Supplier Manager

Job Title: Supplier Manager

Location: Hybrid (Office and Home Based)
Reports to: Head of Resourcing
Department: Operations

Job Purpose

The Supplier Manager is responsible for managing the company’s relationships with suppliers, ensuring optimal performance, compliance, and cost-efficiency. This role plays a key part in supporting the company’s business strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring a resilient, ethical, and sustainable supply chain. The Supplier Manager also manages security clearances and implements internal processes for work involving sensitive or classified information, ensuring both supplier and internal compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers to ensure alignment with company objectives and values.
• Champion supplier diversity, sustainability, and ethical sourcing initiatives.
• Work closely with the pre-sales team to identify and shape opportunities, advising on delivery through the supplier network to maximise value and capability.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and service agreements in collaboration with the Head of Resourcing to achieve best value for the business.
• Provide ad-hoc support on projects requiring supplier engagement, commercial input, or process expertise.
• Collaborate with the Head of Delivery to monitor and evaluate supplier performance using KPIs, audits, and regular reviews.
• Identify and mitigate supplier risks, including financial, operational, security, and compliance risks.
• Implement and maintain internal processes and governance frameworks for managing staff and supplier security clearances, including tracking, renewal, and audit requirements.
• Collaborate with internal teams (procurement, operations, finance, quality, security, HR, IT, legal, and sustainability) to ensure smooth supplier integration and compliance with security, health and safety, and EDI protocols.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives with suppliers to improve quality, delivery, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Maintain accurate supplier records, contracts, performance data, and security documentation.
• Keep up to date with market trends, new technologies, and best practices in supplier management, digital procurement, and security compliance.
• Develop and report on supplier KPIs, including quality, on-time delivery, compliance, and sustainability metrics.
• Support crisis management and business continuity planning related to supplier operations.
• Where applicable, meet suppliers on an ad-hoc basis across Empowered and OrderWork.

 Qualifications & Experience

• Proven experience in supplier/vendor management, procurement, or supply chain management.
• Experience managing security clearances and implementing internal processes for controlled work is essential.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and drive decisions.
• Knowledge of relevant legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with supplier performance management systems, digital procurement platforms, and data analytics tools is desirable.
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g., CIPS, ISM) are an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and planning.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.
• Effective stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.
• Attention to detail and organisational skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong understanding of security processes, clearance management, and internal compliance procedures.
• Change management and adaptability.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in supplier engagement.
• Willingness to travel to meet suppliers.

Who We Are

Empowered is one of the leading, independent IT services enablement providers and a place where channel partner customers turn to solve their business challenges and drive enhanced value, with customised support and solutions.

Partnering across the industry, Empowered underpins some of the UK’s largest IT transformation projects, by delivering the broadest range of bespoke outcome-based services and consultancy-led propositions.

Empowered helps its customers meet both their current challenges, as well as their successful journey into tomorrow. Exceptional customer experience is at the heart of the company’s approach and by uniting the best people, processes, and expertise across the full IT lifecycle, Empowered’s agility and flexibility supports customers by making it easy for them to scale their existing expertise and deliver more projects and services.

Currently empowered partners with over 250 of the leading IT providers throughout the UK and international markets, including system integrators and resellers, managed services providers, telecommunications providers, distributors, and consultancies.

Empowered is an equal opportunity employer and strongly supports diversity in the workplace.