At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead procurement for high-value contracts and optimise vendor performance.
- Company: Join Starling, a disruptive tech bank transforming the banking experience.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, private medical insurance, and wellness perks.
- Other info: Diverse team culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
- Qualifications: 0-3 years of procurement experience and a degree required.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
Hello, we're Starling. We built a new kind of bank because we knew technology had the power to help people save, spend and manage their money in a new and transformative way. We're a fully licensed UK bank with the culture and spirit of a fast-moving, disruptive tech company. We're a bank, but better: fairer, easier to use and designed to demystify money for everyone. We employ nearly 4,000 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.
We are seeking a commercial and collaborative Procurement Manager to join our Finance team's Vendor function. Reporting to the Head of Procurement, you will play a central role in shaping how we buy, negotiate, and manage key partnerships across technology, operations, and our people teams. This is a highly visible role where you will act as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders, driving commercial value and championing procurement best practices across the entire business.
Responsibilities- End-to-End Procurement: Lead end-to-end procurement activity for complex, high-value contracts across technology, data, operational services, and people team categories.
- Sourcing Strategy: Develop and execute sourcing strategies that create genuine market competition and deliver measurable cost savings and value.
- Commercial Modelling: Build and maintain commercial models from supplier quotes to identify negotiation opportunities and inform strategy.
- Contract Renewals: Own contract renewals, ensuring no auto-renewal is missed and every renewal is approached with a clear commercial plan.
- Contract Negotiation: Negotiate contract terms, pricing, SLAs, and exit provisions that protect the business and reflect market rates. Negotiate and establish competitive commercial agreements, documenting evidence of commercial improvements or cost avoidance.
- In-Contract Management: Manage agreements post-contract by measuring the relationship against agreed SLAs, engaging with internal stakeholders, and ensuring a regular cadence of MI meetings with material strategic suppliers.
- Performance Optimisation: Look for opportunities to optimise vendor's commercial and operational performance as well as internal processes.
- Requirements Gathering: Identify, document, and agree requirements at the beginning of a project to provide clarity during the contracting, negotiation, and sign-off process.
- Market Awareness: Maintain a sound working knowledge base of category supplier capacities in the market, category market trends, and developments, attending trade events and conferences where applicable.
- Workflow Maintenance: Ensure that all procurement and contractual workflows are maintained and kept up to date within the contract management system.
- Stakeholder & Vendor Relations: Build healthy and productive relationships with key internal stakeholders within category spend areas. Act as a point of escalation, providing guidance and support to stakeholders across the organisation. Work closely with the Vendor onboarding teams ensuring supplier on-boarding is in line with process and regulations.
- Reporting: Contribute to Monthly reporting and updates to Executives (VMF).
- Best Practice Advocacy: Champion procurement best practice across the business, improving commercial awareness and policy compliance.
- 0-3 years of procurement experience.
- Educated to degree level.
- Experience working in Financial Services.
- Experience working on SaaS contracts.
- Commercial Analysis: Strong commercial analysis skills with the ability to build cost models, interpret supplier financials, and identify negotiation levers.
- Negotiation Excellence: Excellent negotiation skills with a demonstrable ability to achieve strong commercial outcomes.
- Contractual Literacy: Contractually literate with the ability to negotiate around the finer points of an agreement.
- Communication & Output: High standard of written output with the ability to produce clear, accurate, and commercially focused documents and analysis.
- Interpersonal Skills: Great relationship-building, communication, problem-solving, organisational, and time management skills, maintained with an overall collaborative approach.
- Autonomy: Ability to work with significant independence, exercise sound judgement in ambiguous situations, and take ownership of decisions.
- 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you).
- An extra day's holiday for your birthday.
- Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off.
- 16 hours paid volunteering time a year.
- Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme.
- Life insurance at 4x your salary.
- Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care.
- Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton.
- Generous family-friendly policies.
- Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks.
- Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work and Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships.
You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can't accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion. So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren't sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway. We're on a mission to radically reshape banking - and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we're proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems. Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we're proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Starling Bank are considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Procurement Manager in London employer: Starling
At Starling Bank, we pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking employer that combines the innovation of a tech company with the stability of a fully licensed bank. Our collaborative work culture fosters personal and professional growth, offering extensive benefits such as generous holiday allowances, private medical insurance, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Join us in reshaping banking while enjoying a supportive environment that values your contributions and well-being.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Procurement Manager in London
✨Get Savvy with Industry Perks
Join procurement and purchasing forums or groups where pros hang out, like CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply). They'll share the inside scoop on job openings that might not show up on traditional job boards!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Consider creating a portfolio that outlines your achievements in procurement, like cost-saving initiatives or supplier management strategies. Having tangible evidence of your skills can really set you apart when applying to companies like Starling.
✨Tap into Your Network
Leverage LinkedIn to connect with professionals in procurement—follow relevant hashtags, join groups, and engage in discussions. This is a great way to get noticed by potential employers before they even post a job!
✨Keep Your Eyes on Job Boards
With full-time positions, timing can be everything. Set alerts on job boards specifically for procurement roles. Don't wait for a job posting to close; apply through our website as soon as you see a fit—being proactive can give you the edge!
We think you need these skills to ace Procurement Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Procurement Know-How:When you're crafting your CV, make sure to highlight any procurement-specific skills you've got. Talk about your experience with supplier negotiations, cost analysis, or inventory management. If you’ve used software like SAP or Oracle, don’t forget to mention that too – it shows you know your way around the tech side of things!
Quantify Your Achievements:In procurement, numbers matter. Use your CV and cover letter to showcase any quantifiable achievements you've made in reducing costs or improving efficiencies. For example, mentioning that you helped save 20% on purchasing costs last year is way more impressive than just saying you managed the budget!
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Starling:Your cover letter should read like you’re chatting directly to Starling. Research the company’s procurement strategy, mention how your skills align with their goals, and share your enthusiasm for contributing to their success. This personal touch can really set you apart from the crowd!
Professional Certs Can Go a Long Way:If you've got any procurement-related certifications, such as CIPS or APICS, make sure they're front and centre on your CV. These qualifications show you're serious about your career in procurement and are committed to continuous learning. It’s a great way to signal your expertise and dedication to potential employers like Starling.
How to prepare for a job interview at Starling
✨Show Off Your Negotiation Skills
In procurement, strong negotiation skills are key. Be ready to share examples of past negotiations where you've successfully saved costs or improved supplier terms. We want to hear how you approached those situations and the strategies you used to achieve positive outcomes!
✨Know Your Tools
Make sure you’re familiar with procurement software and tools commonly used in the industry, such as SAP Ariba or Coupa. Come prepared to discuss any experiences you've had with these tools or similar platforms, as we need someone who can hit the ground running at Starling!
✨Understand Market Trends
As a procurement professional, being aware of market trends can set you apart. Brush up on recent developments in supply chain management or procurement best practices and think about how they could impact your role at Starling. Bringing a current perspective will show your enthusiasm for the industry.
✨Demonstrate Your Team Player Attitude
A full-time position means you'll be working closely with various teams. Be prepared to discuss how you collaborate with others, manage conflicts, and build relationships with stakeholders. Sharing anecdotes about past teamwork experiences will highlight your ability to fit into Starling's culture.