Supplier Procurement & Assurance Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne

Somerset Bridge Group is one of the UK's fastest‐growing insurance businesses, supporting brands such as GoSkippy and Vavista. With offices in Bristol, Newcastle and Gibraltar, we provide straightforward motor insurance to over 740,000 customers each year, backed by a friendly, customer‐focused team.

Department and Location

• Department: [SBSS] Procurement
• Location: Newcastle

Compensation

£56,000 - £64,000 / year

Role Overview

We are evolving our risk‐based supplier assurance framework and are looking for a high‐calibre professional to lead this transition as our Group Supplier Procurement & Assurance Manager. This strategic role goes far beyond administration – you will own the group‐wide audit schedule, manage our automated control environment and act as a key partner to divisional MDs. Reporting to the Head of Legal Services, you will provide governance, insight and commercial guidance needed to support safe, compliant, and high‐performing supplier relationships across the business.

What you will be responsible for

• Ensuring all third‐party suppliers meet the customer, regulatory and governance standards required by the SBG Supplier Assurance Framework (SAF).
• Owning and continuously improving the Supplier Assurance Framework tools – the RACI, risk‐based supplier assessment, assurance schedule and system.
• Leading the transition to the automated, 'always‐on' monitoring system.
• Supporting business owners in achieving market‐leading supplier commercial performance, mitigating risk and maintaining high standards of customer protection within a regulated insurance environment.
• Partnering with supplier business owners and compliance teams to ensure local autonomy remains safely within SAF guardrails throughout the entire supplier lifecycle.
• Protecting SBG and its customers by maintaining a state of 'always‐on' audit‐readiness.

Framework Management & Governance

• Maintaining and evolving the SAF, ensuring the Group RACI remains accurate across all decentralised business units.
• Owning the risk‐based assessment process, conducting annual and event‐driven re‐assessments of the supplier landscape.
• Acting as the primary administrator for the Supplier Management System, ensuring the 'single source of truth' is accurate and guardrails function correctly.
• Maintaining a centralised repository of evidence for FCA, PRA and insurer TOBA reviews.
• Providing regular reporting to Exco and Risk Committees on the health of the supplier landscape and breaches of systemic guardrails.

Audit & Assurance Execution

• Designing and leading the Audit & Assurance Schedule, coordinating with business owners to ensure all required reviews are completed on time.
• Conducting desk‐based and on‐site supplier audits for 'critical' and 'important' third parties, focusing on operational resilience, data security and customer outcomes.
• Managing remediation of audit findings, tracking supplier progress against corrective action plans and escalating significant risks as required.

Management of Systemic Guardrails & Automation

• Serving as the lead administrator for the Group's procurement technology stack (SIM/GRC platform).
• Monitoring and acting on automated alerts regarding supplier insolvency, data breaches and sanctions, ensuring immediate escalation of red flags.
• Continuously refining the 'golden rules' within the system to move toward 24/7 systemic monitoring.

Commercial & Lifecycle Support

• Partnering with business owners throughout the entire supplier lifecycle, from due diligence and selection to contract negotiation and eventual exit.
• Providing commercial insights that help units achieve market‐leading performance, identifying consolidation or efficiency opportunities.
• Reviewing and optimising supplier reporting and SLAs to align with SBG strategy.
• Supporting procurement proposers with vendor selection and commercial negotiation.
• Overseeing due diligence during onboarding and periodic updates, ensuring regulatory compliance.

Regulatory Compliance & Reporting

• Ensuring all third‐party arrangements meet required FCA frameworks, such as SYSC 8, SS2/21 (Operational Resilience) and Consumer Duty.
• Maintaining audit‐readiness by keeping due diligence, contracts and oversight records current.
• Producing monthly management information highlighting key supplier risks, performance trends and assurance status.
• Maintaining and continually enhancing procurement policies, workflows and systems to meet regulatory expectations.

Stakeholder Engagement & Training

• Acting as the Group Supplier Governance Lead, ensuring divisional activities remain compliant with the SAF and enforcing the Group RACI.
• Providing guidance and training to internal teams on SAF responsibilities and system usage.
• Supporting business owners in navigating the end‐to‐end lifecycle.
• Fostering strong relationships with Legal, IT, Infosec and Finance for integrated third‐party risk management.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Input

• Driving improvements in procurement efficiency, system capability and governance maturity.
• Providing insight on procurement strategy, emerging risks and industry trends to the Head of Legal Services.
• Championing innovation in supplier solutions that support operational resilience and customer outcomes.

What you will need

• Proven track record in Third‐Party Risk Management (TPRM) or Internal Audit, ideally within regulated financial services or insurance.
• Comfortable leading the transition to automated GRC or Supplier Information Management platforms.
• Deep understanding of FCA frameworks (SYSC 8, Operational Resilience, Consumer Duty) and ability to embed them into daily operations.
• Skilled communicator who can challenge senior stakeholders and divisional MDs to ensure adherence to Group RACI while supporting commercial goals.
• Discipline to design and execute a rigorous Audit and Assurance Schedule.
• Uses commercial acumen to support negotiations and vendor selection, helping the organisation find competitive advantage.

Our Benefits

• Hybrid working – 2 days in office, 3 days remote.
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 2 years and 30 days after 5 years, plus bank holidays.
• Discretionary annual bonus.
• Pension scheme – 5% employee, 6% employer.
• Flexible working – we consider applications for fewer hours.
• Flexi‐time.
• Healthcare Cash Plan – cashback on everyday costs.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
• Exclusive retailer discounts.
• Professional wellbeing, health & fitness app – Wrkit.
• Enhanced parental leave, including time off for IVF appointments.
• Religious bank holidays – use on other occasions if you don’t celebrate Christmas or Easter.
• Life assurance – 4× salary.
• 25% car insurance discount.
• 20% travel insurance discount.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Employee referral scheme.
• Community support day.