Business Continuity Planner (Part of Outsourcing and Vendor Mgmnt )

Business Continuity & Resilience Officer
Job Purpose
This confidential role is responsible for safeguarding the organisation’s operational resilience by managing business continuity planning (BCP) and overseeing the risk and resilience of outsourced vendor and supplier relationships. The officer will ensure robust continuity strategies are in place, facilitate critical supplier onboarding and off boarding, and support the continuous improvement of business continuity and resilience frameworks across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Business Continuity & Resilience
• Develop, implement, and maintain the organisation’s Business Continuity Management (BCM) framework, ensuring it is robust, effective, and aligned with regulatory and industry best practices.
• Lead the creation, review, and regular testing of business continuity plans (BCPs), including conducting business impact analyses (BIAs) and risk assessments to identify critical business functions and potential threats.
• Coordinate with internal departments to ensure appropriate continuity and recovery strategies are in place, and that plans are up to date and actionable.
• Facilitate and document exercises and simulations to validate BCP and disaster recovery (DR) plans, ensuring lessons learned are incorporated into future planning.
• Monitor external regulatory requirements and evolving best practices to maintain compliance and enhance the effectiveness of continuity arrangements.
• Collaborate with IT, operational teams, and senior management to ensure alignment between business continuity objectives and technical recovery capabilities.
• Prepare and deliver business continuity status reports and briefings to management as required.

Vendor/Supplier Resilience Oversight

• Oversee the onboarding and offboarding of vendors and suppliers, ensuring all processes support the organisation’s continuity and resilience objectives.
• Conduct thorough due diligence and risk assessments for all vendors and suppliers, with a focus on their ability to support the organisation’s business continuity standards and requirements.
• Monitor ongoing vendor risk, ensuring compliance with contractual and regulatory obligations, and track renewal and expiry dates of all agreements.
• Support the drafting, negotiation, and management of contracts, ensuring terms support operational resilience and continuity.
• Validate that third-party BCPs meet or exceed the organisation’s BCM standards, and escalate any gaps or risks identified.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Measure and report on the performance of critical vendors and suppliers, analysing data to optimise relationships and mitigate risks.
• Identify sourcing opportunities that enhance resilience and support cost efficiency.
• Ensure all documentation related to vendor management and business continuity is current, accurate, and supports audit and regulatory requirements.

Other Duties

• Support the line manager with additional tasks related to business continuity, resilience, or vendor management as required.
• Represent the organisation at external business continuity forums and maintain relationships with resilience partners and stakeholders.

Key Competencies

• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to assess risks, identify gaps, and drive improvements in continuity and resilience processes.
• High level of discretion, professionalism, and confidentiality in all aspects of the role.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
• Proficient in project management, planning, and prioritisation.

Key Success Factors

• Continuous improvement and integration of business continuity and vendor management processes into the organisation’s operations.
• Regular validation, assurance, and enhancement of business continuity solutions to ensure organisational resilience against disruptions.
• This role is critical to ensuring the organisation’s ability to operate seamlessly through disruptions, safeguarding both operational integrity and reputation.