Head Of Procurement jobs in United Kingdom

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Be Part of a Journey Like No Other – JoinGWR

At Great Western Railway, we're more than just a train company - we're the proud custodians of Brunel's iconic railway, one of the most prestigious networks in the world. With over 100 million passenger journeys each year and more than 275 destinations across the South West, South Wales and London, we deliver travel experiences through some of the UK's most beautiful landscapes and top tourist spots.

We're not standing still. With a modern fleet and ambitious plans for growth, we're transforming the way people think about rail travel:relaxing, fast, efficient, friendly and fun.

Our team of 6,000+ passionate colleagues - from engineers to on-board hosts - play a vital role in this transformation. And their efforts are paying off with GWR's Customer satisfaction score of 92% - our highest in 20 years!

These results show what's possible when teamwork, pride and passion drive everything we do. We've set a new standard. Now we're looking for more great people to help us keep raising it.

Ready to join something exceptional? Discover opportunities at GWR and be part of our journey.

About the team:

As one of the largest train companies in Britain, more than 100 million customers a year join us on board. When the Great Western Railway was built, it opened the West and Wales to trade and tourism. And now, along with our partners at Network Rail, we're proud to have the chance to look after your railway.

As well as electrifying our main routes, and upgrading key stations, we have carried out the biggest upgrade of trains in the country. The Procurement team have an essential role to play in the success of GWR through our strategic sourcing and our approach to supplier management.

Our Team 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 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 Procurement Manager will be to lead on a variety of procurement projects (tenders) across all spend areas, particularly Property and Maintenance, with support from others within the team.

You will report directly to the Senior Procurement Manager.

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 following areas:

• Housing
• Minor/Major Works
• Assets

Procurement experience within the Public Sector is preferred but not essential.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead, design and implement effective sourcing strategies to maximise through life value for money of our contracts;
• Lead and develop competitive tender exercises in a regulated procurement environment (Pro Act 23);
• Develop an expert knowledge of the supplier marketplace within assigned categories to ensure credibility with internal stakeholders;
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with various stakeholders across GWR and First Group;
• Support Senior Procurement Managers with complex regulated (Pro Act 23) compliant tendering;
• Support Supplier Relationship Management activities in driving efficiencies and benefits;
• Conducting commercial negotiations for both new requirements and contract renewals.

You'll need to:

• Be leading on all aspects of tender drafting, issuing and evaluation in property procurement projects
• Have demonstrable experience in post award contract management
• Have great communication skills
• Have excellent organisation skills in terms of time-management and workload
• Be proficient with MS Office, in particular MS Excel and Word
• Proactive in driving projects and reporting updates to all stake holders.

As a minimum you'll need to have:

• Previous experience in a procurement role
• A basic understanding of contract law
• Proven experience in the development of good relationships with both internal and external senior stakeholders
• Proven demonstrable experience of managing supplier relationships and performance
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent analytical and data management skills.

About the location:

Base location Swindon/London/Bristol, flexibility will be considered.

You will be issued travel pass to travel on the GWR Network.

Working Pattern:

Full-time, fixed term contract for 24 months.

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,
• discounted travel with other Train Operating Companies,
• company-sponsored health care plan,
• discounted shopping and gym membership
• employee assistance programme and much more.

Weall 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/