Senior Buyer - Soft FM
Flexible – Attached to Hook/London/Solihull
Full Time, Permanent
£44,000 - £52,000 (dependent on experience)
Procurement at Serco has come a long way over the past 5 years. We already contribute to business success by helping grow both the top and bottom line through supporting new business development and delivering cost efficiencies while protecting Serco from risk, delivering on sustainability, and driving operational excellence. And building on a platform of success, we're now embarking on the next exciting phase in our Procurement evolution by investing in building capabilities and developing talent to increase internal collaboration and drive more strategic relationships with key suppliers. Our ambition is to deliver Procurement with impact on people, place, planet, and profit, and so helping Serco to impact a better future.
Are you a skilled Procurement professional with a passion for delivering value and driving excellence?
If so, we are currently seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Senior Buyer to join our team. In this role, you will play a vital part in managing our spend and supply base for Soft FM, particularly food, supporting sourcing projects and optimising value for our organisation.
As part of this you'll:
- Plan and manage delivery of procurement projects (>£250k) ensuring compliance to Sourcing & Category Management processes and governance
- Support the Soft FM Category Manager in the delivery of complex procurement projects (>£1m)
- Direct, oversee and support Buyers in the delivery of procurement projects
- Review and analyse business purchase needs to determine the best procurement strategy to meet requirements in line with any relevant category strategies
- Engage and manage selected key suppliers in collaboration with key stakeholders across business units
- Optimise value delivery, performance improvement and risk mitigation from supply base
- Collaborate with key stakeholders and procurement category managers to capture business requirements, develop effective sourcing strategies, run RFPs and successfully negotiate contracts for the supply of goods and services
- Lead delivery of sourcing and continuous improvement projects that result in required business outcomes, robust contracts, and improved value for money
What you'll need to do the role:
- CIPS qualified or working towards CIPS qualification (Serco will support this)
- At least 4 years' experience in a sourcing or buying role, preferably in Soft FM food category
- Working knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing, and contract management
- Familiarity with eSourcing systems to run sourcing events (preferable)
- Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities
- Enthusiastic and quick learner with an aspiration to build a career in Procurement
- Resilience with the ability to remain calm under pressure
Why Serco:
Meaningful and vital work: In this position, your work is vital to the business, in terms of decisions and growth. You will gain a world of opportunity working for a globally operating business delivering essential services across 5 vital sectors, personal growth, achievement and development won't be hard to find. You'll also work with great people. You'll find yourself working in a highly motivated, supportive environment where no two days are the same, with experienced colleagues who strive for excellence.
What we offer:
- Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
- Growth and development opportunities – Serco will support with a range of qualifications including CIPS
- A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, Thrive App, Simply Health Plans and more
- Access to a huge range of discounts and exclusive deals such as Merlin Attractions, Mobile Phone discounts, Cinema discounts, Leisure and Hospitality discounts
- Committed to professional and personal development with a wide range of training and coaching opportunities to expand your capabilities
- Up to 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase more
- Life assurance
Application Process: If you are an aspiring Procurement professional with a drive to make a difference, we encourage you to apply. Your skills and expertise will play a crucial role in shaping Serco's procurement landscape and driving value across the organisation. Serco is an equal opportunity employer; we value diversity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.
By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks – SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Apply
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.
At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such 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. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview. For help with your application please contact .
At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the ‘Ban the Box' pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of t