Supply Chain Manager - Suppliers & Subcontractors (Hiring Immediately)

JOB ROLE: Supply Chain Manager – Suppliers & Subcontractors

LOCATION: SW8 4AL

HOURS: Monday - Friday 8am-5pm

SALARY: £40,000 -£45,000 + Bonus based on performance

About Optimal

Optimal is a growing property maintenance and refurbishment business, delivering responsive and planned works for clients including estate agents, housing associations, commercial clients and private landlords.

We combine strong operational delivery with responsive customer service. We’re building our own system with AI and automations to reduce routine administration, improve visibility and give our team more time to focus on relationships, commercial decisions and results.

About the role

Your role is to build, manage and continually improve Optimal’s network of engineers, suppliers and subcontractors.

You’ll proactively bring new businesses into our supply chain, negotiate competitive prices and terms, and ensure they consistently meet our standards for quality, reliability, communication and service.

This is a hands-on, commercially focused role. Success means having the right trades, materials and capacity available where we need them, at the right cost, with partners who deliver on their commitments.

Your responsibility continues beyond onboarding. You’ll track performance, address problems, develop strong partners and replace those who consistently fall short. You’ll work closely with Operations, Client Project Managers and Finance to ensure our supply chain supports profitable growth.

Key responsibilities

Source and attract better suppliers and subcontractors

• Proactively identify and engage subcontractors across the trades and geographical areas we serve.
• Source material suppliers, specialist contractors and other delivery partners that strengthen our service offering.
• Build a pipeline through outbound calls, referrals, industry networks, research and recommendations.
• Explain the opportunity to work with Optimal and attract capable, commercially suitable partners.
• Identify gaps in trade coverage, geographical reach, specialist skills and availability.
• Develop alternatives so delivery does not depend too heavily on individual suppliers or subcontractors.

Vet, onboard and activate new partners

• Assess trade experience, references, workmanship, capacity, communication and suitability for our work.
• Coordinate checks of relevant qualifications, certifications, insurance and other required documentation.
• Work with the appropriate internal teams to ensure agreements and onboarding requirements are completed before work is allocated.
• Set clear expectations for pricing, attendance, conduct, quality, communication, completion evidence and invoicing.
• Arrange trial jobs or initial performance reviews where appropriate.
• Work with Operations to move approved partners into suitable first assignments and assess their performance.

Negotiate prices and commercial terms

• Negotiate competitive labour rates, call-out charges, material prices, discounts and terms within agreed authority.
• Maintain clear, current rate cards and agreed pricing arrangements.
• Compare quotations on a like-for-like basis, checking scope, exclusions, quality and total cost.
• Challenge avoidable charges and identify opportunities to improve margin.
• Monitor price changes and benchmark existing partners against credible alternatives.
• Balance price with reliability, quality and capacity to avoid savings being lost through delays or rework.

Plan coverage and capacity

• Work with Operations and Client Project Managers to understand current workloads and future demand.
• Maintain visibility of each partner’s trades, locations, capacity, availability and limitations.
• Build sufficient coverage for reactive work, planned maintenance, refurbishment and specialist requirements.
• Develop contingency options for urgent jobs, peak demand, cancellations and poor performance.
• Flag capacity risks early and agree practical actions before they affect client commitments.

Manage performance and enforce standards

• Set and communicate clear supplier and subcontractor performance expectations.
• Monitor attendance, responsiveness, completion times, workmanship, documentation and adherence to agreed prices.
• Use job outcomes, completion photos, client feedback and operational data to assess performance.
• Maintain scorecards and hold regular reviews with key partners.
• Address missed appointments, poor communication, defects, repeated delays and]]>