Value Improvement Manager in Wakefield

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Value Improvement Manager to play a pivotal role in driving value, innovation, and collaboration across our Commercial Directorate. As part of our Value Improvement team, you will contribute to the development, tracking, and delivery of the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) Value Improvement Pipeline (VIP), helping to identify opportunities that improve performance, release value, and support wider organisational goals.

In this influential role, you will lead value improvement projects across a broad range of categories, working closely with both internal stakeholders and suppliers to diagnose challenges, identify opportunities, and implement sustainable solutions. You will become a trusted expert in supplier development, building strong relationships and leveraging collaborative partnerships to deliver measurable benefits for NHS Supply Chain and the wider NHS.

You will also support our industrial engagement agenda, working alongside the Value Improvement Lead to bring valuable external market insights into the organisation while ensuring effective management of supplier relationships, risks, and opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded professional who is passionate about continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and delivering meaningful value within a complex and dynamic environment.

Every day you will …

• Lead strategic value improvement initiatives by identifying, assessing, and delivering opportunities that maximise commercial and supply chain value across supplier contracts and the wider healthcare system.
• Drive supplier performance excellence through collaboration with Supplier Managers, Category teams, and Supplier Assurance, leading targeted improvement projects to address persistent supplier performance challenges.
• Build strong stakeholder partnerships across Commercial, Customer, and supplier networks, acting as a trusted advisor who removes barriers, maintains engagement, and delivers sustainable project outcomes.
• Champion governance, best practice, and continuous improvement by implementing clear ways of working, applying supply chain and manufacturing expertise, and ensuring value is protected throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Demonstrate values-led leadership and collaboration by fostering a high-performing team culture and bringing together diverse stakeholders to deliver enhanced value for the NHS and improved outcomes for patients.

What can we offer you?

• Hybrid working opportunities, giving you the flexibility to work collaboratively in the office and remotely.
• Annual bonus schemes, long service, and colleagues’ recognition awards.
• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days.
• In-house training, support, and access to external qualifications to maximise your potential.
• 1 day of paid well-being leave and free access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Generous pension scheme (with us contributing 12% when you contribute 6%).
• Access to our Flexible Benefits Scheme, where you can choose from a variety of benefits such as Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection, Health Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, and additional pension contributions that suit you.
• 2 days of paid volunteering leave allowing you to give back to your community.
• Access to many discounts from the Blue Light Card to NHS Discounts.

NHS Supply Chain, who are we?

Our role is to support the NHS to save lives and improve health. We are a part of the NHS family, and our role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales. We serve every NHS Trust and operate a national network of distribution centres, managing relationships with more than a thousand suppliers and delivering more than 8,000,000 orders each year to more than 17,000 locations. Doing all of this on behalf of the NHS gives NHS staff more time to focus on their main priority of providing excellent patient care.

What skills will help you thrive in this role?

• Strong supply chain and manufacturing leadership experience, with a proven ability to drive performance improvements across functions such as logistics, supply planning, and engineering while optimising end-to-end supply chain operations.
• Commercially astute with sound financial understanding, including supplier negotiations across diverse categories, application of cost modelling principles, and delivery of strategic commercial improvement initiatives.
• Proficient in key business software applications, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Visio, and PowerPoint, enabling effective analysis, process mapping, documentation, reporting, and stakeholder presentations.
• Experienced project manager with a track record of leading complex improvement programmes, applying structured project management methodologies, performance metrics, and reporting frameworks to deliver measurable business benefits.
• Strong working knowledge of Lean management principles, with the ability to identify process inefficiencies, reduce waste, facilitate root-cause analysis, and help stakeholders design and implement future-state operating models.

Our Inclusive Commitment

At NHS Supply Chain, we are committed to building an inclusive environment where difference is not only valued, but celebrated, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive in their career. Developing our people is key to our success, so if this role sounds like the right next step in your career but your experience doesn’t match perfectly with the job advert, we encourage you to still apply.