTC. You will manage key supplier relationships, support effective sourcing, and ensure cost savings. The ideal candidate has excellent negotiation skills, experience in procurement, and thrives in a fast-paced environment. This position requires onsite presence 5 days a week.

Qualifications

• Proven record of achieving cost savings through negotiation.
• Ability to analyse spend information and produce cost models.
• Driven and able to multitask under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with key suppliers to ensure high service levels.
• Formulate and implement category strategy plans.
• Prepare monthly reports for presentation to the Board.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Excel skills

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Problem-solving skills

Education

Procurement qualification (CIPS/Degree level)

Job description

At Debenhams Group, we are a diverse portfolio of five core brands (boohoo, boohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, and Debenhams) alongside a dynamic marketplace model and a growing financial services division, it keeps us pretty busy!

We don’t stand still, we lead, evolve, and redefine online fashion. With bold ambitions and big energy, we’re on a mission to be the best, delivering the strongest propositions to our customers in the most engaging, innovative, and efficient ways possible.

We thrive on change, innovation, and pace. Every challenge is an opportunity, and every day is a chance to push boundaries. If you’re someone who embraces the unknown, thrives in a fast-moving, high-growth environment, and is ready to shape the future of retail, you’ll love it here. We want visionaries, disruptors, and doers, people who bring fresh thinking, relentless energy, and the drive to make an impact.

Be bold. Be creative. Be a community.

THE ROLE

We are looking for an Interim Procurement Manager on a 3-month FTC. If you are an experienced Procurement Manager and you are immediately available, we'd love to hear from you!

As Procurement Manager for the group, you will support the business in effective sourcing of key external supply partners across all categories of indirect goods and services for Debenhams Group. Ensuring costs are managed in line with financial budgets and savings targets, best value for money is achieved, innovation and continuous improvement is maximised and risk is minimised across all categories. Primarily Manchester-based; however, depending on the project, occasional travel to other sites may be required.

This role is onsite 5 days per week, and we're ideally looking for someone with generalist procurement experience.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• Relationship management of key suppliers to ensure consistently high service levels are achieved and to drive continuous improvement and minimise risk – ensuring relationships are not purely transactional. I.E QBR’s, in person meetings where relevant.
• Form excellent relationships with internal budget-holders and stake-holders. Ensuring that projects are well defined, and business cases are fully approved prior to sourcing activity being undertaken, in particular prior to C suite sign off.
• Work with the Head of Procurement & Internal Stakeholders to formulate and successfully implement category strategy plans to support cost reviews across multiple areas in the business.
• Managing the commercial relationships with both new and incumbent suppliers, to ensure contracts and commercial arrangements are competitively priced and robust from a risk and governance perspective, legally robust and that service levels are established, monitored and exceeded by our suppliers;
• Supporting the Head of Procurement & Internal stakeholders in formal sourcing and contract review processes as well as in-contract commercial and contract negotiations across the category(s);
• Regularly research alternative suppliers and the wider markets to ensure ongoing best practice is driven into our services;
• Preparation of monthly reports and updates for the Head of Procurement for presentation to the Board & Internal Directors.
  

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• A proven record of achieving cost savings through negotiation/operational change
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Excel skills and ability to analyse spend information/invoices and produce cost models/comparisons
• Target-focussed with the ability to work quickly when required
• Decision making and problem solving skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Excellent forward planning and organisation skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Communication, networking and interpersonal relationship skills
• Can use initiative when necessary and work well in a team
• Rapid Problem-solving
• Commercial and financial acumen and awareness of the market
• Driven with the ability to stay calm under pressure and multitask

Desired (But not essential)

• Procurement qualification (CIPS/Degree level)
• Project management skills

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

1. If we believe you could be a great fit for the role, we’ll invite you for an informal conversation via phone or Microsoft Teams with a member of our Talent Team
2. If successful, you’ll then meet with the Line Manager to discuss your experience in more detail and explore the value you can bring to the team
3. Most of our hiring processes consist of two stages. You may also be asked to meet with Senior Leadership and/or present a task/project
   

WHY JOIN US

2025 is a year for making bold moves, delivering real results, and driving forward with unstoppable momentum. If that excites you, then you belong at Debenhams Group.

Let’s lead the change together.

#LI-LF1 #LI-onsite #LI-procurement