Procurement Manager in London

Global University Systems (GUS) is an international education group that empowers students to transform their lives through education. We believe education drives careers, lives, and society forward, enabling a brighter and more sustainable future for all. Our institutions offer the broadest range of industry-relevant skills through inclusive, accessible and digital-first learning. We offer a choice of career-enhancing certificates, degrees and post-graduate level qualifications, equipping our thriving multi-national community of students for lifelong success. Our world-leading network and state-of-the-art institutions power the up-skilling of our students worldwide.

About the role

Group Procurement has recently been established as a new function and is on an exciting journey to establish itself as a trusted advisor, globally. In this role, you will have the opportunity to help shape Procurement’s future, through helping drive a step change in benefit delivery across the organisation. There will be functional alignment with the Centre of Excellence, and you will work closely with our Global Heads of Category/Senior Category Managers.

Reporting to the Head of Global Procurement, the Procurement Manager role is responsible for executing their own procurement projects whilst supporting our Heads of Category to deliver their Procurement strategies on a UK and Global scale. This role involves designing and delivering end-to-end sourcing strategies, from early market engagement through tendering, negotiation, contract award, and mobilisation. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in procurement, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment.

Key responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement projects from initiation through to implementation and contract management.
• Develop and execute strategic sourcing and category management plans aligned to organisational objectives.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, value creation, and risk mitigation across key spend areas.
• Conduct market analysis to identify opportunities, supplier innovation, and risk exposure.
• Lead supplier selection processes including RFI/RFP/tender activities.
• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing structures, and contractual agreements with suppliers.
• Build and manage strong supplier relationships to ensure performance and compliance.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and ensure procurement strategies support operational priorities.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with internal governance, regulatory requirements, and best practice standards.
• Monitor supplier performance using KPIs and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide expert procurement advice to senior stakeholders and project teams.
• Manage risk throughout the procurement lifecycle.

Requirements

Essential

• Strong understanding of strategic procurement and category management principles.
• Proven ability to lead procurement or sourcing projects.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating complex contracts and commercial terms.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to analyse spend data and market trends to inform strategy.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills.
• Commercially astute with strong analytical capability.

Desirable

• Professional procurement qualification (e.g., CIPS or equivalent).
• Experience working within a regulated or public sector environment.
• Knowledge of contract law and risk management frameworks.
• Experience implementing procurement transformation initiatives.
• Experience using e-procurement or contract management systems.

Experience

• Demonstrated delivery of strategic sourcing initiatives and category strategies with measurable outcomes.
• Successful leadership of end-to-end procurement projects from scoping through implementation.
• Proven track record of negotiating high-value or complex commercial contracts.
• Evidence of influencing and collaborating with senior stakeholders across multiple business functions.
• Delivery of cost savings, value optimisation, or commercial risk reduction initiatives.

Desirable

• Management of multi-category or high-spend procurement portfolios.
• Exposure to complex, regulated, or large-scale organisational environments.
• Contribution to procurement transformation or continuous improvement programmes.
• Implementation of structured governance, reporting, or performance management frameworks.

What we offer:

• Hybrid working - most roles offer hybrid or flexible arrangements to support work life balance.
• Contributory Pension Scheme - 5% personal contribution & 3% Company contribution, so you can build long-term financial security with added benefits of the company contributions.
• Season Ticket Loan (T&C's apply) - spread the cost of your commute with an interest-free travel loan.
• Training & Development opportunities (T&C's apply) - access to short courses via FutureLearn and Group-wide professional development programmes.
• Staff Discount Scheme - via My Rewards Hub, from various retailers – Fashion, Grocery, Health & Beauty, Travel, Automotive, Furniture, Dining, Sports and Leisure, Electronics, etc.
• Employee Assistance Programme - confidential support for your wellbeing, whenever you need it.

We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose qualifications meet our requirements. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you if you are selected to continue for the next stage of the recruitment process. We wish you every success in your job search.

GUS is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.