Senior Supply Chain Development Manager

awepeople; United States; Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day working fortnight

Pension scheme

Family-friendly policies

Professional career development

Employee assistance programme

Life assurance

Discounts

Special Leave Policy

Job summary

AWE is seeking a Senior Supply Chain Development Manager to lead the evolution of our supply chain governance, SRM, and SME participation frameworks. The role focuses on aligning procurement & tendering activity with enterprise strategy and embedding sustainability across supplier networks.

You will report to the Principal Supply Chain Development Manager and drive initiatives that strengthen supplier relationships, capabilities, and performance while supporting the client of choice agenda.

Qualifications

• Must have proven professional experience.
• Proven experience in developing strategy with specific experience in supply chain development and SRM.
• Experience in development of SME strategies that work cohesively with wider supply development strategies.
• Experience of working collaboratively with and influencing senior business stakeholders.
• Experience designing and implementing supply chain governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and operating models.
• Experience incorporating sustainability, ESG, social value, supplier diversity, and SME participation objectives into procurement and supply chain strategies.
• Ability to develop and implement enterprise‑wide supply chain frameworks, governance models, and improvement strategies aligned to organisational objectives.
• Strong ability to build credibility and influence senior leaders, suppliers, and cross‑functional stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to lead supplier engagement initiatives, workshops, forums.
• Proven capability to design, implement and embed new processes, methodologies, and ways of working that enhance supply chain performance and organisational maturity.
• Ability to work effectively in a complex and ambiguous environment.
• Role model for innovation and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a robust supplier governance methodology and SRM framework that supports strategic objectives.
• Ensure consistent supplier segmentation and performance management across the organization.
• Create and maintain supply chain policies, procedures, standards, tools, and templates.
• Drive improvements in supplier relationship maturity and embed best‑practice supplier management principles.
• Deliver initiatives that enhance the organization's position as a preferred customer within key supply markets.
• Plan and deliver supplier engagement programmes, forums, and communication activities.
• Embed ESG, supplier diversity, SME participation, and social value in supply chain activities.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders for effective collaboration across Commercial, Programme, and Supply Chain communities.
• Develop a high performing Supply Chain Development Team.

Skills

Strategy development

SRM

Stakeholder influence

Governance frameworks

Sustainability

ESG

Supplier diversity

SME participation

Communication

Presentation skills

Job description

Senior Supply Chain Development Manager

Package: £63,270 to £85,000 (depending on experience)

Location: Reading, with free onsite parking.

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight, with every other Friday as a non-working day. This role is eligible for hybrid working, meaning employees typically spend three days on site in a long week and two days on site in a short week. We support flexible working where possible, including part‑time and varied working hours, so please let us know if you would like us to consider an alternative working arrangement when you apply.

Ready to play your part?

At AWE, it’s not just a job, it’s far more than that. Our shared purpose is to help keep the nation safe. Could this role be the opportunity for you to play your part?

The Senior Supply Chain Development Manager plays a pivotal role within a newly established Supply Chain Development team, responsible for enabling the Commercial function to deliver a coherent, strategic, and enterprise‑wide approach to supply chain development across AWE.

The role supports the organisation through a significant period of procurement and tendering activity associated with the replacement warhead programme, ensuring that supply chain capability frameworks are established and embedded across the business.

Reporting to the Principal Supply Chain Development Manager, the role is accountable for developing supply chain management frameworks, methodologies, standards, tools, and best practices that strengthen supplier relationships, improve supply chain performance, and position AWE as a Client of Choice. The role also leads the team in advancing sustainability, social value, and supplier inclusion objectives.

Key Accountabilities:

• Accountable for establishing and maintaining a robust supplier governance methodology and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) framework that supports strategic business objectives.

• Accountable for ensuring consistent supplier segmentation and performance management approaches are adopted across AWE.

• Accountable for the creation and maintenance of supply chain policies, procedures, standards, tools, and templates.

• Accountable for driving improvements in supplier relationship maturity and embedding best‑practice supplier management principles.

• Accountable for delivering initiatives that enhance AWE's position as a preferred customer within key supply markets through the Client of Choice strategy.

• Accountable for the successful planning and delivery of supplier engagement programmes, forums, and communication activities.

• Accountable for embedding ESG, supplier diversity, SME participation, and social value considerations into supply chain development activities.

• Accountable for building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring effective collaboration across Commercial, Programme, and Supply Chain communities.

• Accountable for development of a high performing Supply Chain Development Team.

Whilst not to be considered a tick list, we’d like you to have experience in some of the following:

• Must have proven professional experience.

• Proven experience in developing strategy with specific experience in supply chain development and SRM.

• Experience in development of SME strategies that work cohesively with wider supply development strategies.

• Experience of working collaboratively with and influencing senior business stakeholders.

• Experience designing and implementing supply chain governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and operating models.

• Experience incorporating sustainability, ESG, social value, supplier diversity, and SME participation objectives into procurement and supply chain strategies.

• Ability to develop and implement enterprise‑wide supply chain frameworks, governance models, and improvement strategies aligned to organisational objectives.

• Strong ability to build credibility and influence senior leaders, suppliers, and cross‑functional stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to lead supplier engagement initiatives, workshops, forums.

• Proven capability to design, implement and embed new processes, methodologies, and ways of working that enhance supply chain performance and organisational maturity.

• Ability to work effectively in a complex and ambiguous environment.

• Role model for innovation and continuous improvement.

Work hard, be rewarded:

We ask a lot and set the bar high because our work truly matters. In return we offer balance, with award winning benefits including:

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.

• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).

• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.

• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.

• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.

• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).

• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.

• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

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Important things you need to know:

• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.

• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.

• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.