The Vacancy

What can you expect

This is a high-impact role at the heart of the firm, responsible for shaping procurement strategy, supplier relationships, commercial decision-making, and risk management. You'll work closely with senior leaders across the business, driving value, improving governance, and influencing key operational and strategic outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Leadership & Governance

• Establish and embed procurement policies, processes, governance frameworks, and approval workflows.

• Maintain contract repositories, renewal schedules, reporting dashboards, and procurement records.

• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical, and procurement standards.

• Drive the adoption of digital tools, analytics, and best-practice procurement processes.

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Develop and deliver the firm's procurement and sourcing strategy in line with business needs and risk appetite.

• Lead sourcing activity across key spend categories, including technology, professional services, and facilities.

• Develop category plans, supplier roadmaps, and strategic account plans.

• Identify opportunities to optimise costs, improve processes, drive innovation, and create commercial value.

• Monitor market developments, supply chain trends, and emerging risks.

Market Research & Procurement Delivery

• Conduct supplier and market analysis to inform sourcing decisions.

• Support the development and execution of category strategies.

• Manage end-to-end procurement exercises, including RFPs, supplier evaluations, and recommendations.

Supplier Negotiation & Contract Management

• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing, service levels, and contractual agreements.

• Partner with legal and business stakeholders to review and finalise contracts.

• Oversee supplier contracts throughout their lifecycle, driving performance, compliance, and continuous improvement.

• Manage supplier issues, non-compliance, disputes, and service recovery plans.

Vendor Risk & Compliance

• Implement and manage vendor risk assessment frameworks.

• Review supplier due diligence, including cybersecurity, privacy, AI, sustainability, and regulatory risks.

• Monitor supplier compliance and ensure risks are identified, managed, and mitigated appropriately.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships that deliver value, innovation, and service excellence.

• Monitor supplier performance through SLAs, KPIs, and improvement plans.

• Oversee onboarding and ongoing supplier management activities.

• Encourage innovation and continuous improvement across the supplier base.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with Business Services teams, lawyers, and senior leadership to align procurement priorities with business objectives.

• Provide commercial insight, procurement expertise, and supplier recommendations to key stakeholders.

• Communicate procurement strategy, performance, and opportunities effectively across the firm.

ESG, Reporting & Data Management

• Embed ESG, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion considerations into procurement decisions.

• Assess supplier environmental, social, and ethical performance and drive improvements where required.

• Maintain accurate spend, contract, supplier, compliance, and performance data.

• Produce reporting on procurement performance, savings, risk management, and ESG outcomes.

• Support firm-wide sustainability initiatives, including supply chain diversity, emissions reporting, and modern slavery compliance.

Experience & Knowledge

• Significant strategic procurement experience, ideally within professional services, legal, or similarly regulated environments. Professional procurement qualifications are desirable.

• Proven success delivering complex sourcing strategies across multiple spend categories.

• Experience establishing or enhancing procurement functions, policies, and governance frameworks.

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to analyse spend, supplier performance, and risk data to inform decision-making.

• Extensive negotiation and contract management experience, with a focus on value creation and supplier optimisation.

• Experience managing supplier risk, compliance, cybersecurity, privacy, AI governance, sustainability, and due diligence requirements.

• Strong understanding of ESG principles and their application within procurement and supplier management.

• Experience managing supplier performance frameworks, including KPIs, SLAs, and continuous improvement programmes.

• Ability to develop procurement reporting, dashboards, analytics, and performance metrics.

• Demonstrated leadership capability, ideally within multi-site or international organisations.

• Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively at executive level.

• Collaborative and pragmatic approach, with strong communication and relationship-building skills.

• Proactive mindset with a focus on delivering improvements, reducing risk, driving efficiencies, and identifying opportunities for innovation.

Who are we looking for?

• We don't have a type. We believe our differences are our strength; varied cultures, approaches and experiences can only benefit us.

What do we offer?

• You can be yourself: It takes everyone to make us who we are. We're a culture of diverse perspectives, with each of us making unique contributions that make us better together.
• In the office or WFH?: We think the best balance is more time in the office than at home, so we operate a 60:40 rule.
• Beyond salary: We offer plenty of benefits; private medical insurance, health cash plan, dental insurance, life assurance, critical illness insurance, matched pension contributions up to 7%, holiday trading, plus many more. Visit: Reward & Benefits ¦ Fieldfisher.
• Come for the WOW views: Based on the 17th floor in No.1 Spinningfields, with views of the entire City.
• Nurturing your talent: Take a 'build a career' approach to your training. You'll be on a pathway but free to wander if you see something you'd like to study more closely.
• Funnel your interests: You have a life outside work, and we can help it to flourish. Join clubs, affinity networks, inclusive events, and pro bono/charity initiatives.

Inclusion at Fieldfisher

At Fieldfisher, inclusion is central to how we work. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and able to succeed.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process or once you join us, we will work with you to put the right support in place. Examples include extra time for assessments, accessible document formats, alternative interview formats, quiet rooms, or physical and technological accessibility support.

For accessibility information on our Manchester office, visit: Accessing Fieldfisher Manchester ¦ Fieldfisher

What to do next:

• Click 'Apply Now', complete an online application and upload a CV.
• Successful applications will be invited to a 20-30-minute introductory call with a recruiter.
• Every role recruits differently. But we'll always let you know what to expect from the process, so you get no surprises.
• For hybrid opportunities, you'll be invited to visit our offices for a face-to-face meeting.
• We try to make sure the process takes around 2-3 weeks only, but we can't always promise that. We will work around everyone's availability. You can contact us at anita.magorrian@fieldfisher.com.

We recruit on a rolling basis. Your application may be reviewed before the application deadline. We accept applications until we have filled the role.

The Firm

We are not a UK firm with offices in Europe. We are a European law firm at our core. While our HQ is London, we are spreading across Europe at pace. In addition to UK, China and Silicon Valley we have offices in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.

With 1,800 people across 28 offices across 14 countries you might expect an impersonal office culture, but you will find a homely, family feel even in the largest offices.

Quality on both sides
Across all our offices and jurisdictions are market-leading practices in corporate/M&A, finance, real estate, energy and natural resources, technology and life sciences.

We count as clients large corporations including major technology firms, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, energy suppliers, infrastructure companies, global banks and financial institutions.

We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. Applications will be considered on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Health insurance

Pension contributions

Life assurance

Season ticket loans

Bike to work loans

Testimonial

Charlotte Round - Finance Partner, Manchester

"It is great being in a firm which "gets" cross-office working - to feel properly part of a national team and to work with colleagues in other specialisms who are unconstrained by geography."

Richard Dwight - DMS Team Leader at Fieldfisher

"I consider Fieldfisher to be a progressive firm with an understanding of social values. I'm pleased that staff is able to have input in the firm's direction and purpose as well as help to shape wider society. I'm encouraged to perform by being able to develop in a natural way, whilst being supported at every step.

Fieldfisher has managed to nurture a really positive and friendly culture. If they have drive and ambition, I would encourage anybody looking for a role here to grab the opportunity."

Rebecca Reardon - Executive Assistant

"Since joining Fieldfisher in 2016, I have progressed from an entry-level secretarial role to an experienced executive assistant. This was made possible by a supportive and inclusive working environment that allows staff to progress at a pace that is best suited to them which in turn makes for well-rounded, home-grown talent.

The firm strikes a great balance between providing the foundations for success and autonomy of your own growth and development. An insight I would give to potential applicants is that Fieldfisher offers the opportunity for a career and a sense of belonging to a community and not just a job."