Strategic Procurement Business Partner

1st Executive Ltd; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

1st Executive Ltd in Reading seeks a Strategic Procurement Business Partner to connect business stakeholders with Commercial and Procurement teams. You will act as a strategic adviser, understanding business plans early and translating demand into a clear procurement pipeline.

This role emphasizes building relationships across teams, influencing decisions before requirements become urgent, and delivering value while managing risk. On-site 3 days a week in Reading.

Qualifications

• Commercial acumen with ability to translate plans into procurement actions.
• Experience across strategic sourcing, category management and supplier relations.
• Contract awareness including drafting or negotiating would be valuable.
• Familiarity with public procurement regulations desirable.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders and act as their primary contact for commercial and procurement matters, including escalations.
• Understand business strategies, forecasts and upcoming projects to identify short- and long-term sourcing requirements.
• Work with stakeholder leads to develop a commercial and procurement pipeline and a formal demand management plan.
• Translate planned demand into operational resource and strategic requirements for procurement delivery teams.
• Engage stakeholders early and work with Category Managers to align requirements with category strategies and preferred suppliers.
• Advise on make-or-buy decisions and help develop tailored sourcing strategies for specialist functions, including research and product development.
• Identify opportunities for savings, efficiency and risk reduction across relevant spend categories.
• Support supplier relationship management and contribute to effective contract outcomes.
• Provide input to process and performance improvements and support the development of commercial support services.
• Help stakeholders understand procurement processes and the value of early commercial engagement.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationship management

Risk management

Job description

Seeking a Strategic Porcurement Business Partner to connect business stakeholders with the Commercial and Procurement teams.

This is a great role for someone with a procurement background who loves building relationships and making things happen. You will act as a strategic commercial adviser and the main point of contact for your designated business functions. Your focus will be on understanding business plans early, translating future demand into a clear procurement pipeline, and helping Category Managers develop sourcing approaches that deliver value while managing risk.

This is a varied role suited to someone who enjoys working across teams, solving problems and influencing decisions before requirements become urgent.

Key responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders and act as their primary contact for commercial and procurement matters, including escalations.
• Understand business strategies, forecasts and upcoming projects to identify short- and long-term sourcing requirements.
• Work with stakeholder leads to develop a commercial and procurement pipeline and a formal demand management plan.
• Translate planned demand into operational resource and strategic requirements for procurement delivery teams.
• Engage stakeholders early and work with Category Managers to align requirements with category strategies and preferred suppliers.
• Advise on make-or-buy decisions and help develop tailored sourcing strategies for specialist functions, including research and product development.
• Identify opportunities for savings, efficiency and risk reduction across relevant spend categories.
• Support supplier relationship management and contribute to effective contract outcomes.
• Provide input to process and performance improvements and support the development of commercial support services.
• Help stakeholders understand procurement processes and the value of early commercial engagement.

About you:

• You will bring strong commercial acumen, sound judgement and the confidence to work with stakeholders who have different priorities.
• You will be able to turn incomplete or changing requirements into practical plans, communicate clearly and handle challenging conversations constructively.
• The client is ideally seeking experience in commercial or procurement roles, with exposure to strategic sourcing, category management and supplier relationship management.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating or managing contracts would be valuable.
• Knowledge of public procurement regulations is desirable

The role is based in the Reading area and requires regular on-site working 3 days per week
Please note due to the client sector applicants must have the right to work in the UK and hold a sole British passport. The appointment is subject to the applicable security and pre-employment checks.