Senior Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager

1st Executive Ltd; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 71,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Bonus up to 20%

Excellent pension and benefits

Job summary

1st Executive Ltd is seeking a Senior Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager in Milton Keynes with hybrid working and a salary of £71,000–£86,000 plus a bonus up to 20% and a comprehensive benefits package.

You will provide independent assurance across major procurement and supplier management activities, strengthening governance and risk management throughout the procurement lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in Procurement, Commercial Management or Supplier Management environments.
• Experience reviewing, challenging and assuring procurement activity.
• Strong understanding of procurement governance, risk management and assurance frameworks.
• Experience supporting or leading assurance, audit, compliance or peer review activities.
• Excellent stakeholder management with ability to influence senior levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead assurance reviews of procurement, sourcing and supplier management activities.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight on procurement strategies and contracts.
• Operate within a risk-based assurance framework and ensure policy compliance.
• Conduct assurance reviews of high-value and high-risk procurement programmes.
• Engage with senior stakeholders and leadership, delivering constructive challenge.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Procurement governance

Risk management

Audit/compliance

Education

MCIPS

IACCM/WorldCC

PRINCE2

Audit or Risk Management qualifications

Job description

Senior Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager

Senior Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager

Location

Milton Keynes (Hybrid Working) - Flexible Location also considered

£71,000 - £86,000 + Bonus (up to 20%) + Excellent Benefits

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and influential procurement professional to join our Commercial & Procurement function as a Senior Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager.

This is a high-profile role responsible for providing independent assurance across major procurement and supplier management activities, ensuring robust governance, commercial compliance, and effective risk management throughout the procurement lifecycle.

Working across a complex and highly regulated environment, you will engage with senior stakeholders across the organisation, providing challenge, oversight, and assurance on high-value and strategically important commercial decisions. You will play a key role in strengthening commercial controls, improving procurement performance, and driving best practice across the business.

This role offers exposure to some of the largest and most complex procurement programmes in the UK, providing assurance on contracts and sourcing activities worth billions of pounds.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead assurance reviews of procurement, sourcing and supplier management activities across the organisation.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight on procurement strategies, contract awards and commercial decisions.
• Operate within a risk-based assurance framework, ensuring procurement activity is compliant with organisational policies, governance requirements and relevant legislation.
• Conduct assurance reviews of high-value and high-risk procurement programmes, identifying risks and recommending improvement actions.
• Engage with senior stakeholders and leadership teams, providing constructive challenge and delivering difficult messages where required.
• Review commercial activity against financial, contractual, regulatory and reputational risk considerations.
• Plan and coordinate assurance activities delivered by external subject matter experts where specialist support is required.
• Contribute to the continual enhancement of procurement governance, assurance methodologies and risk management practices.
• Support organisational compliance through audits, reviews and assurance reporting.
• Deliver training, coaching and guidance to procurement professionals to improve commercial awareness and governance adherence.
• Promote best practice and continuous improvement across Category Management, Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Management functions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders on procurement risk, governance and assurance matters.

About You

We are looking for a credible and resilient procurement professional who is comfortable operating independently and influencing senior stakeholders across a complex organisation.

You will have:

• Significant experience within Procurement, Commercial Management or Supplier Management environments.
• Experience of reviewing, challenging and assuring procurement activity rather than solely delivering procurement projects.
• Strong understanding of procurement governance, risk management and assurance frameworks.
• Experience supporting or leading assurance, audit, compliance or peer review activities.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and challenge at senior levels.
• Experience working with high-value, complex procurement programmes and commercial contracts.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to assess strategic, financial and reputational risks.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.
• A proactive and resilient approach with the confidence to challenge constructively when required.
• Public sector or regulated industry procurement experience.
• Knowledge of supplier risk management and assurance processes.
• Experience working within large, complex organisations.
• Relevant professional qualifications such as MCIPS, IACCM/WorldCC, PRINCE2, Audit or Risk Management qualifications.

Why Join?

• Opportunity to work on some of the UK's largest and most strategically important procurement programmes.
• Exposure to senior stakeholders and complex commercial challenges.
• Strong career progression opportunities within a growing Risk & Assurance function.
• Flexible hybrid working model.
• Performance-related bonus of up to 20%.
• Excellent pension and wider benefits package.
• Discounted rail travel and additional employee benefits.