This is a fixed term contract for 12 months initially, with potential to be extended to 18 months.
Great journeys start with great people
Here at LNER, we're shaping the future of rail on one of the UK's most iconic routes. From our high-speed Azuma fleet, redefining long-distance travel, to our next generation of trains, Serenza, this is a moment of real transformation for LNER. We're investing in cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and most importantly our people, to deliver outstanding experiences for our customers. There has never been a more exciting time to grow your career with LNER!
So, what exactly does our Senior Procurement Manager do?
We're looking for a Senior Procurement Manager to join our Procurement team based in York on a fixed term basis.
As our Senior Procurement Manager, you'll lead the way in delivering a professional, forward-thinking procurement service for our internal customers in the area of Commercial. You'll guide colleagues with clear advice, run complex tenders and secure contracts that deliver real value, all while protecting LNER from risk and keeping us fully compliant.
You'll play a key role in helping us work smarter and deliver better for our customers by improving processes, using new technology such as Oracle Fusion and the tender portal to streamline procurements to make LNER market leading. This will all be done in conjunction with industry partners within the DFTO group and the wider industry.
Leading a small team of five focussed heavily on Indirect spend, you'll look to support and develop colleagues and also step in for the Head of Procurement when needed. It's a varied role and one where you'll see the direct impact of your work across LNER.
You'll also be involved in;
- Developing and delivering procurement strategies that bring best value and strong commercial outcomes.
- Leading end-to-end tender processes, from building documentation to evaluating bids and awarding contracts.
- Negotiating contracts that balance cost, quality, performance and risk.
- Ensuring all activity meets the Procurement Act 2023, Competition Law, FOIA and DFTO requirements.
- Building and managing supplier relationships, driving performance through reviews and clear measures.
- Working with teams across LNER to make sure contracts deliver against targets, SLAs and KPIs.
- Using systems like Oracle Fusion and tender portals to improve processes and support colleagues.
- Acting as the go-to person for system queries, training and continuous improvement.
- Exploring new markets and suppliers to strengthen our supply chain.
- Promoting responsible sourcing including social value and sustainable contracts.
What you'll need
You'll bring strong procurement experience and the confidence to lead, influence and deliver in a fast-moving environment.
You'll also have:
- Proven experience in a procurement role, including contracts management.
- A strong understanding of procurement regulations and government frameworks.
- Experience of different forms of commercial contracts such as frameworks or specialised forms.
- Broad experience of buying goods and services and delivering deals within timescales.
- Knowledge of contract law.
- Understanding of the regulatory framework under which contracts are controlled.
- Experience using contract management systems or e-tendering tools.
- The ability to develop and deliver procurement strategies.
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply or working towards it or equivalent.
- Strong negotiation skills (formal training is desirable).
- Natural leadership skills with experience managing or supporting others.
You'll enjoy
- Free travel on LNER, plus 75% off other companies' tickets (for you and your dependents).
- Discounted international train tickets (after one year's service).
- 50% discount on LNER tickets for friends and family.
- Generous pension scheme.
- Annual cycle to work schemes/electric vehicle scheme.
- Discount, savings and cashback scheme from top retailers.
- Health and wellbeing schemes and discounts.
- A host of training opportunities to help further your career.
- Rewards and awards to recognise when you shine.
Life at LNER
We're on a mission to become the UK's most loved, forward-thinking, and responsible train operating company in the UK. This means making a real difference by doing the right thing for our customers, our people, and the communities and destinations we serve. Together, we're shaping the future of rail travel through our passion, our innovation, and our extraordinary people. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We're committed to creating an inclusive and engaged culture that supports everyone at every stage of their journey. This means that when you're with LNER, you can truly be yourself—and it's why so many of our colleagues choose to stay and grow with us.
- Diversity and inclusion – We are passionate about building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively create opportunities to inspire and attract diverse talent to join LNER. We are committed to supporting all candidates, so if you require any adjustments or assistance at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know.
- Developing our people – We're creating a learning culture that enables our people to be the best they can be. We support development and career journeys with the right tools and resources, aligned to our people priorities: readiness for Great British Rail, the future world of work and strong, people focused leadership that delivers for our people, customers, and business.
- Health and wellbeing - To create a culture where our people can perform at their best, the physical health and mental wellbeing of our people is of paramount importance to us.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
At LNER, safety is our top priority. If your application is successful and you're new to the business, we'll carry out a basic DBS check as part of our pre-employment process. This is only takes place once a conditional job offer has been made. The DBS check looks for any unspent convictions and conditional cautions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. If there's evidence of an unspent conviction or a conditional caution, the details of these will be reviewed internally by a cross functional panel on a case-by-case basis before a final offer of employment is confirmed. Please note that in some cases, this may result in an offer being withdrawn. Further information on how we collect and use this data is available on our privacy notice.
Medical screening
We're a safety conscious business, so when joining LNER in any role you'll need to pass a medical screening and a drugs and alcohol test before we can confirm an unconditional job offer. For safety-critical roles, a safety-critical medical will also be required. Our Talent Team will be on hand to guide you through the process and will send you a medical questionnaire by email. Once complete, this will go directly to our in-house Health and Wellbeing team who will contact you to arrange a convenient location, date and time for your medical appointment. We currently have clinics in Kings Cross, Doncaster, Newcastle and Edinburgh. The sooner we can do it, the better, so please try to be flexible with your availability. Once your medical is approved, we'll finalise any last details and look forward to you joining the team!
How to apply
We have fantastic opportunities for people from all different backgrounds, so now is the time to join the team at LNER.
