Senior Procurement Manager

Great Western Railway (GWR); Swindon; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading train operator is seeking a Senior Procurement Manager based in Swindon. You'll lead reporting processes, manage complex procurement projects, and develop policies in alignment with UK regulations. The ideal candidate will have MCIPS qualification or equivalent, strong analytical and communication skills, and experience in strategic procurement. This role offers a competitive salary and benefits like free rail travel, a pension scheme, and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Free rail travel for you and your family

Company-sponsored health care plan

Discounted shopping and gym membership

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Proven experience in developing policies and processes.
• Strong analytical and data management skills.
• Proficient in European/UK procurement legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead on reporting requirements within the team.
• Support Supplier Relationship Management activities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Strong communication skills

Time-management

Interpersonal skills

Education

MCIPS qualified or degree level education

Tools

MS Office (Excel, Word)

Job description

Join Great Western Railway – Proud to Support Our People and Our Passengers

At GWR, we're more than a train company - we're the proud custodians of one of the UK's most iconic rail networks. Every year, we help over 100 million people travel across the South West, South Wales and London, through some of the country's most scenic routes.

With a modern fleet, ambitious plans for the future, and a 91% customer satisfaction score, we're on a journey of continuous improvement. Our people are at the heart of that journey and the Procurement Team have an essential role to play in the success of GWR - through our strategic sourcing and our approach to supplier management.

About the team:

Our Vision: Be a trusted partner, that enables the business to achieve value for money every time.

At GWR, we understand the importance of investing in our employees' professional growth.

As a Senior Procurement Manager, you'll have access to a structured career progression path within both GWR and our parent company, First Group. Whether you're looking to enhance your skills, take on greater responsibilities, or pursue leadership positions, we're committed to supporting your career development every step of the way.

About the job:

The role of the Senior Procurement Manager will be to lead on all reporting requirements and processes within the team, including the transition to Public Ownership. Additionally, you will be expected to lead on a variety of complex procurement projects including tenders across all spend areas, with support from others within the team, reporting to the Head of Procurement.

To succeed in this position, you will be an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual with good interpersonal skills who has the ability to work both independently and within a wider multi-functional stakeholder team.

Preferred candidates will have experience in the following areas:

• Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), Utilities or Public Contracts Regulations
• Line management
• Strategic procurement
• Proposing and delivering accurate reports
• Developing policies and processes
• E‑procurement system knowledge

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead and support your direct reports, striving to help them achieve their full potential
• Lead, develop, analyse and implement effective and timely reports across all spend areas
• Lead the review of the contract database and propose relevant procurement strategies
• Lead, develop and implement compliant policies and processes including any relevant documentation in readiness for transition and compliance with PA23 regulations
• Lead and develop complex regulated (PA23) compliant procurement exercises
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with various stakeholders across GWR, First Group and external stakeholders
• Support Supplier Relationship Management activities in driving efficiencies and benefits
• Leading complex commercial negotiations for both new requirements and contract renewals

The Reward

As well as a great team environment and comprehensive training, all GWR colleagues enjoy a range of benefits including:

• defined benefit pension scheme with the Railways Pension Scheme
• free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family
• company-sponsored health care plan
• discounted shopping and gym membership
• employee assistance programme and much more.

About You

You'll need to:

• Have demonstrable experience in developing policies and processes
• Ensure all procurement activities align with PA23 and procurement procedures
• Accountability for all aspects of reporting, compliance processes, contract reviews, tender drafting, issuing and evaluation in procurement projects
• Strong analytical skills
• Have strong communication skills
• Have excellent organisation skills in terms of time-management and workload
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Be proficient with MS Office, in particular MS Excel and Word
• Proactive in driving projects and reporting updates to all stakeholders.

As a minimum you'll need to have:

• MCIPS qualified or degree level education or equivalent
• Proficient in European/UK procurement legislation
• A detailed understanding of contract law (e.g. NEC, JCT and other industry contract forms)
• Proven experience in the development of good relationships with both internal and external senior stakeholders
• Proven demonstrable experience of developing reports and processes
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent analytical and data management skills

About the location:

This role is based in Milford House, Swindon.

Application

Please apply online via our website https://careers.firstgroup.co.uk/brand-gwr

If you have any problems applying, please email [e-mail]

We all belong at GWR. This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA, ethnicity, religion and disability. We maintain zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/