Procurement Business Partner

*This position will operate on a hybrid working model, it can be based at any of our offices.*

Procurement at Zellis is changing. We currently support each of our operating companies – Zellis, Benefex and Moorepay – and we're now shaping how procurement will work in future, including moving towards a more proactive, category-led approach that looks beyond individual contracts to get the most value from whole areas of spend. We're also putting digital and AI tools at the heart of how we source.

As a Procurement Business Partner, you'll be the go to procurement partner for your aligned operating companies. You'll get to know their plans, anticipate what they need to buy and turn that into a forward pipeline of sourcing activity. You'll lead sourcing projects yourself, including some of our larger and more complex deals, and direct tactical buying through our procurement team in Kochi, India.

You'll also lead a small number of spend categories across the whole group, helping us test what category management looks like at Zellis, and you'll work directly with the Procurement Director to shape our future way of working. It's a rare chance to help build a procurement function, not just work in one.

You'll report directly to the Procurement Director, who sets procurement strategy and is defining our future operating model. The two Business Partners work side by side, each supporting their aligned operating companies and leading a few categories across the group. You'll share insight, cover for each other and help shape how the function develops. This is an individual contributor role with no direct line management.

Key Responsibilities

Business partnering and demand planning:

• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders in your aligned operating companies, acting as their commercial adviser and first point of contact for procurement.
• Understand business plans and budgets so you can anticipate needs and keep a rolling 12-month sourcing and renewals pipeline.
• Engage stakeholders early so procurement shapes requirements rather than reacting to them.

Group-wide category leadership:

• Lead two or three spend categories across the whole Zellis Group, bringing together demand from all operating companies.
• Use spend analysis and market insight to build simple category plans that show where consolidation, better terms or new approaches can add value.
• Track and share the results so we can judge how well a category-led approach works for Zellis.

Strategic sourcing and negotiation:

• Lead sourcing projects from start to finish, from requirements and market engagement through tender (RFx), evaluation, negotiation and award.
• Deliver measurable savings and wider value through strong negotiation and well structured commercial agreements.
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial contract terms, involving Legal where needed.
• Lead some of the group's larger and more complex sourcing projects and negotiations, agreeing with the Procurement Director which deals you own.

Directing tactical procurement through our off-shore team (Kochi):

• Hand over, prioritise and oversee tactical sourcing work carried out by the Kochi based procurement team.
• Set clear briefs, quality-assure outputs and give regular feedback so work meets business and policy standards.
• Work across time zones to keep activity moving and stakeholders informed.

Digital and AI-enabled procurement:

• Use AI and digital tools to work smarter, for example in spend analysis, market research, drafting tender documents and contract review, always applying sound professional judgement.
• Help develop, test and embed new AI-enabled ways of working across the procurement team, sharing what works.

Supplier, contract and risk management:

• Manage supplier performance for key suppliers in your areas, including KPIs, service levels and regular business reviews
• Track contract renewals and expiries so decisions are planned, not made by default.
• Work with Compliance, Information Security and Data Protection teams on supplier due diligence and risk assessments.
• Build responsible procurement and ESG criteria into sourcing decisions, including modern slavery checks and sustainability assessments.

Shaping our future way of working, change and reporting:

• Work with the Procurement Director to design procurement's future operating model, including whether and how we adopt category management.
• Contribute ideas, data and lessons learned to procurement strategy, policy and process improvements.
• Guide your operating companies through the move to more proactive procurement, and any future move towards a category-led approach, building adoption of new policies, processes and tools.
• Report on pipeline, savings, value delivered and supplier performance to the Procurement Director.

What success looks like:

• A live 12-month sourcing and renewals pipeline agreed with each aligned operating company.
• Measurable savings and value delivered against agreed targets.
• Business leaders bring procurement in early and see it as a trusted partner.
• Tactical work running smoothly through the Kochi team, on time and to standard.
• Visible use of AI and digital tools improving speed and quality of sourcing.
• Clear category plans in place for your pilot categories, with measurable results.
• Evidence and recommendations that help decide our future procurement operating model.

Skills & Experience

• A track record of delivering cost savings and commercial value through sourcing and negotiation.
• Experience leading complex, high-value sourcing projects and negotiations end to end.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder-engagement skills, with the confidence to challenge and advise senior leaders.
• Experience of leading or supporting procurement change, guiding stakeholders to new ways of working.
• Ability to think strategically and contribute to shaping a function, not just running its processes.
• Experience drafting and negotiating commercial contract terms.
• Clear communication and the ability to brief, direct and review work done by others, including remote or offshore teams.
• A strong appetite for using digital and AI tools to improve how procurement works.
• CIPS qualified or working towards it, a relevant degree, or equivalent practical experience in strategic sourcing and stakeholder management.
• Hands on experience of AI-enabled sourcing or procurement technology.
• Experience working with an offshore or shared service procurement team.
• Knowledge of third-party risk, data protection and information security in supplier contracts.
• Experience in technology, SaaS or professional services categories.
• Experience of setting up or piloting category management desirable.