Marks & Spencer is currently undergoing a transformation which will ensure it is able to thrive in the increasingly competitive retail environment in the long term.

Part of this transformation involves a program of removing £500m from its cost base over 3 years, as a Procurement team we are a key part of that process.

You will be as a member of the Group Procurement team, you will contribute to the development of the team to become key business partners across M&S, evolving the Procurement strategy to be recognised as part of M&S success.

This role is integral to the evolution of the Procurement team at M&S, you'll be targeted with building close relationships and delivering real value in construction contracts and materials costs.

Key accountabilities:

• Support the Property function in the development & delivery of procurement strategies across Store Equipment, Construction fit out and Professional Services contractors
• Build meaningful and close relationships with Procurement team members and business partners from the wider business in the Property area including but not limited to Store Design, Development & Project Delivery, Cost Management and Property Finance teams
• Develop 3-year category plans aligned with the procurement and the relevant business strategy
• End to end delivery of category plans, from strategy through implementation and benefits realisation ensuring appropriate balance of cost, service, risk
• Run all Source to Contract activity, accountable for the development and approval of sourcing strategies, market testing, negotiation and contract award and signature.
• Ongoing contract management to ensure the contracted service continues to meet business requirements and contracts are reflective of the service delivered and are in line with the contracting policy
• Handle supplier relationships within the category and where appropriate identify and implement opportunities to reduce cost and continuously improve.
• Lead and report on all operational, commercial and supply chain risk
• Develop a risk mentality, ensuring risks are understood and handled optimally through the supply chain
• Opportunity to build or develop Procurement skills and support key sourcing initiatives across categories
• Drive commercial change within the business to deliver value and ensure there is always a balance between cost and service
• Identification of continuous improvement opportunities, as well as introducing the best ways of working in the procurement of Store Development fit out and construction contracts
• Meet agreed performance objectives; identify and progress areas for personal development

Key skills:

• Procurement experience, within Store Development and Construction procurement areas
• Ability to work across categories to support team members
• Find solutions where traditional procurement practices do not fit the usual requirement, using critical thinking to find the correct solution
• Ambitious, being able to challenge and influence business partners in the right way
• Possess a good understanding of commercial issues and a problem-solving mentality
• Strong communication, influencing and networking skills
• Creates a clear plan for themselves and inputs to the team plan to deliver short to medium term business priorities
• Takes ownership for delivering results when there is uncertainty
• Shown excellence in negotiation
• Experience of Contract drafting including development of schedules, commercials, and appropriate terms and conditions
• Experience of handling supplier relationships to ensure delivery to the agreed quality, cost and time

M&S is ready to push boundaries to lead the industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring digital era. That’s why we’re revolutionising how we work and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. There’s never been a better time to be part of our team. Marks & Spencer aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make an immediate impact. We are committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process, and we are happy to talk smart/flexible working.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty which means you are unable to complete the application process online, please get in touch either by phone on 0345 300 3725 or by email recruitment.online@marksandspencer.com so we can make alternative arrangements for you.

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