Senior Supply Chain Development Manager

The Senior Supply Chain Development Manager plays a pivotal role within a newly established Supply Chain Development team, responsible for enabling the Commercial function to deliver a coherent, strategic, and enterprise-wide approach to supply chain development across AWE.

The role supports the organisation through a significant period of procurement and tendering activity associated with the replacement warhead programme, ensuring that supply chain capability frameworks are established and embedded across the business.   

Reporting to the Principal Supply Chain Development Manager, the role is accountable for developing supply chain management frameworks, methodologies, standards, tools, and best practices that strengthen supplier relationships, improve supply chain performance, and position AWE as a Client of Choice. The role also leads the team in advancing sustainability, social value, and supplier inclusion objectives.   

• Accountable for establishing and maintaining a robust supplier governance methodology and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) framework that supports strategic business objectives.   

• Accountable for ensuring consistent supplier segmentation and performance management approaches are adopted across AWE.   

• Accountable for the creation and maintenance of supply chain policies, procedures, standards, tools, and templates.   

• Accountable for driving improvements in supplier relationship maturity and embedding best-practice supplier management principles.   

• Accountable for delivering initiatives that enhance AWE's position as a preferred customer within key supply markets through the Client of Choice strategy.   

• Accountable for the successful planning and delivery of supplier engagement programmes, forums, and communication activities.   

• Accountable for embedding ESG, supplier diversity, SME participation, and social value considerations into supply chain development activities.   

• Accountable for building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring effective collaboration across Commercial, Programme, and Supply Chain communities.  

• Accountable for development of a high performing Supply Chain Development Team.  

• Must have proven professional experience. 

• Proven experience in developing strategy with specific experience in supply chain development and SRM. 

• Experience in development of SME strategies that work cohesively with wider supply development strategies. 

• Experience of working collaboratively with and influencing senior business stakeholders. 

• Experience designing and implementing supply chain governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and operating models. 

• Experience incorporating sustainability, ESG, social value, supplier diversity, and SME participation objectives into procurement and supply chain strategies. 

• Ability to develop and implement enterprise-wide supply chain frameworks, governance models, and improvement strategies aligned to organisational objectives. 

• Strong ability to build credibility and influence senior leaders, suppliers, and cross-functional stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes. 

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to lead supplier engagement initiatives, workshops, forums. 

• Proven capability to design, implement, and embed new processes, methodologies, and ways of working that enhance supply chain performance and organisational maturity. 

• Ability to work effectively in a complex and ambiguous environment. 

• Role model for innovation and continuous improvement. 

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. 
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.