Contract & Supplier Management Manager in Worthing

Location: Durrington (with occasional travel as required)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full time (flexible working, part time and job share considered)

Salary: Up to £50,000 per annum, plus competitive benefits

About The Role

Southern Water’s Supplier Engagement and Contract Management (SECM) function plays a pivotal role in shaping how we work with our suppliers—ensuring our partners deliver outcomes that support long‑term performance, resilience, sustainability and value for customers. This role focuses on services suppliers, with a strong emphasis on strategic relationships within an allocated category. It is designed for someone who takes ownership, looks ahead and seeks to improve how supplier relationships and contracts operate—not simply oversee them.

As Supplier Engagement & Contract Management Manager, you will act as the senior commercial and contractual interface between Southern Water and key service providers. You will shape supplier strategy, challenge existing approaches where they no longer serve the business, and drive meaningful improvement in performance, governance and value delivery. This is a high‑profile role suited to someone who is comfortable operating at pace, navigating ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders and taking confident, proportionate action when intervention is required.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Holding end‑to‑end accountability for both supplier engagement and contract management, maintaining light‑touch oversight across the category while applying deeper focus to critical or higher‑risk suppliers where required.
• Setting the strategic direction for supplier engagement and contract management within your allocated services category, aligned to SECM objectives and business priorities.
• Acting as the primary relationship and commercial lead for key service providers, shaping constructive, transparent and outcome‑focused partnerships.
• Leading supplier governance forums, strategic reviews and escalations, bringing clarity, challenge and resolution to complex or sensitive issues.
• Supporting the business through change, mobilisation, transformation or performance recovery within the supplier base.
• Proactively identifying performance, sustainability, commercial or structural improvement opportunities, and driving agreed actions through suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Maintaining oversight of contractual compliance, risk exposure and change, intervening early where trajectory or behaviour indicates emerging concern.
• Working closely with Category Management, Commercial and Procurement teams to influence sourcing decisions, contract design and governance models.
• Providing support beyond your allocated category when required, contributing SECM capability to priority issues across the wider organisation.
• Sharing insight, learning and constructive challenge to strengthen SECM maturity and ways of working across Southern Water.

Essential What you’ll bring to the role

• Demonstrable experience managing complex supplier relationships across services contracts.
• Strong commercial acumen, with sound judgement around risk, governance and escalation.
• A proactive mindset, with the confidence to challenge the status quo and drive improvement in line with organisational values and objectives.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Experience leading or contributing to strategic governance, performance or relationship reviews.
• Confidence handling high‑stakes or sensitive discussions, remaining balanced, credible and outcome‑focused.
• A full UK driving licence and ability to travel when required.

Desirable

• Understanding of business process outsourcing, particularly customer services environments.
• Experience working within a regulated environment, such as utilities.
• Knowledge of contract lifecycle management principles and governance frameworks.
• Experience partnering closely with sourcing, category management and commercial teams.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional Information

In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years. Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre‑employment checks, including security vetting. Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.