Description: Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Job Purpose

• The Procurement Manager will proactively engage with the business to understand and support their strategy through the sourcing and management of third-party suppliers to extract maximum value, bring innovation and mitigate supplier risk for new and existing contracts and relationships.
• The Procurement Manager will need to be able to identify and then lead commercial negotiations with third parties and drive a culture of competitiveness and effective risk management becoming a trusted advisor to the business.
• The role will support Canada Life Business Leaders, Contract business owners for key contracts and sourcing events. They will support key stakeholders in leading and executing deals according to business policy and agreed timelines and create a proactive pipeline that bring savings and value to the business. Ensuring that we receive the products and services that we have contracted for and that key suppliers are effectively managed, and contractual obligations and internal governance and risk processes are met.
• The successful candidate/s must be able to use competitor and industry knowledge to drive innovation and commercial value to Canada Life

What you'll do

• Lead on specific category knowledge in the creation and continual review of robust and forward-looking category plans that use the full range of demand, specification and supply levers. Plans to provide forward-looking data driven opportunities based on business needs, supply market dynamics, and technological changes in the marketplace to achieve or exceed agreed annual savings targets
• To be responsible for identifying new opportunities and assess their relevance and potential value to the organisation in conjunction with UK and European/Global framework requirements
• To collaborate with the global Procurement teams on Global / European agreements to ensure that the requirements of the UK business are captured in framework agreements (eg. customer data provisions /considerations)
• Execute and drive a culture of competitive behaviour and ensure we bring viable options to the go to market strategies including usage of e-auctions and quick RFX.
• Support the assessment of supplier associated risks inherent to the business at the point of contract such as taking account of changing economic or market conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, operating procedures and practices, management restructurings, and the impact of new technology.
• Always ensuring an appropriate balance of risk with cost of control
• Ensure robust data integrity in our systems and ensure appropriate procurement methodology for each initiative and track all Pipeline activity and savings as required by procedures
• Manage any out of governance contract actions ensuring a timely closure ensuring all SRM activities are effectively delivered and reported
• Work with the business to deliver a clear handover between market sourcing to contract handover

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Strong evidence of leading category planning development, sourcing and contract management, specifically within IT categories.
• Excellent strategic agility, critical thinking, communication and influencing skills
• Excellent senior level negotiation skills
• Ability to think strategically as well as tactically
• Strong written and verbal communication including presentation skills for engaging stakeholders and making a robust business case for change
• Strong business planning skills, able to drive change
• Strong team player
• Good knowledge of contract law
• Advanced user of MS Word / Excel / Powerpoint / Visio – especially Excel and Powerpoint

Desirable

• Financial Services experience – knowledge of the regulatory environment
• MCIPS qualified (or studying towards)
• Strong presentation skills for engaging stakeholders and making a robust business case for change