Procurement Manager, UK office

Big Science Sweden; England; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SKAO is seeking a senior procurement leader to run the UK-based SKAO Procurement Team from the Jodrell Bank Office in Cheshire. You will lead planning, delivery, and development of procurement activities across IT, construction, and services, ensuring compliance and demonstrable value for money.

You will champion best practices, manage a small UK team, and collaborate with international stakeholders while overseeing occasional travel to SKAO sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement planning and delivery, working with senior stakeholders and suppliers across regions.
• Line-manage the UK SKAO Procurement Team ensuring performance and development.
• Oversee end-to-end procurement across varied contracts, ensuring compliance and value for money.
• Drive procurement policy implementation, process improvements, and use of the new Proactis system.
• Coordinate with international tenders and external stakeholders, including member countries.
• Occasional national and international travel to suppliers and SKAO sites.

Job description

In this role, you will lead procurement planning and delivery, working closely with senior stakeholders, international research organisations, suppliers, and the wider procurement team. You will lead the SKAO Procurement Team in the UK and be responsible for overall team performance and development, with direct line management of a small team.

You will bring a strong combination of commercial acumen, strategic insight, and leadership, ensuring that every contract, partnership, and procurement activity aligns with SKAO’s mission, values and Procurement Policy and Manual. You will oversee the end-to-end procurement of various contracts, both high and low value and complexity, ensuring compliance, transparency, and demonstrable value for money.

The role requires strategic leadership and is expected to drive forward broader procurement initiatives that help to champion SKAO’s values and support the transition from a focus on high-value, complex construction and engineering contracts towards a high-volume transactional procurement environment. SKAO has recently implemented Proactis as its sourcing, supplier relationship management and contract management software, to enable greater efficiency of low-value, high-volume procurement actions and as a senior team member you will be required to optimise procurement’s use of the system.

This will be a hands-on procurement role, requiring you to allocate work effectively amongst the UK team whilst personally overseeing a range of end to end procurement actions from low to high complexity and value. This includes procurement actions across all procurement categories (from IT right through to Construction) and includes supporting international tenders as required for both Australia and South Africa. This provides an excellent opportunity to lead a broad range of procurements across multiple sectors and regions.

As a senior member of the SKAO procurement function, you will champion continuous improvement, contribute to the development of procurement policies and frameworks, and support the professional growth of team members. You will promote best practice in supplier engagement, tendering, and contract management, supporting SKAO’s commitment to excellence, collaboration, and sustainability.

The role plays a key part in managing SKAO’s external stakeholders, with key contact points being the SKAO Member countries’ Industry Liaison Officers, government departments and major government funded research bodies. SKAO’s procurement practices must take into account the social and economic return to its Member countries.

Based at the Jodrell Bank Office in Cheshire, UK this role may include occasional national and international travel to suppliers and SKAO sites (typically for one week, a couple of times per year).

SKAO is committed to fostering an inclusive and flexible working environment that values diversity and collaboration. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, including women and individuals with disabilities, and encourage open dialogue during the recruitment process about any specific requirements.

There may be occasions where this role requires work across different time zones, and in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.