Senior Buyer - Soft FM

Medirest Signature; England; Hybrid; GBP 46,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Senior Buyer in Soft FM to drive sourcing, manage contracts, and collaborate with stakeholders. This dynamic role involves overseeing procurement projects and enhancing supplier partnerships to deliver sustainable commercial outcomes. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational skills and a minimum of 4 years' experience.

Benefits

Up to 6% contributory pension scheme

Growth and development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee health and wellbeing plans

Access to discounts and exclusive deals

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Life assurance

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years experience in sourcing or buying role.
• Knowledge in category management, strategic sourcing, and contract management needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex procurement projects over £250k.
• Manage contracts and collaborate with stakeholders.
• Review and analyze purchasing needs for effective procurement strategies.

Skills

Organisational skills

Stakeholder relationship building

Commercial awareness

Resilience

Learning ability

Education

CIPS qualification or working towards it

Tools

eSourcing systems

Job description

Senior Buyer - Soft FM
Flexible - Attached to Hook, Solihull or London
Full Time, Permanent
Band 4 / £46,000 - £63,000 per annum (based on experience)

Here at Serco, we're looking for a highly capable and motivated Senior Buyer to help drive smarter sourcing, deliver greater value, and build stronger supplier partnerships across our Soft FM category.

This is a diverse and operational role, working across all business units and taking ownership of the sourcing pipeline. You'll lead complex procurement projects, manage contracts, and work closely with stakeholders to deliver sustainable commercial outcomes. As a key player in the team, you'll need to be commercially aware, confident in prioritising competing demands, and skilled at building strong stakeholder relationships.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a tangible impact in a high-profile category and contribute to procurement outcomes that support Serco's strategic objectives.

As part of this you'll:

• Plan and manage delivery of procurement projects (>£250k) ensuring compliance to Sourcing & Category Management processes and governance
• Support Category Managers in the delivery of complex procurement projects (>£1m)
• Direct, oversee and support Buyers in the delivery of procurement projects
• Review and analyse business purchase needs to determine the best procurement strategy to meet requirements in line with any relevant category strategies
• Engage and manage selected key suppliers in collaboration with key stakeholders across business units
• Optimise value delivery, performance improvement and risk mitigation from supply base
• Collaborate with key stakeholders and procurement category managers to capture business requirements, develop effective sourcing strategies, run RFPs and successfully negotiate contracts for the supply of goods and services
• Lead delivery of sourcing and continuous improvement projects that result in required business outcomes, robust contracts and improved value for money

What you'll need to do the role:

• CIPS qualified or working towards CIPS qualification (Serco will support this)
• At least 4 years of experience in sourcing or buying role.
• Working knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing and contract management
• Familiarity with eSourcing systems to run sourcing events (preferable)
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities
• Enthusiastic and quick learner with an aspiration to build a career in Procurement
• Resilience with the ability to remain calm under pressure

Why Serco:

Meaningful and vital work: In this position, your work is vital to the business, in terms of decisions and growth. You will gain aworld of opportunity working for a globally operating business delivering essential services across 5 vital sectors, personal growth, achievement and development won't be hard to find. You'll also work with great people. You'll find yourself working in a highly motivated, supportive environment where no two days are the same, with experienced colleagues who strive for excellence.

What we offer:

• Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Growth and development opportunities - Serco will support with a range of qualifications including CIPS
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Thrive App, Simply Health Plans and more
• Access to a huge range of discounts and exclusive deals such as Merlin Attractions, Mobile Phone discounts, Cinema discounts, Leisure and Hospitality discounts
• Committed to professional and personal development with a wide range of training and coaching opportunities to expand your capabilities
• Up to 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase more
• Life assurance