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. We’re proud of our award‑winning success, reflecting our commitment to innovation and excellent service. Alongside continued growth, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact, having planted more than 419,000 trees through our environmental partnership with Vavista.

We’re now 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’ll provide the 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 that 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, the assurance schedule and system.
• Leading the transition to the automated, 'always‑on' monitoring system.
• Supporting business owners achieve market leading supplier commercial performance, mitigate risk, and maintain the high standards of customer protection expected 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 Supplier Assurance Framework (SAF), ensuring the Group RACI remains accurate and effective across all decentralised business units.
• Owning the Risk‑Based Assessment process, conducting annual and event‑driven re‑assessments of the supplier landscape to ensure oversight remains proportional to risk/value.
• Acting as the primary administrator for the Supplier Management System, ensuring the 'Single Source of Truth' is accurate and that automated guardrails are functioning correctly.
• Maintaining a centralised repository of evidence for FCA, PRA, and Insurer TOBA reviews.
• Providing regular reporting to the Exco and Risk Committees on the 'health' of the supplier landscape and any 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 the remediation of audit findings, tracking supplier progress against corrective action plans and escalating significant risks to the Head of Legal and relevant Risk Committees.

Management of Systemic Guardrails & Automation

• Serving as the Lead Administrator for the Group’s procurement technology stack (SIM/GRC platform).
• Monitoring and acting upon 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 away from manual spreadsheet tracking toward 24/7 systemic monitoring.

Commercial & Lifecycle Support

• Partnering with Business Owners throughout the entire supplier lifecycle, from initial due diligence and selection to contract negotiation and eventual exit.
• Providing commercial insights to help business units achieve market‑leading performance, identifying opportunities for consolidation or process efficiency within the decentralised model.
• Reviewing and optimising supplier reporting and SLAs to ensure they drive the right behaviours and align with SBG strategy.
• Supporting the procurement proposer with vendor selection and commercial negotiation, providing insights and recommendations to achieve the best outcomes.
• Overseeing due diligence administration during onboarding and for periodic due diligence updates, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Regulatory Compliance & Reporting

• Ensuring all third‑party arrangements meet the required FCA regulatory frameworks, specifically SYSC 8, SS2/21 (Operational Resilience), and Consumer Duty.
• Maintaining always‑on audit‑readiness by ensuring all due diligence, contracts, and oversight records are current and accessible for regulatory or capacity provider requests.
• Producing monthly Management Information (MI) as required, highlighting key supplier risks, performance trends, and assurance status.
• Maintaining and continually enhancing procurement policies, workflows, and systems to align with regulatory expectations and insurance industry best practice.

Stakeholder Engagement & Training

• Acting as the Group Supplier Governance Lead to ensure all divisional activities remain compliant with the SAF; this includes the authority to enforce the Group RACI and mandate adherence to systemic approval hurdles before any supplier engagement or contract renewal can proceed.
• Acting as a consultative partner to the divisional Supplier Business Owners (MDs and Dept Heads) providing guidance and training to internal teams on their SAF responsibilities and system usage.
• Supporting Business Owners in navigating the end‑to‑end lifecycle, from initial selection and due diligence to contract renewal or exit.
• Fostering strong relationships with Legal, IT, Infosec, and Finance to ensure a seamless and integrated approach to third‑party risk management.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Input

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

What you will need:

• A proven track record in Third‑Party Risk Management (TPRM) or Internal Audit, ideally within a regulated Financial Services or Insurance environment.
• Comfortable working with (and leading the transition to) automated GRC or Supplier Information Management (SIM) platforms, moving away from manual spreadsheet-based tracking.
• A deep understanding of FCA frameworks, including SYSC 8, Operational Resilience (SS2/21), and Consumer Duty, and knowing how to embed these into daily operations.
• A skilled communicator who can act as a Group Authority, comfortably challenging senior stakeholders and divisional MDs to ensure adherence to the Group RACI while supporting their commercial goals.
• The discipline to design and execute a rigorous Audit and Assurance Schedule, ensuring that no critical supplier falls through the cracks.
• Using your commercial acumen to support business owners in negotiations and vendor selection, helping the organisation find a competitive edge through its supplier base.

Our Benefits

• Hybrid working – 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home.
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days over 2 years’ service and 30 days after 5 years’ service. Plus bank holidays!
• Discretionary annual bonus.
• Pension scheme – 5% employee, 6% employer.
• Flexible working – we will always consider applications for those who require less than the advertised hours.
• Flexi‑time.
• Healthcare Cash Plan – claim cashback on a variety of everyday healthcare costs.
• Electric vehicle – salary sacrifice scheme.
• 100’s of exclusive retailer discounts.
• Professional wellbeing, health & fitness app - Wrkit.
• Enhanced parental leave, including time off for IVF appointments.
• Religious bank holidays – if you don’t celebrate Christmas and Easter, you can use these annual leave days on other occasions throughout the year.
• Life Assurance - 4 times your salary.
• 25% Car Insurance Discount.
• 20% Travel Insurance Discount.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Employee Referral Scheme.
• Community support day.