Supplier Manager in Ashington

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Supplier Manager to join our established team at LV=. As a leading UK life and pensions mutual insurer with a proud history dating back to 1843, we exist to help people live financially confident lives – protecting their income while they work and maximising it when they stop. Today, over one million members and customers trust us to look after their futures, families and finances. Joining us means becoming part of a team that puts our members, customers and advisers at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues can thrive.

Within this unique, fast-paced role, you’ll develop and maintain critical supplier relationships, oversee material suppliers to ensure services are compliant and meet our commercial and performance expectations. This is a key role, where strong supplier oversight directly supports operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and long term business success. You’ll ensure robust governance, effective risk management and strong service performance, while enabling the business to operate safely, compliantly, and with confidence.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with a portfolio of critical material suppliers, acting as the primary business interface.
• Ensure supplier arrangements remain compliant with regulatory requirements (including PRA/FCA outsourcing guidance and SS2/21).
• Maintain and renew supplier contracts, and re-negotiating pricing and commercial terms where required.
• Monitor supplier performance against SLAs, KPIs and contractual obligations, escalating and resolving any concerns as needed.
• Lead on proportionate supplier governance, including performance, risk and service review forums.
• Identify, manage and resolve supplier related risks, working closely with internal stakeholders and risk SMEs.
• Develop and maintain clear exit and contingency plans for critical supplier services.
• Collaborate with our Sourcing, Legal, and Supply Chain Risk & Operations teams to support on category plans, governance, audit readiness, and reporting.
• Maintain accurate supplier data, risk assessments and controls.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, cost optimisation and supplier led innovation.
• Support with the business’s administration automation efforts.

About You

Our ideal candidate will…

• Have previous experience in supplier management, vendor governance or procurement, ideally within a regulated environment.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of supplier performance management, governance and contract management.
• Have a good understanding of UK financial services third party risk and regulatory expectations (e.g. FCA, PRA, SS2/21).
• Possess excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and communicate effectively.
• Competently manage complex, high value and high risk supplier relationships.
• Be commercially aware, with an understanding of cost drivers and commercial levers.
• Showcase consistently strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain oversight of key suppliers.
• Be proficient in using supplier management tools, risk systems, and reporting platforms.
• Possess a desire to work on projects such as transformation, service improvement, or innovation initiatives with third-party suppliers.

Desirable

• CIPS qualification or other procurement/supplier management certifications (desirable but not essential).
• Background in operational resilience, third-party risk, or compliance.

Rewards and Benefits

This role is a Band C in the LV= Structure. At LV= Savings and Retirement, you’ll go above and beyond to do the right thing for our customers. We’ll reward your hard work with an attractive, competitive salary and benefits package, which includes:

• 30 days' holiday, with the option to buy up to 5 additional days.
• Competitive pension scheme - LV= Life and Pensions will double-match the amount you pay, up to 14% (subject to National Minimum Wage requirements).
• An annual bonus scheme based on personal performance.
• Single-cover private medical insurance (with the option for you to upgrade to family cover).
• Flexible benefits, including a cycle to work scheme, personal accident insurance, critical illness cover and dental insurance.
• Up to 20% discount on our life products for you and your immediate family.
• A group life assurance policy with 4 x your basic pay to go to your dependents (you’ll have the option to increase to 8 x cover).
• Group Income Protection (if you become a member of the Pension scheme and reach 5 years of service).
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for support when you need it.
• A virtual GP service.
• Shared parental leave.

Please note all salary sacrifice benefits are subject to National Minimum Wage requirements i.e. you are unable to select any benefits that would reduce your base pay below the minimum wage threshold. Please note that we are unable to offer Skilled Worker Visa Sponsorship for this role. Therefore, you must ensure that you are eligible to work in the UK without our sponsorship for your application to be considered.

We’re proud of our inclusive culture at LV= and, as an equal-opportunity employer, we continually work to remove unconscious bias from our recruitment process. We value our colleagues for what they bring to our team regardless of any protected status or characteristics they may have. Talk to us about flexible working as part of your application; if it’s right for you, our members and customers, and our business, then we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.