Supplier Assurance Manager in Croydon

Location: Croydon office location with hybrid working

Salary: £58,000 to £63,000 per annum plus Civil Service Pension

Contract Type: Permanent

Position type: Full Time

At the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), we provide security in retirement for our members and millions of people throughout the UK who belong to defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. Through the PPF and Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), we compensate members for their pensions after the employer funding their pension becomes insolvent. In total, we look after over 400,000 members across the PPF and FAS. With over £30 billion in assets under management, our investments support long-term economic growth across the UK.

We are seeking a proactive and experienced Supplier Assurance Manager to lead the strategic development, implementation and ongoing improvement of our supplier assurance processes. We are looking for someone who can confidently manage our current manual assurance processes from email requests to saving documentation while also driving efficiencies and helping the business become more self-sufficient in how assurances are requested and managed.

In this pivotal role, you will ensure that third-party risks are effectively identified, assessed and managed throughout the supplier lifecycle. Working closely with internal subject matter experts and a diverse range of business stakeholders, you will oversee key governance activities, risk assessment, supplier monitoring and assurance oversight to reduce the organisation's risk exposure. Beyond day-to-day oversight, you will play an important role in shaping wider organisational objectives. This includes contributing to key business documents such as the Supplier Code of Conduct and risk questionnaires, chairing the Vendor Assurance Forum and supporting relevant working groups, including the Security Working Group. You will also help advance our sustainability strategy by ensuring supplier assurance practices are aligned with the organisation's sustainable procurement policy.

To be successful in this role, you will bring demonstrable experience in managing supplier risks and conducting supplier assurance activities, alongside strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to coordinate effectively with contract owners and specialist teams such as Compliance, Risk and Information Security. You will be confident organising and chairing meetings with internal and external stakeholders and will ideally hold, be working towards, or have an interest in a CIPS qualification or an equivalent such as World Commerce & Contracting. Strong analytical capability, sound decision-making, effective communication skills and the ability to influence and build positive relationships at all levels are essential. You will also possess excellent organisational and time-management skills, enabling you to plan, prioritise and manage a varied workload successfully.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and actively encourage applications from people with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. We are happy to discuss your needs and ensure you have the support required. We embrace diverse talent welcoming people with different beliefs, backgrounds and ways of working.