Procurement Partner

Aster Group; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Wellbeing programme

Career development support

Pension and life assurance

Volunteer hours

Employee discounts

Job summary

Aster Group is seeking a Procurement Partner to develop and deliver procurement strategies supporting our capital programme and customer outcomes. You will collaborate with Property and Investment Delivery teams, manage procurement projects, build supplier relationships and drive value for money through informed commercial decisions.

The role is hybrid with travel within the operating region and requires strong stakeholder engagement and knowledge of UK public procurement practices.

Qualifications

• Experience in category management, procurement or related commercial role.
• Property or construction experience would be beneficial.
• Strong commercial judgement with focus on whole-life value and customer outcomes.
• Excellent relationship-building skills with ability to influence stakeholders.
• Experience of contract management and supplier relationship management.
• Knowledge of UK public sector procurement regulations (desirable).
• CIPS qualification or commitment to working towards one (desirable).

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver procurement strategies that support the capital programme and organisational priorities.
• Lead and support procurement projects through full lifecycle from strategy to tendering to contract and supplier management.
• Build strong supplier relationships and support commercial negotiations for best value.
• Monitor market trends, identify opportunities and drive value for money.
• Ensure procurement activity is well planned, compliant with internal policies and legislation.
• Report on procurement progress, supplier performance and savings initiatives.

Skills

Category management

Procurement

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder management

Contract management

Supplier negotiations

Public sector procurement knowledge

Education

CIPS qualification (desirable)

Job description

Salary: £35,514 per annum

Location: Flexible - able to travel within our operating region

Hours: 37 hours per week

Ready to put your procurement experience to work where it makes a difference? Join us as a Procurement Partner, helping deliver the contracts and supplier partnerships behind investment in our customers’ homes.

You’ll bring practical procurement experience, commercial awareness and confidence in working with colleagues and suppliers. In return, you’ll have the opportunity to take ownership of varied projects, develop your expertise and support our capital investment programme.

What you'll be doing

As a Procurement Partner, you'll work closely with Property and Investment Delivery colleagues to develop and deliver procurement strategies that support our capital programme, organisational priorities and customer outcomes.

You’ll:

• Support the development and implementation of category strategies that deliver value and support business goals.
• Partner with stakeholders to understand their needs, providing expert procurement guidance and advice.
• Lead and support procurement projects through the full procurement lifecycle, from strategy development and tendering through to contract and supplier management.
• Build strong supplier relationships and support commercial negotiations to secure the best outcomes for Aster Group and its customers.
• Monitor market trends, analyse opportunities, and identify innovative ways to improve performance and value for money.
• Ensure procurement activity is well planned, proportionate and compliant with internal policies and relevant legislation.
• Report on procurement progress, supplier effectiveness, savings, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Why this role matters

Your work will directly support the successful delivery of Aster's capital investment programme. You'll help Property colleagues plan ahead, make well-evidenced commercial decisions and secure value from suppliers, while managing delivery, compliance and supply‑chain risk.

About you

We're looking for someone who combines commercial insight with the values and behaviours of the Aster Way.

You’ll bring:

• Experience in category management, procurement, or a related commercial role; property or construction experience would be beneficial
• Sound commercial judgement, with a focus on whole-life value, customer outcomes and responsible use of budgets.
• Strong relationship‑building skills: someone who listens, understands different perspectives and can influence and challenge constructively.
• Experience of contract management and supplier relationship management.
• Curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to simplify complexity and find smarter ways of working.
• Experience of contract management, supplier relationship management and working collaboratively across professional boundaries.
• Personal ownership, clear communication and confidence in managing competing priorities while following through on commitments.
• Knowledge of UK public sector procurement regulations (desirable).
• A professional procurement qualification such as CIPS, or a commitment to working towards one (desirable).

What you’ll bring to Aster

You’ll be approachable, proactive and collaborative, building trust through fairness, respect and integrity. You'll own your decisions, share expertise openly and help colleagues make informed commercial choices. You'll be comfortable challenging established approaches, while remaining practical, solution focused and committed to achieving more together.

If you're looking for a role where you can support a major investment programme, build strong partnerships and make a meaningful impact for our customers and communities, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a hybrid role, enabling you to base yourself from home. There will be the need to travel within our operating region to attend working together days and meet with stakeholders, so the ability to travel is a must.

Our operating region includes Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and London.

What’s in it for me

We invest in our colleagues because we know if they have a better day at work, the service our customers receive will be better. The Aster Offer is our offer to our colleagues to ensure they have a great day at work and includes things like:

• Flexible working – whilst some roles need to be carried out in a specific place at a specific time, where possible we encourage our colleagues to work to their own schedule at a location that suits them, their team and our business’ needs
• A focus on colleague wellbeing – workshops, an employee assistance programme offering counselling and support, mental health training and a health cash plan
• We invest in colleagues’ careers and development through our leader and colleague development frameworks
• Defined Contribution Pension and attached life assurance
• Volunteering hours available to all colleagues to enable them to give back
• Savings at cinemas, gyms, holidays, days out, various shops and eateries and lots more
• Enhanced leave
• We celebrate colleagues who go above and beyond with a range of personalised recognition initiatives

We create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity and believe that creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work is the right thing to do.

All offers of employment are subject to the successful candidate providing proof of their right to work in the UK. Aster Group and its subsidiary brands do not hold a sponsor licence and are therefore unable to provide visa sponsorship.