Strategic Supplier Relationship Lead – Smart Metering

Pennon Group; Exeter; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 23 days

Holiday Buy & Sell

Pension scheme

Car allowance

Life insurance

Income protection

Family leave

Share schemes

Health plan

Flu vaccination

EAP

On-site parking

Cycle to work

Car share

On-site canteen

Payroll giving

Retail discounts

Job summary

Pennon Group in Exeter seeks a Senior Supplier Relationship Manager to lead the commercial relationship with our smart metering delivery partner. You will own delivery against KPIs, ensure value, and build a long-term, collaborative partnership focused on performance and innovation.

Working with Programme Delivery Managers and senior stakeholders, you will embed SRM best practice, lead a small specialist team, provide commercial insight, and travel between regional sites to align objectives and

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing large scale contracts (>£100m).
• Experience owning and managing business critical supplier or partner relationships.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with a proven track record of delivering contractual outcomes.
• Experience managing contract delivery across complex organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at executive level.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience leading specialist teams and driving high performance.
• Ability to operate effectively within complex and evolving business environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the commercial relationship with Pennon's smart metering delivery partner.
• Own delivery of the smart data as a service contract, ensuring performance, value, and outcomes are achieved against agreed KPIs and contractual commitments.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships founded on collaboration, transparency, and trust.
• Establish and develop an effective Supplier Relationship Management function for the smart metering programme.
• Lead all commercial governance forums and contract review meetings.
• Monitor contract performance and service levels, implementing corrective actions where required to protect Pennon's interests.
• Work closely with Programme Delivery Managers to align commercial and programme delivery objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement and identify opportunities to enhance contract performance and long-term value.
• Manage and develop a specialist team of approximately five colleagues.
• Support strategic decision-making by providing commercial insight and performance reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Regular travel between each of the regional sites.

Skills

Large contracts

Stakeholder management

Contract delivery

Commercial acumen

Team leadership

Executive influence

Job description

Pennon Group in Exeter seeks a Senior Supplier Relationship Manager to lead the commercial relationship with our smart metering delivery partner. You will own delivery against KPIs, ensure value, and build a long-term, collaborative partnership focused on performance and innovation.

Working with Programme Delivery Managers and senior stakeholders, you will embed SRM best practice, lead a small specialist team, provide commercial insight, and travel between regional sites to align objectives and