Senior Buyer

Senior Buyer (IT/Regulated Procurement)
Contract: 6 months initial (strong likelihood of extension)
Rate: £550 per day via umbrella (Inside IR35)
Location: Predominantly remote, with occasional travel to Warwick as needed

About the Role

We're recruiting for an experienced Senior Buyer to join a collaborative, high-performing procurement team within a large, complex and regulated organisation. This is a level 7 equivalent contractor role, backfilling a team member on secondment, and offers a flexible mix of strategic sourcing activity and day-to-day procurement support.

Rather than owning one major programme, this role provides senior-level contribution across a varied procurement workload - supporting tender activity where required, handling complex ad-hoc requests, and helping the wider team embed and interpret Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) requirements.

It's well suited to someone who enjoys autonomy, problem-solving, and being a trusted commercial partner, without the pressure of a single headline project.

Key Responsibilities

You'll work closely with a Category Manager and fellow buyers to support delivery across a broad procurement agenda, including:

• Supporting and where appropriate, leading RFPs and tender events
• Managing and progressing ad-hoc procurement requests of varying value and complexity
• Working closely with stakeholders to understand demand and commercial requirements
• Supporting the interpretation and practical application of Procurement Act 2023
• Preparing for and leading commercial negotiations, including redlining supplier contracts
• Analysing bids and making clear commercial recommendations
• Applying total cost of ownership thinking to sourcing decisions
• Acting as a commercial bridge between stakeholders, suppliers, legal and procurement colleagues
• Building and maintaining strong supplier relationships
• Contributing to continuous improvement across procurement processes and ways of working

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in a senior-level procurement or strategic sourcing role
• Strong commercial and contract negotiation capability
• Experience drafting, reviewing or amending supplier contracts
• Confident stakeholder engagement across technical and non-technical teams
• Ability to work independently in a fast-moving, changeable environment
• Willingness to learn and engage with Procurement Act 2023 (prior experience helpful but not essential)
• IT procurement experience or an IT commercial background
• Experience working in a regulated environment
• Familiarity with procurement systems such as Coupa and SAP Ariba
• Experience managing multiple workstreams or projects simultaneously

Please note: Due to the high volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 48 hours, unfortunately, your application has not been successful on this occasion. However, we may retain your details for any future suitable vacancies and contact you accordingly.

Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.

We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention.