Job Description

About the role:

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Procurement team in Birmingham as a Purchasing Operations Specialist on a 12-month fixed-term contract.


In this role, you'll provide day-to-day support across Procurement Operations, helping to ensure smooth and accurate processes within our Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) platform. You'll be involved in supplier onboarding, data maintenance, and the Purchase to Pay (P2P) process, contributing to service delivery and compliance.


As a key member of the team, you'll play an important role in maintaining reliable procurement data and offering timely, helpful support to internal stakeholders.

During the probation period, this role will require a minimum of three days per week in our Birmingham office to support onboarding, collaboration, and team integration. While we fully support flexible working and appreciate the need to balance professional and personal commitments, we believe that in-person presence during the early stages is beneficial.

Following probation, there may be scope to explore more flexible working arrangements, depending on business needs.

Please do let us know if you have flexible working arrangements requests as we can share this with the team upon application.

About you:

We're looking for someone with a background of experience in an administrative, operations, or procurement support role. Familiarity with procurement or finance systems such as Coupa, SAP, or Oracle is desirable, though not essential.


To succeed in this role, you'll need excellent attention to detail and a willingness to learn system-based tasks including data entry and basic reporting, demonstrating the ability of strong organisational skills and the ability to manage time effectively across different tasks.


A proactive, helpful attitude and strong communication skills are key when working with colleagues along with someone with a strong sense of ownership and accountability, and a mindset focused on improvement, with the confidence to flag inefficiencies and suggest process enhancements. You should be confident in following procedures carefully and maintaining accurate records.


This role requires a strong trustworthiness particularly when handling confidential information including sensitive banking and financial data.


We value curiosity about emerging technologies, especially automation and artificial intelligence, and how they can enhance procurement performance along with an individual who demonstrates an interest in building a career in procurement or operations.

Desirable Experience:

Experience supporting system rollouts or enhancements, particularly in Coupa. Ability to produce clear documentation and training materials for process guidance.

What We Can Offer You:

Gowling WLG has been recognised as one of best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work for 25 consecutive years.


Excellent benefits, including:


A hybrid approach to office and remote working. 25 days annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week's extra annual leave. Free private medical insurance, and the option to add family members. A generous pension allowance. Life assurance covering four times your annual salary. The chance of a three-month sabbatical every five years. Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes. A range of health and wellbeing programmes. Offices in Birmingham city centre or in London overlooking Tower Bridge, both with onsite restaurants. Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development.

Equal Opportunities:

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.


At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.

If you have any queries in relation to this position or would like to see a full job description please contact Meg Astley at

meg.astley@gowlingwlg.com

#LI-MA1 #LI-HYBRID