Vendor Manager

We are recruiting for a full time Vendor Manager (Digital & IT) on a permanent basis

Your passion has never had a greater purpose

Here at SEPA, we’re connected by a passion that drives us to be purposeful in every action we take – to protect our environment. Through our expertise, we lead projects that make a difference for Scotland, and our workplaces are grounded in respect for that expertise.

That’s why, when you join us as Vendor Manager, you’ll discover enriching benefits, meaningful support, and opportunities to learn every day. That’s what it means to be Passionately Purposeful – for our environment, and for your career.

Work that goes beyond your desk

Experts at what we do, we work in a professional way towards our shared goals, knowing the work we do makes a genuine, lasting difference on the environment. As Vendor Manager, that involves:

• Lead the effective management of SEPA’s Digital & IT contract and supplier (vendor) portfolio, ensuring robust commercial governance, supplier performance management and clear accountability for delivery
• Provide specialist supplier, commercial and contract management advice to procurement, project teams and business stakeholders on high-visibility, high-risk CSM issues including escalations, leading supplier risk resilience and response strategies
• Develop and embed effective CSM policy and processes, tools and reporting; monitor contract costs, invoice approvals, and overall spending to prevent budget overruns
• Develop and lead key internal and external relationships across Procurement, Finance, Digital and IT project teams, service owners, contract owners, senior stakeholders and strategic suppliers
• Execute exit and renewal plans; track critical milestones and expiration dates to smoothly negotiate renewals, execute extensions, or manage supplier transition and offboarding

Respect for your expertise

This is a highly important role within our Procurement function which means you’ll need the following skills and experience:

• Educated to equivalent of SCQF 11 (post graduate / masters level) or qualified by comparable leadership and specialist experience
• Strong Digital & IT commercial and contract management knowledge, with the ability to interpret contracts, manage risk, support negotiations and secure value for money
• Demonstrable experience in contract and supplier management, including supplier performance, commercial governance, risk management, contract review, change control, renewals, disputes and continuous improvement
• Proven ability to be able to build and maintain effective relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders, including Procurement, Finance, Information Security, Data Protection and service owners
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with experience using supplier performance, spend, risk and service data to produce reports, recommendations and improvement plans

Please open the link to the career role profile which outlines the core responsibilities and expectations of the role within a defined activity family. Please note the role profile name may be different to the job title being advertised.

Support that goes beyond the workplace

We’re cultivating a workplace that supports not only your passion and your professional lives, but your personal life. So, you’ll find benefits that make a difference at work and at home. Such as:

• Hybrid and Flexible working opportunities
• Up to 35 days annual leave and 7 additional public holidays each year (pro rata)
• Paid time off to support your Wellbeing and enable you to Volunteer in your community
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Progressive Family Friendly policies
• Training & development to enable colleagues to improve their skills, competencies and knowledge to perform at their best.

Plus, many more lifestyle benefits such as 24/7 access to an online employee discount platform, credit union facilities and access to a Cycle to Work Scheme.

Passionately you. Purposefully supportive

SEPA is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and good relations in everything it does – as a community leader, as a provider and commissioner of services, and as an employer.

Passionately Purposeful about Scotland’s environment – and your career.

Protecting our environment, promoting our work, and supporting our people, working at SEPA means being part of an organisation that’s grounded in respect for your expertise – and your wellbeing. So you can be your best, and make the biggest impact.

We recruit solely based on merit. Our shortlisting process is conducted on an anonymous basis. Please ensure that you include all relevant information when you apply.

We support flexible working arrangements to help you maintain a healthy balance between career and homelife. This includes working part time, reduced hours, job sharing, working remotely. As a flexible first employer we are open to having conversations about flexible working arrangements that work for you and SEPA from day 1 of your employment with us.

We are proud to be a 'Disability Confident' employer and will work to identify and implement reasonable adjustments and equipment to support you in the role that you do.

Applicants with a visual impairment can request job descriptions and application forms in Braille, large print or on tape.

For the security and wellbeing of our colleagues, successful candidates will undergo Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre-employment checks including a level one Disclosure Scotland check.

If you have questions or need any assistance with the recruitment process please contact SEPA’s Recruitment Team at recruitment@sepa.org.uk

Apply now to join a Passionately Purposeful workplace