Procurement Operations & Risk Specialist

A leading organisation is seeking a Procurement Operations and Risk Specialist to join their Manchester-based team. This is an exceptional opportunity for you to play a pivotal role in ensuring effective control, commercial challenge, and assurance over third-party spend and suppliers.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping procurement strategy, driving cost efficiencies, and supporting the delivery of ambitious savings targets. The organisation offers flexible working opportunities, a supportive leadership structure, and a commitment to professional development, making this an ideal environment for you to thrive and make a meaningful impact.

• Take responsibility for high-value procurement activities with full ownership of strategic spend categories, ensuring your expertise directly influences organisational success.
• Enjoy flexible working opportunities and access to ongoing training that supports your professional growth within a nurturing and knowledgeable team environment.
• Be part of a forward-thinking group where your input into procurement policy and supply chain maturity will be valued and recognised by senior stakeholders.

What you'll do:

As a Senior Procurement Specialist based in Manchester, you will be entrusted with significant responsibility over both IT and non-IT spend categories. Your day-to-day activities will involve managing end-to-end tender processes, negotiating contracts with suppliers, and collaborating closely with internal stakeholders to ensure procurement objectives are met. You will analyse spend data to identify rationalisation opportunities within the supply chain while maintaining strong relationships with key suppliers. Your ability to contribute to policy development such as procurement risk management and support critical governance committees will be essential in driving the organisation's procurement maturity journey. Success in this role requires you to balance commercial awareness with interpersonal sensitivity, ensuring that cost savings are achieved without compromising quality or compliance. By supporting the Head of Procurement on strategic initiatives and responding effectively to escalations, you will help foster a culture of transparency, advocacy, and continuous improvement throughout the procurement function.

• Prepare and manage complex tenders from inception through to contract award, ensuring all processes are conducted with transparency and fairness.
• Oversee full IT category management including strategic sourcing, renewals management, and continuous improvement initiatives to maximise value.
• Deliver key non-IT category projects by applying commercial acumen and market insight to achieve optimal outcomes for the organisation.
• Contribute significantly to the achievement of procurement savings targets by identifying opportunities for cost reduction and efficiency gains across multiple categories.
• Rationalise the supply chain by analysing spend data, eliminating duplication, and streamlining supplier relationships for improved performance.
• Manage material supplier relationships with sensitivity and professionalism, fostering open communication and mutual understanding to ensure consistent delivery against agreed standards.
• Support the implementation of the Procurement maturity roadmap by contributing ideas and best practices that enhance overall team capability.
• Assist the Head of Procurement on priority initiatives and escalations as required, demonstrating reliability and responsiveness under pressure.
• Monitor contract compliance and proactively identify regulatory or third-party risk gaps, escalating issues appropriately to maintain a resilient supply chain.
• Contribute to key governance committees and policy development activities such as outsourcing governance, procurement systems, and risk management frameworks.

What you bring:

To excel as a Senior Procurement Specialist in this Manchester-based role, your background should include substantial experience in managing complex tenders across diverse spend categories. Your analytical mindset will empower you to drive supply chain rationalisation efforts while your interpersonal skills ensure positive supplier relationships are maintained. Experience in IT category management is highly valued alongside familiarity with contract compliance processes. You will bring an inclusive approach when engaging with colleagues at all levels demonstrating empathy during negotiations or when supporting policy development workstreams. Your dependability underpins your ability to respond effectively during escalations or priority initiatives led by senior leadership. A willingness to embrace ongoing learning opportunities further enhances your suitability for this position.

• Demonstrated experience preparing and managing complex tenders within a large or regulated organisation where attention to detail is paramount.
• Proven track record in IT category management including strategic sourcing, renewals negotiation, and supplier performance monitoring.
• Strong analytical skills enabling you to interpret spend data accurately for supply chain rationalisation initiatives.
• Excellent relationship-building abilities that allow you to manage material supplier partnerships with empathy and professionalism.
• Experience contributing towards procurement savings targets through effective cost control measures and process improvements.
• Familiarity with contract management principles including compliance monitoring and risk identification within third-party agreements.
• Ability to support policy development activities such as procurement risk management frameworks or outsourcing governance committees.
• Comfortable working collaboratively within a team environment while also being dependable when handling individual responsibilities or escalations.
• Effective communication skills that enable you to engage constructively with senior stakeholders across different functions.
• A commitment to personal development demonstrated by participation in relevant training or professional qualifications (e.g., CIPS certification is desirable but not essential).

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates