Strategic Sourcing Manager

STRATEGIC SOURCING MANAGER - PRESTIOUS ARM OF GOVERNMENT, 6 MONTHS INITIALLY. MILTON KEYNES / LONDON BASED.

£600 PER DAY INSIDE IR35 / UMBRELLA. OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED!

Job Purpose

The Strategic Sourcing Manager is responsible for delivering sourcing strategies for complex, medium to high-value procurements. This role operates in close collaboration with Strategic Category Managers, Supplier Managers, and senior stakeholders to optimise value, manage risk, and ensure compliance within a regulated procurement environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing delivery for high-value and business-critical procurement projects (typically £300m–£500m annual spend influence).

• Develop and implement end-to-end sourcing strategies aligned to integrated category plans.

• Act as the lead negotiator, securing commercial benefits and cost savings, ensuring validation and alignment with finance objectives.

• Collaborate with stakeholders at senior level (Head of/Director level) to shape sourcing pipelines and ensure strategic alignment.

• Challenge business demand and drive aggregation opportunities to maximise value and efficiency.

• Ensure sourcing activities meet all regulatory, legislative, and governance requirements (e.g. public procurement compliance).

• Provide expert sourcing advice, introducing innovation and best practice to deliver competitive advantage.

• Conduct market analysis and supplier benchmarking to optimise Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

• Build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships to support transition from sourcing into supplier management.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of sourcing professionals, fostering capability growth and high performance.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

• Degree educated or equivalent experience.

• MCIPS qualified or equivalent professional accreditation.

• Significant sourcing/procurement experience of working in government roles, and ideally within complex environments (infrastructure or engineering)

• Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings and commercial benefits.

• Strong people management and leadership experience.

• Advanced negotiation and dispute resolution skills.

• Experience working in cross-functional, stakeholder-heavy environments.

• Strong influencing skills with the ability to navigate complex organisational structures.

• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving capability.

• Commercially focused with a value-driven approach.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the UK rail industry and public procurement regulations.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and delivery

• Commercial acumen

• Stakeholder management and influencing

• Leadership and team development

• Innovation and continuous improvement

• Risk management and governance

Is This You?

If you are a Procurement Manager / Sourcing Manager with public sector experience we want to hear from you! Send your application and we will be in touch to discuss this urgent role within hours