Senior Supply Chain Manager

We are seeking an experienced and driven Senior Supply Chain Manager to oversee a team of Supply Chain and Inventory Managers. This key leadership role ensures the smooth and efficient planning, forecasting, and flow of materials across the supply chain while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships and supporting continuous improvement projects. 

The Senior Supply Chain Manager plays a critical and high-impact role at the heart of the organisation, overseeing the strategic planning and execution of supply chain operations that support millions of pounds worth of inventory and thousands of essential materials. This position carries significant responsibility for ensuring the seamless flow of goods and materials that are vital to the success of the business, directly influencing operational efficiency, cost control, and service performance. As a senior leader, the role involves close collaboration with other key stakeholders across the business, including operations, finance, procurement, and commercial teams, ensuring alignment of supply chain strategies with broader business objectives. This is a pivotal role that demands strong leadership, commercial awareness, and the ability to drive continuous improvement across a complex and dynamic environment.

What you will be doing as a Senior Supply Chain Manager

• Team Leadership & Workload Management - Lead, mentor, and support a team of Supply Chain and Inventory Managers. Balance and delegate workload effectively to ensure consistent performance and high levels of team engagement.
• Performance Monitoring & SLA Management - Monitor team performance against key metrics and service level agreements (SLAs). Drive accountability and continuous improvement to ensure operational targets are met or exceeded.
• Stakeholder Communication - Act as the primary point of contact for stakeholders from across the wider business. Facilitate clear and timely communication between internal teams, including operations, finance, procurement, and commercial functions.
• Project Involvement - Contribute to and lead elements of strategic and operational projects aimed at improving supply chain efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and system capability.
• Collaboration with Warehouse Operations - Work closely with the Warehouse Operations Manager to ensure a continuous and reliable flow of materials to support distribution and production needs.
• Inventory & Forecasting - Ensure accurate material forecasting to support operational demand and avoid shortages or overstocking. Drive inventory optimisation through data analysis and proactive planning.
• Supplier Performance Management - Oversee supplier performance against framework agreements. Monitor compliance with service, cost, and delivery expectations, escalating issues where necessary and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Location – Your base location will be Didcot, Oxfordshire.
You will receive a car allowance of £5,800 per annum with this position.
Working Hours – Monday to Friday, 36 hours per week.

What you should bring to the role
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• Proven experience in a supply chain leadership or team management role.
• Strong understanding of supply chain planning, inventory control, and supplier management.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with experience in stakeholder management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in supply chain systems and tools (e.g., ERP, forecasting software).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working in close partnership with warehousing or distribution functions.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering up to £64,500 per annum, including car allowance, depending on experience and skills.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays).
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – open to all once a year.
• Wider benefits scheme, including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your well-being.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know. We’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.