Hybrid Supplier Engagement – Contract Management Manager

at Southern Water

• Job title: Supplier Engagement – Contract Management Manager
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: £48,000 per year
• Degree requirement: Professional Certificate
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Falmer, United Kingdom

About the role

• Supplier Engagement & Contract Management Manager enhancing strategic supplier collaborations for Southern Water's capital supply chain. Engaging internal teams and external partners to ensure effective governance and performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with strategic suppliers, acting as a trusted point of contact and escalation.
• Build an effective interface between internal stakeholders and suppliers to enable joint value creation.
• Manage internal stakeholder expectations and facilitate constructive, transparent engagement.
• Act as a bridge between Southern Water and suppliers – ensuring supplier perspectives are heard while also holding internal teams accountable.
• Travel periodically to supplier sites to strengthen relationships and support effective partnership working.
• Ensure adherence to established contract and supplier management processes.
• Maintain oversight of all contracts within your portfolio, ensuring plans are in place for extensions, renewals or close-out.
• Manage contract variations, ensuring rigour and consistency in any changes to commercial or operational terms.
• Act as a point of escalation for contractual or performance-related issues, supporting dispute resolution where required.
• Protect Southern Water’s commercial and contractual position while minimising contractual risk.
• Understand and apply commercial contract mechanisms and levers.
• Aggregate supplier performance data and provide clear, structured feedback to suppliers and stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with suppliers, internal stakeholders and procurement colleagues to develop and deliver performance improvement plans.
• Support Procurement Category Managers with sourcing and supplier governance activities as required.

Requirements

• Proven experience in supplier relationship management, account management, or similar stakeholder-facing roles within a complex environment.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to understand and manage contractual frameworks.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with confidence engaging stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, particularly in resolving escalated or complex issues.
• Ability to work autonomously, manage your own workload, and balance competing priorities.
• Experience working in infrastructure, capital delivery, utilities, or a regulated environment (desirable).
• Exposure to procurement or category management environments (desirable).
• Experience operating in a role blending relationship manager and commercial governance responsibilities (desirable).

Benefits

• Company and performance-related bonus
• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution
• Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary
• Health benefits through a Cash Plan
• Two paid community volunteering days a year
• 25 days annual holiday
• Occupational health service
• Retail discount app
• Competitive maternity leave, and flexible return to work options