Senior Procurement Manager

Admiral Careers; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in Cardiff seeks a Senior Procurement Manager to oversee procurement activities, develop strategies, and lead a small team. The role requires extensive procurement experience, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to influence stakeholders. With a focus on autonomy and a proactive approach, you will manage supplier relationships and contribute to cost-saving initiatives. The company prides itself on a diverse culture and offers competitive benefits including generous holiday allowances and share options.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Share options after one year

Support for professionalism and integrity

Qualifications

• Extensive procurement experience, ideally in a regulated environment.
• Understanding of the complete procurement cycle.
• Ability to influence senior leadership.
• Experience in developing procurement strategies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute procurement strategies.
• Manage the full procurement cycle.
• Lead on supplier negotiations and contracts.
• Support and develop procurement staff.

Skills

Procurement experience

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Education

MCIPS qualification or working towards

Job description

Who are Admiral Pioneer?

Disruptive. Customer Centered. Transformational.

Admiral Pioneer exists within Admiral Group as a venture studio, providing the greenhouse in which to grow new businesses. We're leveraging Admiral's strengths to deliver commercially strong businesses that answer the financial needs of new audiences and respond to emerging opportunities.

We seek to disrupt the markets we enter, taking a truly customer‑centric approach. We achieve this by experimenting and proving new products, business models and partnerships through a disciplined, discovery‑driven approach.

About the Role

We are looking for an outstanding, proven procurement professional to support the Head of Procurement in overseeing all procurement‑related activities within Pioneer.

This is a critical leadership role, responsible for establishing and enhancing the internal procurement function for Pioneer. The Senior Procurement Manager will play a key part in developing and implementing procurement strategies, managing internal stakeholders, negotiating with suppliers, and leading on the creation of contractual agreements. The role will also be responsible for managing a small team of procurement staff, providing day‑to‑day leadership and support. While the role requires a proactive leader who can build processes from the ground up and operate with a high degree of autonomy, ultimate responsibility and decision‑making authority will rest with the Head of Procurement.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Act as a key partner to the Head of Procurement, contributing to the development and execution of procurement strategies and ensuring alignment with Admiral Pioneer's objectives and group policies.
• Assist in building and continuously improving the internal procurement function, including the development and standardisation of policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Manage the full procurement cycle, from requirements gathering and supplier identification through to tendering, contract negotiation, implementation, onboarding, and renewals, ensuring compliance and best practice at all stages.
• Conduct market research and benchmarking to identify new suppliers, products, and services. Lead supplier selection and contract negotiations, always seeking to optimise value, quality, and risk management, while escalating key decisions to the Head of Procurement as appropriate.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders (finance, legal, data protection, information security, risk, and others) to ensure procurement activities meet business needs and governance requirements.
• Implement and maintain robust tracking, reporting, and supplier performance management frameworks, providing regular updates and insights to the Head of Procurement and other senior stakeholders.
• Manage, develop, and support a small team of procurement staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, while ensuring alignment with the Head of Procurement's vision.
• Lead or support complex procurement projects and initiatives, including onboarding, governance, controls, and contract management across multiple entities within Admiral Group, ensuring effective delivery and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Identify and deliver opportunities for cost savings, process innovation, risk reduction, and performance improvement, recommending strategic changes to the Head of Procurement where appropriate.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for procurement within Pioneer, providing advice and support to colleagues, and acting as a point of escalation for procurement‑related queries, while ensuring the Head of Procurement is kept informed of significant issues or risks.
• Ensure all procurement activities adhere to relevant regulatory, legal, and group requirements, proactively identifying and escalating risks or compliance issues.

Key Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Demonstrable extensive procurement experience, ideally within a regulated or fast‑paced environment.
• Strong understanding of the end‑to‑end procurement cycle, including supplier identification, tendering, negotiation, contract management, and supplier performance monitoring.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships at all levels.
• Proven ability to support and influence senior leadership, while acknowledging established reporting lines and escalation protocols.
• Experience in developing and implementing procurement strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to make data‑driven recommendations and support strategic decision‑making.
• Experience in managing, developing, and supporting a small team of procurement professionals, fostering a collaborative and high‑performing culture.
• Knowledge of contract law and experience working alongside legal, risk, and compliance teams.
• Track record of identifying and delivering cost and quality improvements, as well as process innovation.
• Ability to balance and effectively prioritise a varied workload, operating with autonomy but escalating key decisions as appropriate.
• MCIPS qualified or working towards qualification (desirable).
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and attention to detail.

Interview Process

At Admiral Pioneer, we like to keep things transparent, so you know what to expect.

Our interview process usually includes 3 stages :

• Initial chat with our Talent team
• Interview with the Hiring Manager & Key Stakeholder (Onsite)
• Final Interview with CFO

We aim to complete the process as quickly as possible, but we'll always work around your availability. You'll be supported by our recruitment team throughout - and if you have any questions, please get in touch.

Admiral : Where You Can

We take pride in being a diverse and inclusive business. It's a place where you can Be You, and show up as you are. We're committed to fostering a people‑first culture where everyone is accepted, supported, and empowered to be brilliant. You can, Grow And Progress at a pace and direction that suits you, Make A Difference for our customers and each other, and Share in Our Future with all colleagues eligible for up to £3,600 of free shares each year after one year of service.

Everyone receives 33 days holiday (including bank holidays) when they join us, increasing the longer you stay with us, up to a maximum of 38 days (including bank holidays). You also have the option to buy or sell up to an additional five days of annual leave.

We're proud of our people‑first culture. In fact, we've been recognised as a Great Place to Work for Women, a Great Place to Work for Wellbeing, and an overall Great Place to Work for over 25 years! We're fully committed to making sure your progression is not slowed or halted by barriers related to race, gender, age, sexuality or any of the protected characteristics.

Our fantastic benefits make sure our colleagues have a great work‑life balance; You can view some of our other key benefits here.