Senior Supplier Relationships Manager

DEFRA are currently establishing the Scheme Administrator (SA) for the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) Scheme and require a Senior Supplier Relationship Manager to lead the Supplier Relationship Management function.

The successful candidate will lead and establish the infrastructure required to ensure all Supplier relationships are effectively managed in the collection of c.£1.7bn in Producer fees and the administration of that money in the form of Grant payments to 440 Local Authorities across the UK.

The successful candidate will:

• Establish excellent relationships with the SA’s strategic partners, monitoring and supporting them in ensuring that all requirements are fulfilled and levels of service set out in contractual agreements are delivered.
• Lead the team that will be the first point of contact for all contractual and supplier management issues across the Directorate.
• Lead regular Supplier Relationship Analysis.
• Provide support to the SA Senior Leadership Team (SLT) on strategic contracts, inputting to tendering activities for all key contracts.
• Establish mechanisms for capturing and reviewing Management Information, to include Suppliers service performance; KPIs, Milestones and Service Credits.
• Help the Financial Services Supplier to deliver assigned and agreed targets set by the Scheme Administrator and support the business in meeting their contractual obligations
• Manage key relationships with all stakeholders who are party to the contracts of strategic suppliers.
• Maintain a strong working relationship with the SA’s key Supplier’s to facilitate delivery of high-quality performance in both cost and service.
• Provide visible commercial and contract management leadership, developing detailed knowledge of the obligations within the SA’s key strategic contracts, maintaining knowledge of the levers, performance standards, KPIs and CPIs etc. contained. Making strategic recommendations based on actual performance data to drive out effective delivery from all suppliers.
• Respond to and negotiate on the behalf of the Director of the SA when contracting queries arise.
• Advise and support the SA SLT and other key stakeholders, responding accurately with reference to contractual issues in a timely manner.
• Develop and deliver education and training across the SA so that contract management awareness is enhanced across all stakeholders.
• Develop and implement a robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) framework.