Head of Supplier
Waites Recruitment Consultancy are seeking a Head of supplier and relationships for a well known client on a full time basis in Uxbridge. Fantastic opportunity to grow within a business.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job title: Head of Supplier Relationships
Grade: POF starting at £68,000 – £75,000
Car Allowance: Essential Car Use – £5,740 per annum
Reporting to: Director of Product Innovation
Responsible for: Framework Performance & Supplier Market Engagement
Location: Nationwide travel required, with ideally 1 day a week at a Group office where it is expected the post holder will work while not visiting stakeholders
My client has a legacy spanning over 56 years in procurement and construction, distinguishing itself as the UK’s first framework provider of its kind.
With a strong commitment to innovation and delivering community impact, my client was the first national provider to deliver genuinely regional framework solutions, responding to the unique needs of communities across the UK.
As a Gold Standard accredited organisation, affirmed by Constructing Excellence, my client stands alone in offering complete regional service coverage. This recognition underscores our commitment to quality and continual improvement across the procurement and construction sectors.
Our mission is to enhance lives and places through quality procurement solutions.
Principal aims of LHC PG
* Operations & Product. my client provides specialist technical and procurement products and services that help contracting authorities (my clients Clients) and building contractors and suppliers (my client Appointed Companies) to deliver publicly funded building projects on time and on budget, and in doing so deliver better buildings and homes that enhance local communities. my client engages with my client Clients and my client Appointed Companies through five Regional Business Units (RBUs), supported by a Group Technical & Procurement Team and our Centre of Excellence.
* Community Impact. We are committed to supporting the public sector to maximise public benefit from their procurement activity, and we use our surplus to improve lives and places communities through our Community Benefit Fund.
* People and Culture. The foundation of any successful organisation lies in its people and the culture they cultivate. Our staff are our greatest asset, and we are committed to investing, retaining, rewarding and recognising staff performance and contribution. Collaboration, professional development and individual wellbeing is at the heart of our people and culture strategy.
Main purpose of the job
This new role is a unique opportunity to strengthen and expand my client Group’s relationships with appointed companies and the wider supplier market. As the Head of Supplier Engagement, you’ll lead strategic relationships with companies already appointed to our frameworks, DPSs and Dynamic Markets (appointed companies, or ApCos), as well as the broader construction industry.
In this greenfield role, you’ll design and implement a supplier engagement strategy to elevate my client visibility and impact across the UK. This role is also central to our commitment to maintaining the Gold Standard Verification awarded by Constructing Excellence, ensuring that our supplier relationships continuously meet the highest standards of quality, compliance, and innovation.
As the primary contact for national suppliers, you will travel nationally on a regular basis, supporting regional and Group colleagues in building local connections—both pre-appointment and through ongoing performance management post-appointment. You’ll be instrumental in fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence that upholds the Gold Standard, working closely with both our central team and Regional Business Units.
Partnering with the senior team, you’ll turn the supplier engagement strategy into a detailed, actionable, and measurable plan. Through your efforts, you’ll help grow my clients reach, enhance brand awareness, support our commercial growth, and reinforce our standing as a Gold Standard organisation.
In this senior role, you will have full oversight of the performance of my clients appointed companies (ApCos), working closely with regional colleagues to deliver an outstanding client experience. You will proactively address any challenges, ensuring they are managed to the complete satisfaction of our clients.
Leading our sector engagement efforts, you will play a key role in attracting the best suppliers to our tender processes, broadening our reach and enhancing the Group’s profile across the supplier market. Acting as an ambassador for our ApCos, you will champion their involvement and ensure high, consistent standards of performance and engagement across all regions.
Your collaborative approach across the Group will be instrumental in driving excellence, ensuring that all ApCos reflect our commitment to quality, innovation, continuous improvement and social value.
Key Responsibilities
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate your ability to:
Develop and Implement an Engagement Strategy. Formulate a robust supplier engagement policy and strategy, tailored to the diverse needs across my client frameworks and the suppliers appointed to them. Your strategy will be critical in aligning supplier performance with client expectations and supporting long-term business growth.
Act as Senior Contact and Escalation Point: Serve as the senior point of contact for all appointed companies (ApCos) and the broader supplier market, ensuring consistent communication and fostering strong, collaborative relationships across internal teams, regional units, and external stakeholders.
Lead Post-Delivery Framework Management. Take ownership of post-delivery framework management, working cross-functionally with both regional and central teams. Your leadership will ensure that client and framework expectations are met through a network of high-performing ApCos, while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
Facilitate Framework Alliance Meetings. Lead framework alliance meetings with ApCos to drive best practice sharing, lessons learned, delivering social value and performance evaluations. Your role will ensure that frameworks operate efficiently and deliver exceptional results for clients.
Support Pre-Tender Engagement and Promotion. Collaborate with regional colleagues to promote pre-tender engagement activities. Set annual targets for key procurement performance measures, monitor progress, and assess the impact of these activities on the overall business.
Develop Performance Measurement Metrics. Create and implement performance measurement tools and procedures to track and report ApCo performance on a quarterly basis. These reports will support the Senior Team in strategic decision-making and highlight areas for improvement or growth.
Work with the Group Social Value Manager to include social value measures included in our frameworks, within the suite of performance measurement metrics.
Provide Training and Guidance. Lead internal training initiatives to embed best practices in supplier engagement and relationship management. Your guidance will foster a culture of excellence in supplier relations across the organisation.
Monitor Industry Trends and Opportunities. Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging best practices, and changes within the construction sector. Provide regular updates to the team on factors that could impact or offer new opportunities for the Group, particularly within social housing, local authorities, and the public sector.
Drive Supplier Innovation. Champion innovation in how my client engages with and attracts top suppliers. You will be instrumental in enhancing the Group’s ability to connect with the best suppliers, ensuring that we remain competitive in the evolving market.
Collaborate on Terms and Conditions. Work closely with the technical and procurement teams to ensure that framework terms and conditions are clearly understood and effectively communicated to all stakeholder groups, ensuring compliance and alignment across the business.
Lead Marketing and Promotional Activities. Partner with central and regional marketing teams, and the Group Social Value Manager, to ensure that high-quality promotional materials are created for product launches and supplier engagement initiatives. Your input will help ensure my clients offerings are clearly communicated to potential suppliers.
Develop Targeted Supplier Messaging. Use your extensive experience to develop compelling, personalised messaging that appeals to suppliers across the sectors in which we operate. Your ability to tailor communications will help attract the best talent to our frameworks.
Build National Sector Networks. Actively build and maintain strong, national networks within the sectors we serve. Your connections will be crucial for identifying new suppliers, industry partners, and business opportunities.
Support Regional and National Events. Represent my client at regional and national industry events, ensuring our presence and contributions help raise the Group’s profile and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders.
Working Hours
Although the position is 36 hours per week and my client prides itself on our commitment to our people’s wellbeing and fostering a good work life balance; on occasion hours may be varied and/or some evening work required to meet the needs of the business.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Experience
Demonstrable experience in a customer facing environment, where delivery of impact was measured and reported.
Experienced in a technical construction discipline – preferably one that aligns with our product offering.
Previous experience in a supply chain management and/or supplier relationship management role
Ability to think strategically and commercially.
A working knowledge of public sector procurement requirements
An understanding of pre tendered frameworks and associated products and services.
A working knowledge of social value sector and practical ways of delivering community benefit through procurement
Able to influence colleagues at all levels of the business across multidisciplinary teams both locally and national.
Experienced in managing internal stakeholders and external third-party partners
A first-class communicator who is positive, hands on and able to get the best results from diverse, multi stakeholder groups.
Demonstrates the necessary drive and resilience to deliver excellent outcomes and successfully manage changing circumstances.
Articulate written, visual, and verbal communicator, with excellent communication skills.
Qualifications and Training
* Degree level qualified in a technical discipline (Desirable)
* Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) (Desirable)
* CSCS Accredited
Aptitude and Abilities
Disciplined, process driven and able to work to autonomously whist delivery high levels of quality work.
Strategic thinker who supports innovation and drives progress
Excellent verbal, written communication, presentation & interpersonal skills with high level of attention to detail.
High degree of gravitas, commanding respect from internal colleagues and external sector network.
Effective manager of resources, adept working within a matrix organisational structure.
Personal Qualities
* Positive and supportive attitude.
* Open, honest, respectful, and approachable.
* A model ambassador of our brand.
Contacts`
Internally
All employees
Externally
Senior representatives from my client appointed company organisations
Senior managers within my clients client organisations
Trade and sector organisations
Consultants and advisers