Strategic Sourcing Manager

Join Network Rail, a company dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and value flexibility and work-life balance.

About the Role

This is a leadership opportunity for an individual passionate about people, capability, and excellence in regulated procurement. As the leader of a team managing complex, high-value, and high-profile regulated procurements, you will be responsible for creating the conditions for success by providing direction, removing barriers, developing capability, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

We are seeking an experienced and inspiring people leader who can coach, support, and challenge others to achieve their full potential. You will help individuals navigate complexity, build confidence, and strengthen their commercial and procurement expertise, creating an environment where people feel trusted, encouraged to grow, and motivated to deliver outstanding results.

With deep expertise in regulated procurement, you will provide strategic oversight, guidance, and assurance. You will set the benchmark for quality, professionalism, and commercial excellence, champion best practice, drive continuous improvement, and ensure compliance, commercial rigour, and customer focus are at the heart of every sourcing activity.

As a senior commercial leader, you will build trusted relationships across the organisation and position the sourcing team as a valued strategic partner. You will influence decision-making, provide commercial insight, and help shape successful outcomes, enhancing the reputation of the function.

This role suits an individual with substantial experience of leading teams within a regulated procurement environment, a proven track record of developing people, improving performance, and creating a culture of excellence. We are looking for someone who combines outstanding people leadership with deep commercial credibility.

Vacancy Details

• Duration: Permanent
• Location: The Quadrant, Milton Keynes (must live within 90 minutes commute). Flexible working patterns will be considered.
• Employment Type: Full-time opportunity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead complex sourcing activities for medium to high-value goods and services, using commercial sourcing models where appropriate.
• Manage procurement activity within an OJEU-regulated environment, ensuring all legislative, regulatory, and risk requirements are met, while influencing annual spend of £300m-£500m.
• Work closely with Strategic Category Managers and key stakeholders to deliver Integrated Category Strategies, developing and executing sourcing pipelines that support business objectives.
• Act as the lead negotiator on high-value sourcing initiatives, securing significant savings and benefits for the business.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and Finance to ensure benefits are realised and reflected in budgets.
• Build strong relationships with customers and stakeholders, creating a collaborative approach that supports the smooth transition from sourcing activity into ongoing Strategic Supplier Management.
• Challenge and shape demand requirements, helping customers and stakeholders maximise value through effective aggregation and sourcing solutions.
• Provide expert sourcing advice and guidance, introducing innovative approaches and best practice.
• Monitor supplier and competitor markets, carrying out regular market assessments to identify opportunities.
• Lead, support, and develop a team of Sourcing Specialists and/or Sourcing Managers, fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture.

About the Team

You'll be joining a supportive and collaborative Commercial & Procurement team that plays a key role in keeping Britain's railways running efficiently and safely. We work closely with a wide range of stakeholders across the business to deliver value for money, ensure compliance, and support strategic objectives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Experience and Skills:

• Essential Criteria: Educated to a degree standard or equivalent and MCIPS qualified (or equivalent). Significant Sourcing experience with a demonstrable track record of savings delivery within an infrastructure or engineering environment. Line management experience. Solution driven, innovator, cost and value led. Proven level of negotiation and dispute resolution skill set. Experience with cross-functional collaborative working methods. Politically aware, with the ability to use direct and indirect influencing strategies. Demonstrable level of problem-solving experience in large, complex organisations.
• Desirable Criteria: Detailed knowledge of the UK Rail Industry, including procurement processes in a reclassified environment.