Supplier Relationship Manager in Manchester

What you'll be doing

As our Supplier Relationship Manager, you'll be responsible for ensuring our supplier contracts continue to deliver value long after they've been awarded.

You'll act as the central link between suppliers, site teams and stakeholders, helping everyone work together effectively while ensuring suppliers deliver on their contractual commitments.

Contract governance and performance management

• Own the quarterly review programme for all centrally managed supplier contracts, planning, facilitating and following up on review meetings.
• Review supplier performance information and management reports, identifying trends, risks and opportunities before formal reviews take place.
• Monitor KPIs, service levels and contractual commitments, ensuring suppliers are delivering what they've promised.
• Calculate and manage applicable service credits where performance standards have not been achieved.
• Monitor contract scope and identify unauthorised changes, scope creep or services being delivered outside agreed arrangements.
• Manage supplier performance concerns through formal contractual processes when required, including performance improvement plans and escalation procedures.
• Track actions and commitments made by suppliers and ensure they are delivered.
• Provide guidance on contractual obligations and work with stakeholders to resolve contract-related queries.
• Lead annual price review processes, reviewing supporting evidence, validating contractual entitlements and negotiating where appropriate.
• Help ensure supplier reviews and contract activities are planned and balanced across the year as our portfolio grows.

Supplier relationship management

• Be the central point of contact for contractual and relationship management matters with our key suppliers.
• Build positive, professional relationships that encourage collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to improve service quality, increase efficiency and achieve better value from existing contracts.
• Support the resolution of payment and purchase order queries in partnership with Finance and operational teams.
• Monitor supplier compliance documentation and ensure records remain up to date.

Supporting our sites and teams

• Act as an escalation point for supplier-related issues raised by operational teams.
• Help colleagues understand supplier contracts, service scopes and change control processes.
• Visit sites to build relationships, understand operational challenges and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure any contract changes are managed through the correct governance and approval processes.
• Support the successful onboarding of new sites onto centrally managed contracts, working closely with mobilisation teams, suppliers and site teams.

Contract renewals and lifecycle management

• Lead renewal planning for centrally managed contracts, assessing supplier performance, commercial value and business requirements.
• Make recommendations on whether contracts should be renewed, extended or retendered.
• Maintain contract renewal pipelines and ensure no agreement lapses or auto-renews without a considered decision.
• Support tender and sourcing activity by sharing performance insights, lessons learned and supplier feedback.

Reporting and commercial insight

• Produce clear and meaningful reporting on supplier performance, contract risks and relationship management activities.
• Support client reporting by providing accurate updates on supplier performance across their portfolios.
• Identify common trends, recurring issues and opportunities for improvement across the supplier base.
• Use data and insight to support better decision-making and stronger supplier outcomes across the business.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who can combine strong commercial awareness with excellent relationship-building skills. You'll be confident working with suppliers, site teams and senior stakeholders, and comfortable balancing collaboration with accountability.

Essential

• Experience in contract management, supplier relationship management or a similar procurement-focused role.
• A strong understanding of commercial contracts and how to manage suppliers against contractual obligations.
• Knowledge of FM or property management supplier markets, such as cleaning, security, M&E or similar service sectors.
• Proven experience building positive supplier relationships while effectively managing performance expectations.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple suppliers, sites and priorities simultaneously.
• Confidence communicating with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of the business.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to interpret contractual terms and obligations.
• Experience managing supplier performance through KPIs, SLAs, performance reviews and improvement plans.
• Experience leading contract renewal activities and making commercially informed recommendations.

Desirable

• Experience using contract lifecycle management systems such as Gatekeeper or similar platforms.
• CIPS qualification, or working towards one.
• Experience within Build to Rent, residential leasehold, property management or student accommodation environments.
• Exposure to investor or client-facing governance environments.

Who you are

At urbanbubble, we're just as interested in how you work as what you've done.

You'll likely be someone who:

• Builds strong relationships and communicates with confidence.
• Enjoys solving problems and finding practical solutions.
• Is commercially minded and naturally curious about how things can be improved.
• Has the confidence to challenge where necessary while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Takes ownership and follows through on commitments.
• Is organised, proactive and comfortable managing competing priorities.
• Enjoys working collaboratively with people across different teams and disciplines.
• Can balance attention to detail with the bigger commercial picture.

Why urbanbubble?

We're passionate about creating vibrant places where people love to live, work and visit. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we're proud of our collaborative, supportive and ambitious culture.

This is an opportunity to join a growing procurement function and make a genuine impact. You'll have the freedom to shape how supplier relationship management evolves at urbanbubble while working alongside passionate colleagues who care about doing things the right way.

If you're excited by the idea of building lasting partnerships, driving performance and helping create better outcomes for our clients and communities, we'd love to hear from you.

The role is based in Manchester at our offices in the Northern Quarter and we offer hybrid working!

urbanbubble requires people who are professional, hard-working, innovative, passionate, who are effective in their roles and who truly engage with the customer. We are an equal opportunity employer, and invite applicants to contact us to identify any additional support you may need during the recruitment process.

INDHIG