Senior Partner Manager

Location: Home Based, West Midlands, GB

Contract Type: Full Time

Who We Are

VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.

What We Do

We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.

Location & Contract

Mobile role. Candidates can be based anywhere in England (except London). Full time, competitive salary plus car allowance.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end‑to‑end relationship with service partners across VIVO.
• Ensure suppliers are effectively sourced, onboarded, managed and developed, delivering strong commercial outcomes, operational performance and excellent customer service.
• Develop strong collaborative relationships with operational teams, commercial colleagues and strategic suppliers.
• Shape and embed supplier management frameworks, improve governance, drive efficiencies and ensure partners deliver against contractual commitments.
• Oversee supplier performance across a wide portfolio of service partners, ensuring agreed KPIs, SLAs and quality standards are achieved.
• Monitor performance, manage contract obligations, support improvement plans and identify opportunities to enhance delivery, reduce risk and improve value for money.
• Support commercial and budget management activities, ensuring effective cost control and providing insight into supplier performance and opportunities for improvement.
• Contribute to the development of supplier frameworks, contract processes and sourcing strategies that strengthen VIVO’s supply chain capability.
• Build trusted relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders, acting as a key point of contact for supplier‑related matters.
• Support tender activities, supplier evaluations, negotiations and contract changes, ensuring commercial decisions align with business objectives.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, identifying innovative approaches that improve quality, efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Work closely with sustainability teams to ensure supply chain activity supports wider environmental and operational goals.
• Engage regularly across the business and travel within the UK to ensure strong visibility and effective supplier relationships across VIVO contracts.

About You

• Experience in procurement, commercial management, supplier relationship management or a similar role, ideally within facilities management, construction or a related service environment.
• Strong understanding of supply chain management, contract performance and commercial governance.
• Experience managing suppliers, negotiating agreements and driving improvements through effective partnership working.
• Confidence managing multiple priorities, analysing performance data and turning insights into practical actions.
• Experience managing tender processes, evaluating supplier submissions and supporting contract negotiations.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and build effective relationships with internal and external partners.
• Collaborative, commercially aware and able to challenge constructively to achieve the best outcomes.
• A relevant qualification in procurement, commercial management or facilities management, or willingness to work towards one.
• Experience with contract management tools, e‑procurement systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• Proactive, organised and solutions‑focused, able to work in a fast‑paced environment while maintaining high standards of governance, supplier performance and customer service.
• Experience working within defence, regulated environments or large‑scale FM contracts would be advantageous.
• Must have a services rather than goods background to be considered for this role.

Benefits

• 6% employee‑matched pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Single private medical cover
• Car allowance
• Life assurance 2× annual salary

Additional Information

The role you have applied for is with VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS. By applying for this role, please be aware that information contained within your CV may be shared between VIVO Defence Services, Serco and EQUANS during the recruitment process. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. We will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.