Procurement Sourcing Team Lead

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Procurement Sourcing Team Lead

Permanent

Location – Guildford

Salary - £46,000 - £52,000

Closing date – 23rd April 2025

This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in some high-level procurement projects and have a significant impact.

Working with AQA, you will have the opportunity for progression and career development, plus the chance to take qualifications whilst in role.

As a Procurement Sourcing Team Lead at AQA, you’ll play a vital role in Procurement leading a team of two specialists and driving supplier sourcing activities.

Your expertise will help improve project delivery times and contribute directly to AQA’s finance and procurement strategies.

You’ll collaborate daily with Procurement, Finance, and Corporate Services teams, while also engaging regularly with stakeholders, suppliers, and AQA affiliate companies.

What’s in it for me?

• A 35-hour working week with 25 days annual leave, rising with service, with bank holidays and extra closure days around Christmas on top
• An excellent contributory pension which could see up to 18.5% combined contribution
• Private Medical Insurance and a Health Care Cash Reward Plan
• A new Electric Vehicle Leasing Scheme
• Up to 5 days for volunteering
• Newly refurbished offices with a variety of individual and collaborative workspaces

What will I be doing?

• Have responsibility for the building of all AQA-Terms contracts and for coordinating the review of Supplier-Terms contracts
• Actively manage high volumes of work including the processing of RFx projects
• Processing of all contract renewals and ensuring that all instructions are actioned within the agreed deadlines.
• Ensure that Category Managers, Stakeholders and Suppliers are updated on project progress
• Proactively updating the Sourcing Team Contract and Project Dashboard.
• Liaise directly with Stakeholders and suppliers on behalf of the Category Managers where required.
• Provide proactive assistance for other Procurement Teams or Category Manager projects
• Liaise with the Procurement Services Team to ensure that the Sourcing Team monthly volume and contract performance data is provided and analysed
• To help coordinate and oversee spend analysis requirements
• Actively bring experience-based suggestions and challenges to processes and strategies
• Management of the Sourcing Team. This involves coordination of the workloads associated with contract reviews, contract builds, benchmarking/RFI/RFP exercises and other allocated projects. The Sourcing Team members report directly to this position, who in turn is tasked with holding weekly meetings with the individual Sourcing Team members.

What will I need to succeed?

• You are an experienced procurement professional with a very good knowledge of contracts
• Confidence in dealing with a cross-section of sectors and suppliers including Technology/IT, Facilities, HR, Marketing, Events and Operations
• Ability to engage with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders influencing at all levels
• Good levels of experience in the management of a team and being able to motivate and support staff to achieve/surpass their agreed objectives as well as being a good role model
• Experienced with planning, management and leadership skills demonstrating a positive attitude to change
• Able to consistently deliver projects ahead of deadlines and to achieve/surpass agreed personal performance objectives
• Ability to see ways to capitalise on opportunities and deliver quick but sound business benefits
• Have experience in providing advice and guidance to senior managers on procurement related matters, acting as an expert point of reference

How do I apply?

Read the full job description below, then upload your most recent CV with a cover letter explaining how your skills and experience match what we are looking for.

There will be a 2 stage interview process, including a face-to-face in our Guildford office.

AQA is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes people unique. 

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

The Senior Sourcing Specialist position is a key role within the Procurement Team at AQA. The key responsibilities include providing direct support to the Category Managers as well as coordinating all supplier sourcing-related activities. The role enables the Category Managers to enhance their focus on Business/Stakeholder liaison, Category Planning and supplier management. The role has direct report responsibility for the Sourcing Team which comprises of two dedicated Procurement specialists. The Senior Sourcing Specialist is key in contributing to the improvement in project delivery timescales and provides tangible support in helping Procurement deliver the Finance and AQA strategiesLandscape
 
The role sits in the twelve-person Procurement team, based at Guildford, which is part of the Finance and Corporate Services division and reports directly to the Head of Procurement. On a day-to-day basis, the Senior Sourcing Specialist will be responsible for liaising with the Category Managers, the two-person Sourcing Team and the Procurement Services Team. The Sourcing Team report directly to the Senior Sourcing Specialist. The role has daily contact with other members of Procurement, the wider Finance and Corporate Service teams, with Stakeholders and other departments. In addition, the role has very regular contact with suppliers and AQA affiliate companies.
 
Activities
 
·         Take full responsibility for the building of all new AQA-Terms contracts under instruction from the Category Managers 
·         Liaise with the Category Managers and the AQA Legal Team to review and process all Supplier-Terms contracts
·         Be wholly accountable for the processing of all contract renewals and ensuring that all instructions are actioned within the agreed deadlines.
·         Proactively update the Sourcing Team Contract and Project Dashboard. This is a key document that requires a high level of accuracy to ensure strict deadlines aren’t missed
·         Manage the relationship with the AQA Security & Risk and Data Protection Teams to help progress the Due Diligence processes
·         Liaise directly with Stakeholders and suppliers on behalf of the Category Managers where required.
Proactively manage the processing of all benchmarking projects via the use of the RFI and/or RFP processes. Take responsibility for and be solely accountable for the completion of each benchmarking project within the agreed objectives and timescales set by the Category  Managers. This involves detailed coordination between the Category Managers, the Sourcing Team, the Procurement Services Team, stakeholders and suppliers.  
·         Provide proactive assistance for other Team or Category Manager projects
·         Represent the Category Managers and Procurement, where agreed, in Supplier, Stakeholder, Heads of Department and other Teams meetings within AQA. The aim is to ensure that Procurements reputation is enhanced, that the Team profile is raised and that the service/support provision to both colleagues and suppliers is rated as highly as possible. The Senior Sourcing Specialist role is key in ensuring that responses from colleagues and suppliers via surveys and questionnaires reflect the highest levels of support and service that Procurement can provide.
·         Liaise with the Procurement Services Team to ensure that the Sourcing Team monthly volume and contract performance data is provided and analysed against agreed Service Levels/KPI data Procurement Team. 
·         Take full management responsibility for the Sourcing Team. This involves the crucial coordination of the workloads associated with contract reviews, contract builds, benchmarking/RFI/RFP exercises and other allocated projects. The Sourcing Team members report directly to the Senior Sourcing Specialist, who in turn is tasked with holding weekly meetings with the individual Sourcing Team members.
·         Be solely accountable for the performance and personal development of the Sourcing Team. Agreed metrics are applied to the Team’s performance and on-going development which in turn form part of the Senior Sourcing Specialist’s performance objectives. The key priority is to ensure that the Sourcing Team are provided with required assistance, guidance, tools and motivation to achieve an outstanding rating in on-going personal reviews.
·         Have responsibility in ensuring that the Sourcing Team remain fully compliant with all relevant AQA Policies and Procurement processes. Monitoring of compliance is a key on-going requirement and will be subject to both internal and external audits.
·         To help coordinate and oversee spend analysis requirements, a knowledge of the suite of reports that can be generated from the Workday finance software will need to be understood and training obtained from Procurement Services. The knowledge of key accounting systems is crucial in the coordination of spend-analysis projects, in understanding the extent of content output and the associated timescales involved in producing reports.
·         The Senior Sourcing Specialist will report directly to the Head of Procurement and will be fully accountable for achieving all agreed performance objectives and other requirements.
·         Develop a full understanding of the Procurement P2P contract management software (Jaggear/Bravo) to enable detailed reviews of contracts, to build contracts, review and formally evaluate RFIs and RFPs, to monitor individual performance (accuracy, productivity, progress and compliance) and to be able to obtain relevant/key reports.
·         Actively bring experience-based suggestions and challenges to processes and strategies
·         Provide key support in helping Procurement achieve its prime objective of being trusted partners to AQA colleagues, providing procurement expertise in support of business objectives and requirements.
 
Need to Know (to be successful in this role, you will need to know)
 
·         Have a strong procurement background and qualified to at least CIPS4
·         Confidence in dealing with a cross-section of sectors and suppliers including Technology/IT, Facilities, HR, Marketing, Events and Operations
·         Ability to engage with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders influencing at all levels
·         Good levels of experience in the management of a team and being able to motivate and support staff to achieve/surpass their agreed objectives as well as being a good role model 
·         Strong planning, management and leadership skills demonstrating a positive attitude to change
·         Strong verbal and written communication skills
·         Highly organised and an excellent planner
·         Ability to see ways to capitalise on opportunities and deliver quick but sound business benefits
·         Have experience in providing advice and guidance to senior managers on procurement related matters, acting as an expert point of reference
·         Confident in balancing strategic and operational demands
·         Results focused and able to make pragmatic decisions whilst delivering at pace.
·         Self-motivated with the proven ability to achieve performance objectives and exceed expectations
·         Good interpersonal skills and willing to make a positive contribution to the Team, Department and company's culture