Procurement Specialist

Planet Pharma; England; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Planet Pharma is seeking an experienced Strategic Procurement Manager on a contract basis until July 2027. The role supports multiple business functions across international regions, focusing on strategic sourcing, category management, and supplier partnerships rather than transactional purchasing.

You will own spend categories across Marketing, Medical, Sales, and Corporate Services; lead tendering, negotiate contracts, build supplier relationships, and ensure compliance with governance and

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic sourcing and category management across multiple spend categories.
• Proven ability to lead competitive procurement processes and supplier negotiations.
• Strong commercial acumen with contract management and supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives across key spend categories.
• Manage end-to-end tendering and competitive sourcing activities.
• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Negotiate commercial agreements and contracts with suppliers.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, driving performance and value creation.
• Partner with business stakeholders to establish preferred supplier strategies.
• Provide commercial guidance and procurement expertise across the organisation.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate supplier-related risks.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, governance standards, and financial controls.
• Manage multiple sourcing projects simultaneously while delivering to agreed timelines.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Supplier negotiations

Stakeholder engagement

Procurement governance

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Independent work

MS Office

Digital/AI tools

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience

Job description

Strategic Procurement Manager (Contract)

Contract Until July 2027

Are you an experienced procurement professional with a passion for strategic sourcing, category management, and supplier partnerships? We are seeking a proactive and commercially minded Strategic Procurement Manager to join a high-performing procurement team supporting multiple business functions across a diverse international region.

This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of key spend categories across Marketing, Medical, Sales, and Corporate Services, driving sourcing strategies that deliver value, innovation, and business impact. This is a strategic sourcing role, focused on stakeholder engagement, supplier management, and procurement excellence rather than transactional purchasing.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives across a range of business-critical categories
• Manage end-to-end tendering and competitive sourcing activities
• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with business objectives
• Negotiate commercial agreements and contracts with suppliers
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, driving performance and value creation
• Partner with business stakeholders to establish preferred supplier strategies
• Provide commercial guidance and procurement expertise across the organisation
• Identify, assess, and mitigate supplier-related risks
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, governance standards, and financial controls
• Manage multiple sourcing projects simultaneously while delivering to agreed timelines

What We're Looking For:

• Proven experience in strategic sourcing and category management
• Demonstrated success leading competitive procurement processes and supplier negotiations
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing contracts and supplier relationships
• Excellent understanding of procurement methodologies, sourcing strategies, and best practices
• Ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholder groups simultaneously
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels
• Self‑motivated, proactive, and able to work independently with minimal supervision
• Strong Microsoft Office and general digital/AI tool proficiency
• Experience within pharmaceutical, healthcare, life sciences, or other regulated industries
• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience

Why Apply?

• Opportunity to work on high-value, strategic procurement projects
• Significant stakeholder exposure across multiple business functions
• Join a collaborative and highly experienced procurement team
• Long-term contract offering stability through July 2027
• Chance to influence supplier strategy and deliver meaningful commercial impact