Supplier Relationship Manager in Coventry

We are seeking a proactive and motivated Supplier Relationship Manager to join our Procurement team. This newly created role will be instrumental in creating and maintaining strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and suppliers, ensuring seamless collaboration across the supply chain, improving supplier performance and client satisfaction.

Responsibilities

1. Supplier performance – hold monthly meetings with preferred suppliers to measure KPIs, collate ongoing feedback from operational teams, provide an escalation point when issues occur, create performance dashboards for each supplier, manage from start to finish escalation process with performance improvement plans from suppliers.
2. Supplier due diligence and ongoing record management – ensure preferred supplier details are up to date and available to the wider business, issue and collate annual supplier questionnaire to capture diversity, social value and sustainability information, perform credit checks on business‑critical suppliers.
3. Contract management – collate supplier contracts, populate the contract database, identify contract leakage and move to preferred suppliers, manage terminations and mobilisations. Ensure commercial aspects of supplier contracts are met. Support Operational teams with supplier queries, issues and advice. Support suppliers with information and access to the Operational teams.
4. Commercial control – drive cost savings through consolidation of requirements under preferred suppliers, ensure suppliers deliver on agreed commercial terms, identify in contract cost savings through supplier suggestions, efficiencies, or technology.
5. Supplier development – progress annual plans and supplier projects, identify opportunities and efficiencies in current ways of working with our supply base, identify root cause for recurring service issues, review sourcing strategies; insourcing verses outsourcing, bundling or unbundling. Develop and document standardised processes to improve consistency, accountability, and efficiency across functions.
6. General Procurement support – support in the negotiations of contract renewals, deputise in the absence of the Head of Procurement, assist in the development of the Procurement Administrator, input to the overall procurement strategy, policy and process development.

Key Competencies

• Analytical thinker with a hands‑on approach.
• Resilient and adaptable to change in a fast‑paced environment.
• Commercially astute with a focus on value creation.
• Collaborative mindset with strong relationship‑building ability.
• Passion for problem solving and conflict resolution.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Minimum 3 years in a procurement, or supplier‑facing role.
• Proven track record of managing suppliers and delivering cost savings.
• Strong background in contract management and performance frameworks.
• Proficient stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Intermediate M365 skills.

Desirable

• Experience in greenfield procurement environments (building processes from scratch).
• Exposure to ESG integration and sustainable procurement practices.
• Familiarity with Facilities Management service categories (cleaning, maintenance, security, waste management).