Senior Buyer - Procurement

Newcastle United Football Club; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Newcastle United Football Club is seeking an experienced Procurement Senior Buyer to support and develop the club’s procurement function. You will work closely with the Head of Procurement to deliver strategic and operational procurement activities, ensuring value for money and process efficiency across the organisation.

The role involves leading complex sourcing exercises, building strong stakeholder relationships and identifying opportunities to improve costs and value over the long term.

Qualifications

• MCIPS qualification or active study towards MCIPS.
• Extensive procurement experience, ideally across indirect spend.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
• Proven project management in fast-paced environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication.
• Strategic, analytical mindset with drive for continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement activity across a wide range of goods and services, including Opex and Capex.
• Manage formal procurement exercises, including supplier selection and tender processes.
• Drive supplier performance and value-for-money initiatives.
• Support development of procurement systems, processes and reporting.
• Build relationships with budget holders, suppliers and stakeholders.
• Deliver cost savings and value-added benefits while maintaining quality.
• Monitor market trends and identify opportunities for innovation, sustainability and continuous improvement.
• Support procurement training and engagement activities to embed best practice.

Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Project management

Education

MCIPS qualification or active study towards MCIPS

Job description

Be part of something bigger. Driving value, efficiency and impact across the Club.

We are the heartbeat of the city, a club with bold ambitions on a global stage and deep roots in our community. If you’re driven to raise the bar, make an impact and contribute to a high-performance culture, you’ll find the platform, the people and the pride to do your best work here.

We work as One Club, with excellence, integrity, accountability and relentless ambition shaping how we work together.

This is a great opportunity to develop, learn and make a real contribution in a fast-paced and exciting environment. You’ll be encouraged to bring curiosity, take ownership, share ideas and keep improving, helping us move Newcastle United forward, together.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Procurement Senior Buyer to support the continued development of our newly established Procurement function.

Working closely with the Head of Procurement, you will play a key role in delivering strategic and operational procurement activity across the Club, ensuring value for money, driving efficiencies and supporting procurement best practice throughout the organisation.

This is an exciting opportunity for a procurement professional who enjoys leading complex procurement exercises, building strong stakeholder relationships and identifying opportunities to improve processes, reduce costs and deliver long-term value.

What you’ll do

As Procurement Senior Buyer, you will:

• Lead procurement activity across a wide range of goods and services, this will include both Opex and Capex spend categories, supporting stakeholders to achieve the best commercial outcomes.
• Manage formal procurement exercises, including supplier selection, due diligence, tender processes and contract negotiations.
• Drive supplier performance, supplier rationalisation and value-for-money initiatives across the business.
• Support the development of procurement systems, processes and reporting to improve efficiency and compliance.
• Build effective relationships with budget holders, suppliers and key stakeholders across the Club.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance and value-added benefits while maintaining quality and service standards.
• Monitor market trends and identify opportunities for innovation, sustainability and continuous improvement.
• Support procurement training and engagement activities to embed procurement best practice throughout the organisation.

What we’re looking for

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring:

• MCIPS qualification or active study towards MCIPS.
• Extensive procurement experience, ideally across indirect spend categories.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills, including experience negotiating pricing and contractual terms.
• Proven experience managing projects within a complex and fast-paced environment.
• Excellent stakeholder and relationship management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability with the ability to make sound commercial decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A strategic mindset with a focus on delivering results and driving continuous improvement.
• A highly organised and collaborative approach, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

The team

You’ll be part of a friendly, supportive and dedicated team who will help you settle in and succeed. We value curiosity, teamwork and a positive approach, and we’re committed to creating an environment where people feel trusted, included and empowered to do their best work.

We work with high standards and a continuous improvement mindset, supporting each other as One Club and taking pride in doing the right thing.

United As One

We’re committed to building an inclusive, high-performance culture where everyone feels safe, respected and able to thrive. Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to who we are, and we believe the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths.

We work as One Club, reflecting the communities we serve, acting with integrity, and creating an environment where everyone can be their authentic self and achieve their full potential.

Safeguarding

We’re committed to creating an environment where everyone is safe, heard, valued and able to thrive. Safeguarding and welfare are central to the way we work, and we expect everyone to play their part in doing the right thing and upholding the highest standards of care.

This position is UK based and requires proof of the right to live and work in the UK. All job offers are conditional upon background checks, including reference history, DBS checks, and verification of your eligibility to work. Please note, we do not sponsor applicants without the right to work in the UK.

Recruitment Agencies – please note that we do not accept unsolicited candidate details. Any candidates submitted without request will be considered direct applicants.