Senior Procurement Manager
Based in Bristol
Salary up to £65,000 + 21% Bonus, Pension
Ready to step up from procurement into people leadership, or already leading a team and looking for a role with more weight behind it? This is a senior subcontracts and procurement management position on complex, high-value defence programmes.
You'll lead a team of procurement specialists managing subcontracts across the full lifecycle of in-service support projects, from tendering and negotiation through to contract execution and ongoing supplier management. It's a role with real commercial responsibility, negotiating terms and conditions with critical suppliers, resolving contractual disagreements, and safeguarding delivery on cost, quality and schedule for sophisticated sub-systems.
You'll work closely with technical and project teams at senior level, providing commercial guidance and managing risk and opportunity across multiple frameworks. Expect regular travel to suppliers across the UK and occasionally Europe.
What you'll need:
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Proven experience in procurement or subcontract management, ideally within defence, aerospace, or another regulated engineering sector
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Demonstrable line management experience, leading a team of procurement or commercial specialists
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Strong negotiation skills, with a track record of authoring and reviewing contracts and terms and conditions
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Experience of competitive tendering and supporting new business proposals
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CIPS or MCIPS qualification preferred, though not essential with strong subcontract management experience
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Comfortable balancing procedural rigour with commercial pragmatism
Security Clearance: Due to security requirements, you will need to hold current British citizenship (dual UK nationals with British citizenship also eligible).
If this sounds like a natural next step, even if you're not actively looking, it's worth a conversation. Get in touch, and we can talk through the details.
