Contracts & Supplier Advisor

Travers Smith is a leading full-service law firm, with a wealth of experience in its areas of specialisation. The firm has a market-leading reputation for its international expertise in Asset Management, M&A and Dispute Resolution & Investigations. Clients include asset managers across the alternative asset classes (private equity, venture, credit, infrastructure and real estate), publicly listed and private companies, financial institutions, and other business enterprises involved in large and complex UK and cross-border matters, transactions and disputes. Our purpose is to provide the highest quality of service to our clients whilst enabling our people to achieve professional fulfilment in a supportive, inclusive and enjoyable working environment.

Department

Led by Chief Financial Officer, Chris Skeet, the Central Finance department is a busy team comprising of 29 employees spilt into different teams:

• Transactions: handling client and office money.
• Revenue Control: time recording and billing.
• Management Information and Reporting: financial reporting and financial dashboards.
• Commercial Finance and Pricing: supporting legal teams in developing systems and best  practice when pricing matters, budgeting for Practice groups & reforecasting.
• Procurement: advise on sourcing best practice, manage contracting, develop supplier relationships, and support management of supplier risk.
• Financial Systems: developing and maintaining financial systems.

The department provides exceptional service levels and continuously looks to develop and enhance systems to ensure these services are delivered efficiently and innovatively.

The Role

As the firm expands its procurement activities, we're advancing the Procurement team to focus on strategic relationship-building, commercial value enhancement, and risk management.

This role oversees end-to-end procurement processes and manages supplier relationships to drive performance and innovation. Collaborating closely with senior stakeholders and category heads, the role shall develop procurement category strategies focussed on long-term value, ensure advantageous contractual terms, and utilise data analytics to make informed decisions.

The Advisor will also lead commercial negotiations and draft contracts aligned with departmental and firmwide strategic goals. Success in this role requires expertise in navigating complex contract terms to achieve favourable outcomes. Finally, engaging with and promoting the firm’s ethos is crucial, fostering a collaborative environment that offers mutual benefits to both stakeholders and suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-end procurement activities; market analysis, RFx activity, contract negotiation, and supplier relationship management.
• Partner closely with senior stakeholders on aligning procurement strategy to meet firmwide and departmental needs.
• Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers and category leads to improve performance, innovation, and deliver long-term value.
• Prepare, challenge, and negotiate beneficial commercial contracts.
• Utilise data and analytics to monitor spend and pipeline, supporting proactive category strategies, decision-making, and reporting.
• Engagement with key suppliers in forwarding responsible procurement strategies.

Key Stakeholders

• Contracts and Supplier Manager.
• Data Privacy Counsel.
• Senior Information Security Officer.
• Director of Central Technology.

Personal Specification – Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• 3 to 5 years' experience in Procurement in a Legal / Professional Services environment.
• Experience with IT spend preferred with a willingness to work across categories.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Proven track record of adding value and delivering savings to commercial agreements.
• Experience in building collaborative and strong working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Self-motivated with a proactive mindset.
• An interest in responsible procurement.
• Willingness to understand and engage with the firm's culture and identity.

We are excited to be moving from our London headquarters in Snow Hill, to a brand-new building in the City – Stonecutter Court. The move is expected to take place in early 2026.

Accessibility statement: If individuals have any accessibility issues when reviewing this document, please notify a member of the Travers Smith HR team so that the document can be provided in an alternative format.

Support and Adjustments for candidates: At Travers Smith, we are committed to ensuring that people who are disabled or have a long-term condition are empowered in their identity, valued equally, and listened to. If we can adjust the recruitment process to make it more accessible, please let us know. For further information please visit our website: Recruitment - Support and adjustments for candidates | Travers Smith