Senior Buyer

The Senior Buyer is a specialist with accountability for procurement, sourcing strategy, and commercial performance across major programmes, portfolios, and high‑risk commercial environments. Operating above the Lead Buyer, the Senior Buyer provides direction, governance, and assurance for complex commercial activity and supports the shaping of organisational commercial strategy and policy. The role has a high degree autonomy and decision‑making authority, balancing value for money, commercial risk, regulatory compliance (including PA23), market resilience, and long‑term supplier outcomes. The Senior Buyer plays a critical role in enabling delivery at scale, driving commercial maturity, and building sustainable capability across the commercial function. Accountability 1: Strategic Procurement & Commercial Leadership - Play a key role in setting commercial and sourcing strategies for major programmes, high‑value portfolios, or business‑critical categories. - Provide direction on procurement routes, commercial models, risk allocation, and contracting approaches for novel, complex, or nationally significant procurements. - Enable the shaping of long‑term category, supplier, and market development strategies, including resilience, innovation, and social value. - Act as a delegated senior commercial authority for approvals, assurance, and challenge across procurement lifecycle stages. - Ensure full compliance with PA23, delegated authorities, internal controls, and external regulatory expectations. Accountability 2: Portfolio Contract Ownership & Commercial Risk - Support and implement negotiation of high‑value and precedent‑setting contracts, including: - Major infrastructure and construction arrangements - Strategic supplier alliances and long‑term frameworks - Complex professional services and integrated delivery models - Provide oversight of: - Cost control, forecasting, and financial risk exposure - Change management, compensation events, and claims strategy - Performance regimes, incentives, and commercial remedies - Participate in the organisation’s approach to commercial risk management, dispute avoidance, and escalation, including support to formal dispute resolution when required. Accountability 3: Senior Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement - Act as the organisation’s senior commercial representative with key delivery partners, strategic suppliers, and external stakeholders. - Build and sustain executive‑level supplier relationships, driving performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement. - Provide trusted commercial counsel to: - Executive leadership and programme sponsors - Project and engineering leadership - Finance, Legal, and Assurance functions - Represent the organisation in external commercial forums, negotiations, and assurance engagements. Accountability 4: Governance, Assurance & Organisational Control - Set and maintain commercial governance standards across programmes and portfolios. - Provide independent challenge and assurance on commercial strategies, business cases, procurement outcomes, and contract changes. - Own and oversee the quality of commercial submissions to senior governance boards and executive decision forums. - Lead responses to audit, assurance, regulatory scrutiny, and external reviews, ensuring consistent, defensible commercial practice. - Drive improvements to commercial frameworks, tools, controls, and reporting across the function. Accountability 5: Leadership, Functional Management & Capability Building - Provide strategic guidance to Lead Buyers, Buyers, and wider commercial professionals across multiple teams or programmes. - Set functional priorities, allocate resources, and manage capability to meet delivery demands. - Champion professional standards, ethical procurement, and continuous improvement. Accountability 6: Embody a Leadership Mindset - Regardless of your formal position, you embody a leadership mindset and a set of leadership behaviours. You embrace and embody our organisation's culture, values, and mission in all aspects of your work. - Foster a positive and inclusive team environment that aligns with our cultural values. - Contribute to maintaining a respectful and collaborative workplace, valuing diversity, and promoting teamwork. - Act as a cultural ambassador, representing our organisation's values and professionalism in interactions with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. - Lead by example, demonstrating integrity, professionalism, and ethical behaviour. - Make informed decisions and solve problems effectively, considering diverse perspectives and organisational goals. Essential: - Extensive experience in senior commercial, procurement, and contract leadership roles within large, complex, or regulated environments. - Proven track record of leading major programmes or portfolios with high commercial risk and material financial impact. - Deep, applied expertise in public sector procurement legislation (PA23), governance, and assurance. - Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior commercial decision‑maker, influencing outcomes at executive level. - Exceptional leadership, judgement, negotiation, and stakeholder management capability. - Studying towards or willing to work towards membership of: - Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS), or - Alternative recognised Commercial accreditation Beneficial: - MCIPS Chartered (or equivalent senior commercial accreditation) - Experience shaping organisational commercial policy and operating models - Advanced expertise in NEC and other complex contracting forms - Experience working with or advising executive boards and senior governance bodies