Supplier Relationship Manager

The Supplier Relationship Manager is a highly visible role which will develop and drive the strategy for telecommunications spend across the business. This role will join a developing function and as an experienced member of the Commercial team, this individual will be expected to provide into and support strategic decision making.

Role Responsibilities Include:

1. Act as a business partner to stakeholders, understanding business strategy and providing thought leadership which influences and supports business decision making.
2. Work upstream to anticipate challenges, ensuring departments are equipped with the right strategies to deliver the best possible commercial outcomes.
3. Develop and maintain a clear and current category plan for all telco specific spend.
4. Own contract and cost management to ensure overall commercial compliance.
5. Use internal and external technology category data, relationships and insight to formulate a clear point of view on business investment decisions.
6. Lead on high-value, complex commercial and contractual negotiations, to ensure contracts which fully protect the business' commercial and operational risks and interests.
7. Lead category Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) activity to ensure strategic supplier management is considered in all purchase decisions.

Key Skills Required:

1. Extensive experience of working within the telecommunications industry, with an understanding of common pricing models.
2. Understanding of Procurement basics - contract law, category management, negotiation, market dynamics, commercial strategy, strategic sourcing.
3. Ability to translate business needs into legal and commercial requirements based on customer centric business partnering.
4. Leadership experience of developing complex, category, budget and supplier strategies.
5. Strong leadership skills, either directly or cross functionally and able to coach and support teams and team members alike.
6. Exceptional engagement and relationship building abilities with the ability to communicate complex challenges in simple terms.
7. Strategically minded and creative, able to translate a vision into clear methodical plans.
8. Excellent problem-solving ability.

Hybrid working available - minimum 2x days per week required in the office.