Being a Supplier and Contracts Manager: The Epic Odyssey

Have you ever pondered what it truly takes to ascend to the ranks of a Supplier and Contracts Manager? Dear readers, brace yourselves… This role is not just a job; it’s a quest that demands Herculean knowledge, an arsenal of skills, and the ability to juggle more tasks than a one-armed juggler on roller skates. Buckle up, because we’re about to dive deep into the vast expanse of responsibilities that come with this extraordinary position!

Title: Supplier and Contracts Manager

Role Duration: Permanent (You’d hope, because who would voluntarily sign up for this job temporarily?)

Purpose of the Role: To be the maestro of contracts, the wizard of supplier management, and the saviour of the procurement universe.

Key Responsibilities:

Supplier Management Wizard

• Master the art of contract adherence: Imagine being the contract police, making sure suppliers don’t sneak out of their agreements. “Stop right there! That clause is non-negotiable!”: You’ll oversee more contracts than a library. Your job is to ensure that suppliers play by the rules…
• But also, become best friends with those suppliers and vendors. Be a master diplomat, forming alliances and exchanging business cards like a pro. They’ll invite you to their weddings, and you’ll send them Christmas cards. It’s a supplier-manager love story.
• Be their best friend… but also, act as arbitration judge in resolving disputes.
• Monitor supplier performance: You’ll be the conductor of the supplier symphony, ensuring they hit all the right notes and meet their contractual obligations.

Keep your Internal Stakeholders Happy

• Negotiation is your superpower; channeling your inner negotiator, this part involves more negotiation than a hostage situation negotiation. “Okay, if you throw in free paperclips, we have a deal!” You’ll be haggling over contracts with finesse to secure the best deal for the internal stakeholder/budget holder/contract owner. (Not to mention navigating internal politics and negotiating around project requirements)
• Craft proposals and business cases: You’ll be the bard, spinning tales of business excellence that captivate your audience.
• You’re not just a contract guardian; you’re a multi-faceted hero, ready to extend admin, purchasing and system support to comrades in the fields of category, procurement, and operations.

Data and Systems Expert

• System Yoda: develop superuser status and navigate the world of internal and external inventory management systems and guru of contract management systems.
• Assist the Data Analyst: Because even Data Analysts need a sidekick.
• Keep a vigilant eye on contract expiry dates: The calendar is your battlefield, and you’ll fight to ensure the best and most up-to-date pricing for your stakeholders. 

Top Strategist and Risk Preventionist

• Mitigate supply chain risks and costs: This is like playing a game of whack-a-mole. One risk pops up, you whack it down, another one appears. Repeat.
• Oversee data analytics: You’ll be the Sherlock Holmes of CMS data. “Elementary, my dear Supplier Manager.”
• You’ll be the guardian of procurement excellence and support CIPS and savings initiatives.
• Pioneer cost-saving endeavours: You’ll be the visionary, presenting cost-saving initiatives to the senior team.
• Perform cost-saving sorcery: You’ll be the alchemist, turning lead into gold by finding alternative and cheaper products – while never compromising on quality and value/

Be a Leader

• Command staff rosters: You’ll be the orchestrator of a complex ballet, scheduling staff, handling annual leave, sickness and playing the cover game like a seasoned actor.
• Attend meetings: Lots of meetings. You’ll have a meeting about meetings.
• Recruitment, training, and development: Because you’re not just managing contracts; you’re also managing people!
• Nurture talent: You’ll be the mentor, guiding, training, and developing your team members.

Capability Profile:

• Qualifications: A-Levels or equivalent (because you need to prove you can survive bureaucracy), Logistics/Supply Chain Management qualification (to navigate the maze of logistics), and CIPS Level 4 or above (because you’re basically a procurement superhero).
• Skills: You’ll need MS Office Suite skills, especially Excel (to create spreadsheets that could rival the Encyclopedia Britannica), formidable negotiation skills (to negotiate deals of epic proportions) and knowledge of any industry-specific procurement regulations (because you’re basically a legal /compliance expert).
• Experience: Project Management (because you’ll lead more projects than a Hollywood director), Inventory Management System Experience (because you’ll be swimming in data), Industry/Sector specific experience (because you ‘need’ to know the ins and outs of the entire business operation), and some years (at least 5 right?) of Procurement and/or Procurement Management Experience (because you need battle scars).

In conclusion

Being a Supplier and Contracts Manager is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a whirlwind of contracts, negotiations, meetings, and spreadsheets. It demands not only a broad spectrum of knowledge and skills but the courage to face a workload that would make Hercules sweat.  

We’re just grateful to be SaaS software developers, crafting contract management tools to assist Suppliers and Contract Managers in their epic odyssey!