Strategic Sourcing Manager – Full Time – Milton Keynes

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

Salary: £600/day Great Role

Job Type: Contract

Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

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