Senior Procurement Manager / Subcontract Manager

Overview

In this role you lead a procurement and subcontract team across multiple programmes, shaping high-value contract activity within a defence context. You’ll collaborate with project and engineering stakeholders to ensure timely, on-budget delivery and robust supplier performance. You influence commercial terms, governance, and risk management to protect business interests while supporting growth opportunities. This position offers strategic impact across full lifecycle procurement in a highly regulated, secure environment.

Pay / Benefits

• competitive salary
• bonus
• excellent benefits
• hybrid/onsite flexibility
• security clearance opportunity

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a procurement team delivering activities across several programmes
• Manage high-value supplier contracts and subcontract arrangements through full lifecycle
• Ensure procurement supports on-time, on-budget, quality delivery on programmes
• Negotiate contracts and commercial terms with key suppliers/subcontractors
• Provide commercial guidance to internal project, engineering, and technical teams
• Drive supplier performance, risk management, and continuous improvement across supply base
• Ensure governance, authorization, and procurement process compliance
• Support tendering, supplier selection, and new business opportunities
• Lead negotiations to protect business interests while achieving mutual benefit
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks and maximise commercial opportunities
• Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, customers and senior stakeholders
• Support complex defence and engineering project delivery through effective subcontract management

Key requirements

• Experience in procurement, subcontract management, commercial contracts or supply chain
• Experience guiding and mentoring procurement professionals
• Strong contract negotiation skills including drafting and reviewing terms
• Experience managing supplier relationships and complex subcontracts
• Understanding of procurement governance, compliance, and due diligence
• Experience supporting tendering and competitive sourcing
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication with senior levels
• Strong commercial awareness balancing risk, cost, quality, and delivery
• Highly organised with attention to procedural compliance
• Experience in defence, aerospace, engineering, manufacturing or regulated sectors (advantageous)

• stakeholder management
• communication skills
• influence at senior levels
• procurement governance
• contract negotiation
• subcontract management

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