Overview
Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world. JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally. We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.
Junior Procurement Manager – Marketing (UK & Europe)
Responsible to: Senior Procurement Manager – Marketing - UK & Europe
Department: Finance
Location: JD Sports Fashion plc, Bury Head Office
Role Background
This role is ideal for a (2+ years) Junior Procurement Manager – Marketing ready to drive commercial advantage across JD’s UK and European marketing spend. You will act as the key commercial partner for Marketing categories, including creative, media, production, sponsorships, events, retail marketing, influencers, and digital services. You will lead strategy development, major tenders, negotiations, contracting, and agency performance improvements. The role is based between two sites; at JD Head Office in Bury and our City Centre office, and may require occasional travel to suppliers, agencies, events, shoots or partner sites across the UK & Europe. You will leverage your expertise to:
• Assist the Commercial Strategy: Lead key re-tenders, contract negotiations, and crucial risk management initiatives.
• Generate Value: Directly improve the bottom line by securing favourable terms and finding opportunities for global sourcing leverage.
• Elevate Performance: Partner with divisional colleagues to inject innovation and best practices into sourcing processes and supplier relationships.
Responsibilities
This is an exciting opportunity to support and deliver the Group Procurement strategy. We are seeking an individual with a passion and enthusiasm for procurement, who can act as a commercial lead for procurement and contract activities. The successful candidate will ensure that all negotiation and contracting work aligns with Group and sector best practices while driving value, mitigating risk, and enabling sustainable business growth.
* Stakeholder & Relationship Management
* Build and maintain productive, trusted relationships with stakeholders across the business.
* Partner closely with colleagues on budgets, business cases, and new project investments.
* Advise and influence decision-making at all levels to enhance commercial outcomes.
* Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and business divisions to deliver aligned sourcing solutions.
* Engage proactively with acquisition business contacts to deliver rapid financial benefits and leverage Group commercial scale.
* Strategic Sourcing & Planning
* Implement the company’s overall sourcing strategy, leveraging the global footprint to identify and realise opportunities.
* Create and execute category sourcing strategies to ensure smooth, efficient operations.
* Conduct thorough market research, cost estimation, and forecasting to inform sourcing decisions.
* Lead end-to-end procurement projects, from defining requirements and managing RFPs to supplier evaluation and selection.
* Partner with relevant teams to shape complex service scopes and requirements.
* Value Delivery
* Develop and execute strategies that extract savings, reduce consumption, and lower total cost of ownership.
* Embed savings and commercial benefits within budgets.
* Present sourcing recommendations, contract awards, and value delivery transparently and effectively.
* Maximise commercial leverage through clear, performance-based agreements with defined KPIs and remedies for non-performance.
* Compliance, Risk & ESG
* Ensure sourcing and contracting activities adhere to Group policies, governance standards, and financial transparency requirements.
* Utilise Group Finance tools and templates (e.g., for purchase orders, tenders, eAuctions) to maintain auditability.
* Collaborate closely with the Group Legal team to minimise risk and ensure robust contractual protection.
* Partner with the Group Sustainability team to align sourcing practices with ESG priorities, including Climate Change, Sustainable Sourcing, and Circular Economy initiatives.
* Contribute to the continuous improvement of procurement processes and uphold policy compliance across the function.
* Key Relationships
* Marketing, Creative, Digital, Retail Marketing, Technology, Finance, Legal.
* UK and International colleagues and external suppliers (noting that travel may be a requirement when necessary).
Skills / Experience / Knowledge required
* Commercial Expertise: Proven experience in Marketing Procurement or indirect procurement within an omni-channel retail or relevant complex environment with strong understanding of agency fee models, scopes and commercial levers.
* Strategic & Data-Driven: A self-starter who uses strong analytical skills and data to identify strategic opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and consistently drive margin improvement.
* Negotiation & Influence: A skilled, confident negotiator with the ability to build strong internal/external relationships and influence stakeholders to own, resolve, and drive change.
* Process Ownership: The initiative and confidence to own problems, challenge the business where necessary, and champion the delivery of process improvements and efficiencies.
* Autonomous & Driven: High level of drive and energy coupled with strong project management skills to ensure organization, focused execution, and adherence to tight deadlines.
* Solution-Focused: A strategic mindset with the ability to quickly recognise and resolve challenging situations by evaluating alternatives and presenting effective, comprehensive solutions.
The Successful Applicant
* 2+ years’ experience in Marketing Procurement, with a real passion for driving value and performance across key categories.
* A confident negotiator and natural leader, able to influence decisions, build momentum, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
* Tech-savvy and data-driven, using Microsoft Office and business systems to turn insight into impact.
* A strategic thinker with a hands-on approach, quick to spot opportunities, solve problems, and make things happen.
* Collaborative and relationship-focused, skilled at building strong connections and working across teams to achieve shared goals.
Benefits
We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work. Thank you for your time #JD
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