About the Role
We are seeking a commercially astute and experienced Procurement Manager to join our Supply Chain Procurement Team.
As a Procurement Manager, you will play a vital role in delivering best‑in‑class Sourcing, Negotiation, Category Planning and Supplier Management for Good Not For Resale (GNFR) Procurement.
The focus scope for this role is John Lewis Distribution which comprises Third‑Party Logistics (3PLs), 1 & 2 Person Carriers, Warehouse Automation & Equipment. You will also have scope and flexibility to work on other projects within the wider Supply Chain Procurement category team, such as Waitrose 3PLs, International Freight, UK Consolidated Primary Inbound transport services and Pan Partnership Fleet & Fuel.
You will actively challenge how the business allocates costs, commits spend and manages third parties to reduce the overall GNFR spend and third‑party risk, ensuring the Partnership achieves the best value.
As a Procurement Manager, you will deliver compliance to Procurement Policy and, through the supplier management and risk frameworks, ensure regulatory compliance and commercial risk for the Partnership is protected. Your role will involve applying business acumen and procurement expertise to identify and execute business improvements. You’ll provide in‑depth analysis, underpinned with digital tools such as Coupa Sourcing Optimisation AI and market insight tools, to support decision‑making and demonstrate an understanding of internal and external trends.
Effective stakeholder management is essential. You will engage with Partners across Supply Chain, Change Management, Commercial Finance and Legal, including Senior Leaders and work externally with third‑party suppliers.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide commercial expertise and procurement leadership to key business stakeholders, securing commercial agreements.
* Deliver best‑in‑class sourcing, supplier management activity and planning and executing negotiation strategies for GNFR Procurement.
* Demonstrate an understanding of internal and external trends relating to your area of responsibility and a broader understanding of the wider market.
* Deliver compliance to Procurement policy and, through the supplier management and risk frameworks, ensure regulatory compliance and commercial risk for the Partnership is protected.
* Actively support and contribute to supplier rationalisation across the Partnership, ensuring that the area of responsibility follows best practice, policy and procedures, uses procurement tools and remains consistent with Partnership principles and our Ethics & Sustainability ambitions.
Essential skills & experience
* Broad procurement experience, including category planning and supplier management.
* Extensive experience buying a full range of Supply Chain Services & Equipment.
* Extensive negotiation and contracting expertise.
* Critical analysis and influencing skills to work with and influence a broad cross‑section of stakeholders.
* Commercial expertise to drive and deliver business improvement opportunities across the business.
* Good understanding of procurement strategy, policy, process and systems.
Desirable skills & experience
* CIPS or CILT qualified or working towards.
* Understanding of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) programmes as they relate to third‑party outcomes.
* Professional negotiation training via a specialist provider such as The GAP Partnership, Scotworks or CIPS.
Closing Date: January 27 2026
Salary – £57,800 – £86,400 (Annual)
Contract type – Permanent
Working pattern/flexible working – The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing you to work a mix between the office and home based on your personal needs while balancing the needs of the business.
Location of work – You may choose between a London or Bracknell office base and are expected to travel to either office with additional travel to visit the Distribution Leadership team in Milton Keynes and other Supplier and Partnership locations depending on your projects.
About the Partnership
We’re the largest employee‑owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.
We are ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify, never knowingly undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food‑lovers in Waitrose.
As Partners, we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.
We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong, embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can thrive. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.
We also recommend applying as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.
We want all of our Partners to have a good work‑life balance and support flexible working, including flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Important points to note: Some of our roles are subject to pre‑employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third‑party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
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