Procurement Contract Manager in Guildford

We’re looking for an experienced Contract & Procurement Manager to take ownership of a varied commercial portfolio within a highly regarded organisation in the Weybridge area of Surrey. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys getting under the skin of an organisation, quickly understanding what’s in place and using their expertise to bring structure, consistency and strong commercial practice. You’ll be joining at an important time, with the opportunity to get hold of existing procurement and contract activity, identify where attention is needed and ensure robust processes, governance and supplier management are firmly in place.

Location: Weybridge area – hybrid working

Contract: Full-time, initially until the end of March 2027

Type of position: Temporary (contract for services PAYE basis)

Rate: circa £70K FTE

What you’ll be doing:

• You’ll lead and support procurement activity from early planning and market engagement through to tender, evaluation, contract award and mobilisation, working closely with stakeholders to understand requirements and determine the most appropriate commercial approach.
• Alongside new procurement activity, you’ll take ownership of existing contracts and supplier relationships, ensuring performance, risks, renewals, variations and contractual obligations are effectively managed.
• You’ll also provide trusted commercial advice to senior stakeholders, helping to strengthen procurement and contract-management practices across the organisation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing procurement and tender exercises through the full lifecycle
• Reviewing and strengthening existing contract-management arrangements
• Monitoring supplier performance, SLAs, KPIs and commercial risk
• Supporting contract variations, extensions, renewals and exits
• Ensuring appropriate governance, audit trails and financial controls
• Advising stakeholders on procurement routes, contractual matters and commercial risk
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, controls, templates and reporting
• Supporting value for money, savings and effective supplier relationships

About you:

We’re looking for someone with substantial experience across procurement, contracts and commercial management who is comfortable stepping into an environment, taking ownership and working out what needs to happen. You’ll ideally bring:

• Strong procurement and contract-management experience
• Sound commercial judgement and a good understanding of governance and risk
• Experience of running tender/procurement exercises
• Confidence managing suppliers and addressing performance issues
• The ability to interpret contracts and understand appropriate contractual clauses
• Strong stakeholder-management skills, including the confidence to advise and constructively challenge senior colleagues
• A practical, organised and proactive approach – someone who can come in and get things moving

A relevant procurement, commercial or contract-management qualification would be advantageous, although significant practical experience will also be considered. Public-sector experience could be useful but is not essential – we’re equally interested in people who have developed strong procurement, commercial and governance expertise within the private sector.

Why this opportunity?

This isn’t a role where you’ll simply be maintaining an established process. There’s a genuine opportunity to bring your expertise, make recommendations, strengthen how things are done and leave the function in a better place. The initial assignment is expected to run until the end of March 2027, with the potential for the requirement to continue beyond this. If you’re an experienced procurement and contracts professional who enjoys taking ownership and making a tangible difference, we’d love to hear from you.