University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Senior Sourcing Manager

The closing date is 04 May 2026

Job summary

Devon Procurement Service (DPS) is recruiting six Senior Sourcing Managers (B7) to join a newly established procurement service. DPS brings together expertise and buying power across Devon to deliver better value, stronger contracts, and improved outcomes for patients.

We contract on behalf of:

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Livewell Community Services

By working as one, we are transforming healthcare procurement through scale, consistency, and innovation across these categories:

Digital & Corporate / Professional Services (1 role)
Health & Social Care & Clinical Support (2 roles)
Medical & Surgical (1 role)
Major Capital Projects, Estates & Facilities (2 roles)

Applicants should state their preferred category or indicate flexibility, subject to experience.

You will lead complex sourcing activity, work closely with senior clinical and operational stakeholders, and shape strategic contracts delivering system-wide value.

We offer hybrid and flexible working, with office bases in Exeter, Barnstaple, Torbay, and Plymouth. Occasional travel across Devon will be required.

Recruiting managers' contact details are provided--candidates are encouraged to arrange a short MS Teams discussion.

Interviews will take place on 11 May 2026

Main duties of the job

As a shared service, all members of the DPS are expected to ensure consistency and parity of service provision, prioritisation and commitment to all Partner Trusts. All DPS staff will ensure proportionate resources are deployed to meet each Partner Trust's service requirements.

The Senior Sourcing Manager executes sourcing activities for DPS to provide excellent customer service, best value and compliance with DPS governance. The Senior Sourcing Manager shall work in accordance with direction from the Category Manager to ensure that sourcing is a value-adding activity through the development and execution of excellent Sourcing Plans for each project.

The Sourcing Manager shall manage team performance, ensuring that the teams / areas for which they are responsible achieve or exceed the Service Level Agreement KPIs and internal DPS performance metrics and have oversight of supplier relationship management activities. The senior sourcing manager is also responsible for identifying and investigating areas for future opportunities and bringing added value to the benefit of the department and the ICS to develop and maintain target financial savings. They will also ensure all procurement is conducted in line with the Category Management procurement strategy. The post holder is responsible for the sourcing of goods and services to ensure value for money, meeting the needs of stakeholders and complying with ICS corporate governance and relevant public procurement legislation.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Date posted

20 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£49,387 to £56,515 a year Per Annum Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

216-SF-CO7926294

Job locations

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (host site)

Various across Devon, see below

Plymouth, Exeter, Torbay & Barnstaple (based from any)

PL6 4YE

Job description

Job responsibilities

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as Priority and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

OPERATIONAL

1. Work in accordance with the direction of the Category Manager to ensure that sourcing is a value-adding activity.

2. Handle high-value and complex sourcing activities, in line with category strategies, from inception to completion. This includes developing sourcing strategy, managing tenders through to contract award.

3. Investigate, develop and deliver individual complex sourcing plans to best address the challenges set out by Category Management, delivering excellent customer service, best value for money and compliance with DPS governance.

4. Works with stakeholders to define procurement requirements and translate them into clear, compliant specifications.

5. Sponsor the achievement of DPS Procurement Delivery Board approval of all project gateways, including the Procurement Outcome Report.

6. Provide effective handover of sourcing projects to the Manage & Enable function for contract and/or SRM.

7. Proactively work to achieve Service Level Agreement KPIs and internal DPS performance improvement metric targets.

8. Lead the development and execution of supplier management strategies to ensure high performance and value delivery from key suppliers.

9. Oversee and evaluate supplier performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), addressing high-level issues and driving continuous improvement.

10. Resolve complex supplier disputes and performance issues, ensuring minimal disruption to operations and maintaining strong supplier relationships.

11. Engage with senior stakeholders to align supplier management strategies with organisational goals and provide expert advice on supplier-related matters.

12. Ensure all supplier management activities comply with relevant legislation and internal policies, supporting the development of robust governance procedures.

13. Responsible for input into procurement project delivery, informing on potential sourcing approaches, ensuring that the project reflects appropriate potential sourcing approaches

14. Responsible for providing and receiving highly complex information when dealing with a range of issues from both internal and external stakeholders

COMMUNICATION

15. Establish professional relationships with identified stakeholders.

16. Use communication, negotiation, and influencing skills to engage a range of staff to ensure the successful of sourcing activity in accordance with agreed Commercial and Sourcing Plans.

17. Lead communicating Sourcing Plans and Procurement Outcome Report recommendation to the DPS Delivery Board for approval, including attending the DPS Delivery Board.

18. Engage with key senior stakeholders engaged in Sourcing projects. This will include dealing with Directors, Clinicians and Patient\Staff side representatives and communicating with people with extremely strong opposing views and objectives i.e. decommissioning services, out-sourcing, change etc.

19. Build and maintain the reputation of DPS as a highly professional service with effective business partnering arrangements ensuring maximum satisfaction among both internal and external stakeholders.

20. Champion a culture of customer service excellence and value for money delivery in sourcing.

21. Work with the Performance and Reporting team to support the development and deployment of streamlined process and communication to enable category management and sourcing to create robust plans and to drive process efficiency improvement.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

22. Manage the team delivering all sourcing activity to deliver DPS strategies and plans.

23. Identify the level of resources required to deliver individual sourcing projects.

24. Provide commercial support to the budget setting process undertaken by the Partner Trusts.

25. Management of own time, project team and project plan to ensure delivery of sourcing projects in accordance with the agreed Commercial Strategy and Sourcing Plan.

26. Show effective leadership to ensure that sourcing projects are delivered successfully, including proactively demonstrating leadership behaviours.

27. Act as a role model for innovation and improvement within the team.

28. Maintain a culture of flexibility and responsiveness and to respond swiftly to changing priorities.

29. Responsible in full for all aspects of line management of direct reports, including staff development, performance management, identification of training requirements, managing sickness absence, grievance, disciplinary procedures, and recruitment.

PROFESSIONALISM

30. Support the Identification, development, and promotion of best practices, with the aim of improving DPS performance and sustainability.

31. Promoting culture of 'Sector First', enabling DPS to take decisions that may not be optimal for the individual Devon ICS members.

32. Provide leadership behaviours, culture, and value of DPS to support a high-performing procurement organisation.

33. Give effect to the DPS Cultural Principles and Customer Service Principles.

34.Adopt a culture of delivery of excellent service, continuous improvement, efficiency, and value for money within each Devon ICS Member.

35. Critically assess markets and competitive behaviour undertaken by key suppliers and develop Sourcing Plans to mitigate risk to DPS and its Partner Trusts.

36. Ensure that all decisions are taken in accordance with DPS governance and wider legislation.

37. Demonstrate transparency to DPS, Partner Trusts, and supplier organisations to maximise the reputation and standing of DPS and mitigating the risk of challenge to sourcing outcomes.

TEACHING AND TRAINING

38. Highlight, promote and report innovative approaches relevant to sourcing.

39. Maintain a good knowledge of all relevant legislation and emerging policies from government departments and other relevant organisations in defining sourcing plans

40. Support growth and upskilling of capabilities within the category team.

41. Responsible for coordinating and undertaking 360 performance assessments.

GOVERNANCE

42. Support the development and application of robust governance procedures to enable high quality in all goods and services procured.

43. Support Devon ICS Members in driving better patient care through securing continuity of supply for critical goods and services, and through ensuring teams place strong importance on the evaluation of technical and quality criteria in all relevant procurements.

44. Ensure all activity is compliant to DPS governance and other relevant Member Trusts governance, particular Procurement Policy and Trust Standing Financial Instructions.

45. Responsible for regular reporting of all sourcing risks to the Risk & Business Continuity Manager to understand and highlight risks, both internally and externally with a view to develop a risk mitigation approach.