Unite Students has a fantastic new opportunity for a Contracts Manager in our growing Procurement team.

Reporting to the Supplier Performance Manager, the Contracts Manager manages relevant tier 1 and/or tier 2 suppliers through the life of their contracts to ensure compliance to terms, ongoing quality, and development of in-contract value, providing support to the operations as needed and advising in managing supplier relationships and in managing lower tier suppliers.

They will meet and liaise with suppliers on a periodic basis, conduct strategic account reviews and lead improvements.

This role is a key interface between operations, the suppliers and the Procurement Managers, collating and representing views and requirements in projects throughout.

What You`ll Be Doing

• Supporting the Supplier Performance Manager and Procurement Managers in closely managing suppliers against their contract terms and in the spirit of the agreement
• Providing a positive environment for our suppliers to understand our business and a desire to want to work with us
• Contribute to ensuring though-life best value and performance from suppliers
• Accountability for resolving commercial and performance supplier issues quickly and effectively - pre-empting them wherever possible
• Own supplier scorecards and performance measures
• Conduct data analysis using supplier and internal data
• To support the development, implementation and management of a vendor management framework to enable proactive supplier performance management within categories or suppliers of responsibility, the sharing of knowledge and ensuring high quality experience for our Operational customers
• Being the expert on our supplier contracts, able to advise on commercial, contractual and performance expectations and seeking legal or procurement advice where needed
• Advising and training the operations on vendor management
• The fostering of good relationships and rapport with internal stakeholders, most notably Operations, Central and Regional Estates teams
• Support or lead supplier meetings and communications as required with the guidance of the Supplier Performance Manager and relevant Procurement Manager(s)
• Provision of timely support and support in problem solving issues with city colleagues, including supplier escalations where appropriate
• Working in partnership with the Procurement Managers, understanding where they need to be involved, sharing both best practices identified and where performance issues arise, and collating operational requirements and supplier performance statistics to aid competitive tendering processes
• Uncover efficiency opportunities within the day-to-day performance of our supply chain

What We`re Looking for in You

• Communication skills: Strong written and verbal communication,able to influence stakeholders and suppliers alike and achieve negotiate successfully
• Commercial skills: able to identify what is important and how it contributes to the success of our business and to that of our suppliers, delivering value through a variety of means
• Accountability: Able to prioritize work, meet deadlines and targets
• Analytical Skills: A curious individual, with strong problem solving skills and techniques. Able to understand and carry out analysis and draw out conclusions
• Technical Knowledge: Knowledge of Procurement processes, specifically Supplier Relationship Management and Contracts Management is desirable
• Team/Customer Focus: Demonstrates customer-first behaviour
• Motivation: Strong desire to learn and develop in the Procurement/Supply Chain areas

What You`ll Get in Return

• An annual bonus so you can share in the company`s success
• 25 days` paid holiday
• Pension - based on how much you save, we`ll contribute 1% more
• Flexible working opportunities
• Shared Parental Leave - 18 weeks full pay
• Other benefits include, ShareSave, Bike to Work, Charity Match, amazing discounts and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 business and the UK`s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 25 leading university towns and cities, with 74,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn`t just what we do but who we are.

People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive.

Room for Everyone

We`re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we`re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what`s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.

We are US.