Job Description

The Role

Step into a high-impact role driving NEXT’s commercial performance. As our eSourcing Lead, you won't just negotiate savings; you will partner with business leaders across the business to optimise our Total Cost of Ownership and pioneer procurement strategies.

Sitting strategically within Finance, our Goods-Not-For-Resale (GNFR) team acts as a commercial engine room for NEXT. We don't just procure services; we help shape the operational spend and supplier ecosystems across eCommerce, Retail, IT, Brand Packaging, and Warehousing to name a few.

As our eSourcing Lead, your influence will be enterprise-wide. You will be the definitive expert and lead negotiator for eSourcing events, partnering with every corner of the business to drive sustainable financial value.

This is a highly visible, front-line commercial role. You will act as a trusted advisor, armed with the data and the gravitas to constructively challenge up to Director-level stakeholders and pivot them towards digital sourcing best practices. By translating complex category spend into actionable insights, you will spot untapped opportunities, design high-impact eAuction strategies, and elevate the commercial maturity of the entire business.

What You Will Take On

In this role, you will be the operational and strategic engine behind our eSourcing activities. Your core deliverables will include:

• End-to-End Event Execution: You will design, build, and project manage multiple eSourcing events (RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, and eAuctions) across diverse categories. You will act as the live host for eAuctions, managing event rules and supplier communications in real-time alongside internal business owners.

• Pipeline & Value Realisation: Build and maintain a rolling multi-year pipeline of sourcing activity. You will proactively analyse company-wide spend to identify new negotiation opportunities , execute the strategy , and report on the financial benefits.

• Commercial Analytics: Provide high-quality reports and bid analysis to evaluate supplier proposals and facilitate objective, data-driven decision-making for business owners.

• Driving the Centre of Excellence: Provide hands-on coaching to internal users , develop standardised templates (RFx, pricing, evaluation) , and explore emerging procurement technologies—including AI tools—to streamline BAU tasks.

• System & Supplier Management: Manage the relationship with our 3rd-party eSourcing software provider, ensuring day-to-day issues are resolved and advocating for future platform developments. You will also support business owners with the on-boarding of successful suppliers post-event

What You Will Bring

We hire for attitude and train for skill You do not need to be a procurement veteran or an eSourcing software expert to thrive in this role. If you have a highly commercial mindset, a head for numbers, and the confidence to influence senior stakeholders, we will teach you the mechanics of eSourcing. We are looking for potential, agility, and a drive to learn.

• Trusted Advisor: You are a natural consultant and influencer who excels at cross-functional partnering. Rather than relying on a strict mandate, you build trust through data, empathy, and commercial insight—earning the right to constructively challenge Directors and guide non-procurement teams towards best practices.

• Value-Driven Mindset A deep understanding of the end-to-end procurement cycle and sourcing principles, with a strict focus on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), continuous innovation, and overarching financial value—not just bottom-line unit savings.

• Data Storytelling Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets skills are essential, but more importantly, you are comfortable translating spend data and pre-auction pricing into compelling commercial strategies. You can tailor your presentations and approach to resonate with a wide range of audiences.

• Continuous Innovator You are highly inquisitive and proactively seek out opportunities to optimise processes. You don’t just want to run events; you are curious about the future of procurement tech—including how AI can unlock deeper commercial insights—and want to build a true Centre of Excellence.

• Agility & Independence Exceptional time management skills with the proven ability to independently prioritise multiple projects, categories, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Transferable Commercial Experience: You might have a background in purchasing or supply chain, but you could equally come from Sales, Commercial Analysis, Account Management, or Project Management. If you understand how businesses make money, how to read a spreadsheet, and how to negotiate a favorable outcome, we want to hear from you.

What We Will Teach You:

• The eSourcing Ecosystem: We will provide full training on our 3rd-party eSourcing platforms and event types (RFIs, RFPs, eAuctions).

• GNFR Procurement Strategy: You will learn the nuances of indirect procurement across diverse categories like Retail, IT, and eCommerce.

• Advanced Supplier Negotiation: You will be mentored on how to construct complex market benchmarks and drive commercial value from enterprise-level suppliers.

#LI-DC1

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!