Senior Procurement Manager - Construction & Specification in Bristol

It`s an important time for procurement at Unite Students. We have been through a significant transformation as a function, including a complete refresh of our approach to specification, and Construction is one of our last remaining categories of spend needing a renewed way of working from procurement. The Senior Procurement Manager - Construction & Specification is instrumental in all of this - a member of the Procurement Leadership Team, the role is accountable for designing, driving and delivering the procurement strategy for this key area of spend and its relating supply chain, whilst balancing being a brilliant Business Partner that understands our New Development team`s needs and interprets these into a quality and professional procurement approach.

The role is equally responsible for continuing to drive our specification forward by interpreting, and, at times, challenging the business` needs and converting these into detailed and clear specifications. They are the beacon of ensuring consistent quality of product within our business.

What You`ll Be Doing

• Providing professional procurement advice and support across all Construction & Development (C&D) spend.
• Interpreting and providing detailed analysis of both the marketplace and internal factors, to create an ongoing category sourcing strategy in support of business objectives, our sustainable construction targets and management of risk.
• Delivering the procurement strategy for C&D - tendering, negotiating, contracting, and fostering supply chain relationships as appropriate to fulfil the strategy and generate both competition and long-term value.
• Providing constructive challenge - instilling commercial discipline in all areas of the category and its supply chain and bringing about positive change where needed to fulfil our business objectives.
• Ensuring fit for purpose contracts and measures of performance are in place, working closely with our New Development team, our main contractors and the C&D supply chain to ensure optimal supply chain performance is maintained and that risk is managed.
• Maintaining excellent stakeholder relationships to enable fast problem solving and `Unite as One` mentality.
• Responsible for ensuring clear, consistent and accurate specifications are used across the business.
• Holding the wider business and specification owners to account to ensure a full 360 understanding of requirements are considered within the specifications.
• Working closely with the wider procurement team so they can convert the specification into a sourced product that continues to push whole life cost, quality and innovation.
• Managing both the Specification Committee and innovation space, ensuring decisions are made and communicated in a dynamic and timely fashion.
• Measuring and improving on success of our specification.
• Working closely with the Operations Mobilisation team to ensure properties meet the Unite standard and are ready to be exceptional homes for our students from the moment they arrive.

What We`re Looking for in You

• A Procurement expert - whether in tendering, negotiation, contracting, sustainable procurement, or fostering supply chain relationships, you can demonstrate extensive expertise in category management.
• Demonstrable delivery of value through the procurement approaches and strategies you have delivered.
• An expert negotiator whether with suppliers or stakeholders, you hold a positive and objective ability to influence others.
• Commercial intuition - you proactively identify opportunities and unlock the maximum possible benefit.
• Great knowledge of the Construction & New Property Development marketplace and related services.
• Demonstrable understanding of product and property specification - and evidence of how you have helped to drive innovation in these spaces.
• Analytical skills - ability to set indicators or product performance, and measure achievement against these.
• A `customer-first mind-set` - you build and maintain your understanding of our customer`s needs.
• Brilliant writing, report writing and presentation skills are a must.
• Numerically savvy - able to analyse and interpret data, from whole life costs to surveys and assessments.
• Ambitious for more.

What You`ll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company`s success.
• 25 days` paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service.
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save.
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends.
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents.
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is the UK`s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 23 leading university towns and cities, with 70,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people.