Location: Leeds/ York/ Manchester
Our Contract and Relationship Manager plays a key role within the procurement team, engaging across all levels of the business.
You’ll drive the implementation, management, and continuous improvement of supply chain relationships and contract management practices, ensuring compliance with both organisational and industry regulations minimising risk.
A key focus is supplier auditing, adhering to standards like Modern Slavery regulations and the National Living Wage, to safeguard Northern’s supply chain, drive value, and support overall business objectives.
If this sounds like your thing, we’d love to hear from you.
Key responsibilities:
This is a varied and challenging role, but here is a taste of what your day-to-day activities could include:
Develop business requirements and opportunities for contract and supplier management.
Implement improved controls and practices, enhancing supply chain efficiency, value, and compliance.
Improve financial savings, performance, quality, and deliverables.
Set key metrics aligned with KPIs measuring supply chain risk and performance.
Business and industry collaboration ensuring alignment of processes.
Improve supply chain data, communication, and information flow.
Provide training and support on supplier relationship management best practices.
Integrate contract management and supplier performance into sourcing processes.
Drive value and ensure compliance.
Lead initiatives and coach teams to deliver successful change.
About you:
Having hands-on experience in supplier and contract management, you will work closely with procurement teams, stakeholders, and senior leadership.
We want someone who can drive change and improvements within supply chain practices.
You’ll need confidence in leading complex projects and presenting outcomes to senior management. An understanding of procurement law, including the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, is ideal but not essential.
We’re also looking for the following:
Expertise in supplier and contract management best practices.
Strategy implementation and problem-solving.
Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
Our Benefits:
Because we value our people and reward hard work, we’ve created a benefits package that we think you’ll love. So, you’ll be able to make the most of:
Free Travel on Northern services - everyone who works at Northern, plus their partners/spouses and dependents, can travel for free right across our full network of services. *Certain eligibility criteria will apply.
75% discount with other Train Operating Companies - after 1 year with us, you’ll also get discounted travel on many other rail services in the UK and Europe.
Defined Benefit Pension Scheme - you’ll rarely find a pension as good as a Northern pension, and we top up your pension with a generous 1.5 times your contribution.
Cycle to Work Scheme - save up to 42% on the cost of a bike, while also spreading your payments throughout the year.
Maternity and Paternity Benefits - we go above and beyond the standard, and mums can enjoy 9 months’ maternity leave on full pay while dads can make the most of 2 weeks’ paternity leave on full pay.
Employee Assistance Programme - advice, support and useful information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on everything from family issues to lifestyle matters.
Exclusive benefits with Northern Perks - enjoy retail discounts, instant vouchers, cashback, wellbeing support and much more.
Holiday Purchase Scheme - if you join us at Manager or Executive level or above, you can use your salary to buy up to 5 additional days of annual leave each year.
You can find out more here
About Northern:
Connecting millions of people and communities across the North is our mission. With 2,500 trains a day, we connect people to jobs, friends, family, and the wonders of the North.
We're improving rail travel, enhancing the experience on board and at stations. Customers are at the heart of our business as we improve performance and create a better way to go.
We're driving economic value and sustainable growth for the North and its people. Our commitment to the environment means reducing our impact and enhancing the world around us.
Make a difference. Make it last. Make it yours. Make it easy. Make it happen. These are our values.
Ready to make them yours? Join us on this journey.
Please note that Northern reserves the right to close recruitment for this role before the published closing date, if high volumes of applications are received.
However, if you miss the application window for this particular role, please keep checking back for other opportunities. We are always on the lookout for great people to join the Northern Team!
We’re an equal opportunities employer and a promoter of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of gender, sex, ethnicity, race, religion, education, socioeconomic background, disability, or sexual orientation.
We also have Disability Confident status, which means we’re committed to making the most of the talents that disabled people can bring to the workplace.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
