Role: Supply Chain Manager
Location: Preston (office based) — 4 days per week on site, 1 day hybrid/remote where operationally required
Hours: Monday – Friday, 40 hours per week
Salary: £42,000 - £46,000 per annum dependant on experience
The Role:
The Supply Chain Manager is a newly created role sitting between the Head of Supply Chain and the existing two-person supply chain team. The role exists to provide day-to-day leadership and management of the team, act as a point of escalation and support on commercial pricing and own the discipline of performance measurement and compliance across the supply chain function. The role is pivotal in ensuring the team operates efficiently, compliantly, and with strong alignment to internal stakeholders and client agreements.
The Business:
Recycling Lives Services is not a typical recycling company. Since 2008, the business has been structurally built around social value, employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds, partnering with the justice system to reduce reoffending, and delivering environmental excellence at scale. The social mission is not a layer added on top of commercial activity. It is the reason the business operates in the way it does.
As a certified B Corp (scoring 103.5 against a business median of 50.9), Recycling Lives Services generated £42.9m in social value in 2024, achieved a 61% reduction in CO2 emissions, and diverted 97% of waste from landfill. 15% of our team have been welcomed through our rehabilitation programmes, and only 6% of people we support reoffend — compared to a national average of over 25%.
We operate UK-wide across construction, manufacturing, retail, utilities and public sector markets, offering total waste management, WEEE recycling, and specialist hazardous waste services.
What You'll Be Doing:
Team Leadership & Management
- Provide day-to-day line management, support and direction to the Supply Chain Quality Manager and Supply Chain Coordinator.
- Ensure both roles are clear on priorities, workload is balanced, and escalations are handled promptly and effectively.
- Coach and develop both team members, identifying training needs and supporting their ongoing development.
- Act as the first point of escalation for supplier or commercial issues that cannot be resolved at coordinator/lead level.
Commercial & Pricing Support
- Support the team with new pricing requests where additional commercial input, negotiation or sign-off is required.
- Review ad hoc and new site/service pricing for commercial soundness before it is finalised or issued to suppliers or clients.
- Work with the Head of Supply Chain on wider commercial strategy, tender pricing and supplier negotiations as required.
KPI & Performance Management
- Own and manage the weekly Supply Chain KPI suite, ensuring data is accurate, timely, and reflects true supplier and site performance.
- Analyse KPI trends, identify areas of underperformance or risk, and drive corrective action with suppliers and internal teams.
- Report KPI outcomes and supply chain interaction/performance to the Head of Supply Chain on a regular cadence.
Compliance & Contract Integrity
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of client agreements, contracts and SLAs, and ensure supplier activity remains compliant with these at all times.
- Provide close oversight and attention to detail on compliance matters, proactively identifying gaps or risks before they become issues.
- Work with the Supply Chain Quality Manager to ensure supplier audits, contract renewals and tender submissions are tracked and delivered on time.
- Support the business in remaining audit-ready at all times across supplier documentation, contracts and compliance records.
Contract Roll-Out & Mobilisation
- Take ownership of the roll-out process from the point pricing and contract terms are agreed by the Supply Chain Quality Manager, through to full mobilisation and live operation.
- Own the roll-out of new contracts, ensuring a smooth and structured transition from award through to live operation.
- Liaise closely with new and current suppliers to manage demobilisation and mobilisation phases, minimising disruption to service continuity.
- Update Sales and Customer Service teams on contract commencement and progress following mobilisation, ensuring internal teams are fully briefed and aligned.
- Arrange regular review conversations with new suppliers to confirm agreed service levels and KPIs are being met from the outset.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with the Customer Service team and Purchase Ledger Manager to proactively resolve and minimise queries, invoice issues and service disruption.
- Act as a key liaison point between Supply Chain and other internal departments, ensuring smooth communication and issue resolution.
- Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders to support a joined-up approach to supplier and client management.
What We're Looking For
Experience & Background
- Proven background in supply chain and/or procurement, ideally in a role with direct supplier or commercial management responsibility.
- Experience managing or supervising a team, or clear readiness to step into a first-line management role.
- Knowledge or experience of the waste management sector is desirable but not essential.
- Experience working with KPIs, performance reporting and contract/SLA compliance.
Skills & Attributes
- Excellent communication skills, with the confidence and clarity to deal with suppliers, senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams alike.
- Strong attention to detail, particularly around compliance, contracts and client agreements.
- Commercially minded, with sound judgement on pricing and negotiation.
- Highly organised, able to prioritise and manage a varied workload in a fast-paced environment.
- A collaborative, hands-on approach — comfortable supporting the team directly as well as managing at a strategic level.
- Proficient with data and reporting tools (e.g. Excel) to manage and interpret KPI information.
What We Offer:
- Competitive salary
- 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Company pension (5% employee / 3% employer).
- Healthcare Cash Plan.*
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Free financial wellbeing support
- Cycle to Work Scheme.*
- Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.*
- The opportunity to work for a certified B Corp making a genuine social and environmental impact.
- Available after 12 months' service.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
