Vehicle Procurement Manager

Job Description

Ready to hustle for the green revolution? As our Vehicle Procurement Manager, you will be the strategic bridge between top automotive manufacturers (OEMs) and our internal squads. We are looking for an ultimate deal-hunter - someone with an entrepreneurial, relentless mindset who thrives on securing the absolute best pricing, volume commitments, and commercial terms to accelerate our mission of making zero-emission driving accessible to everyone.

This is a high-impact, fast-paced role that goes far beyond transactional buying. Armed with a data-driven approach and sharp commercial acumen, you will take full ownership of our direct procurement activities. You will translate forecasts and market insights from our Planning team into killer purchasing strategies, leading complex negotiations and acting as the main point of contact for all high-stakes contractual discussions.

You'll be managing daily relationships across various stakeholders, proactively resolving supply constraints, and playing your part on ensuring a seamless journey from the OEM order straight through to customer delivery. Working closely with Operations, Finance, and the Procurement Director, your ability to build exceptional relationships and spot a great deal will ensure our supply chain remains resilient, cost-effective, and perfectly aligned with our hyper-growth targets.

This role will be based out of our Weybridge and London offices twice a week and requires occasional travel across the UK and globally.

Please note that you must have a valid UK driving licence.

What you'll do

• Own direct procurement activity across assigned various car manufacturers (OEM's), securing supply in line with procurement plan and operational targets.
• Lead OEM negotiations, including pricing, volume commitments, lead times, and commercial terms to optimise value and maintain strong relationships.
• Manage day to day OEM relationships, acting as the main point of contact for all commercial and contractual discussions.
• Collaborate closely with the Procurement Planning team, leveraging their data, forecasting, and analysis to inform negotiation strategy and supply decisions.
• Escalate and resolve OEM issues quickly, maintaining strong communication channels between Procurement, Planning, and Operations.
• Monitor OEM performance, identifying risks, supply constraints, and opportunities for improvement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with the dealer network, ensuring alignment between OEM supply, stock allocation, and customer delivery performance.
• Support the Procurement Director in shaping supplier strategy and contributing to key business reviews and SLT reporting.
• Collaborate with: Procurement Planning and Pricing teams for forecast accuracy, market insights, and supply data.
• Partners with Dealer Operations to ensure a seamless transition from OEM order through to customer delivery.
• Provides feedback loops to the Planning and Finance teams to maintain data accuracy and financial alignment.

What you'll need

• The Ultimate Hustler: You're relentless when it comes to finding a great deal and pushing through projects and initiatives. You have an entrepreneurial, deal-hunting mindset that means you're always looking for an angle - whether that's securing better pricing, getting our hands on more stock, or negotiating perks that give us a commercial edge.
• Procurement & OEM Expertise: Proven experience in direct procurement or supply chain management, within the automotive industry or working closely with major OEMs and dealer networks is a definite bonus although not a must have.
• Master Negotiator: A strong track record of leading complex commercial negotiations, managing high-stakes contracts, and securing the best possible terms (pricing, volume, and lead times) without compromising relationships.
• Data-Driven Mindset: Highly analytical and comfortable diving into numbers. You know how to take forecasts, market insights, and supply data from the Planning team and turn them into a killer purchasing strategy.
• Exceptional Relationship Builder: Brilliant communication skills at all levels - from the CEO to the junior members of the team. Being able to adapt approach and style accordingly with the ability to act as the "strategic bridge" between external giants (manufacturers, dealers) and internal squads (Operations, Finance, Planning, and the Senior Leadership Team).
• Proactive Problem Solver: A sharp eye for spotting supply chain risks or bottlenecks before they happen, paired with the resilience and bias-for-action needed to resolve issues fast.
• Commercial Acumen: A solid understanding of finance and business strategy, ensuring your procurement plans stay perfectly aligned with our financial goals and growth targets.

Why else you'll love it here

• ???? Wondering what the salary for this role is? Just ask us! On a call with one of our recruiters it's something we always cover as we genuinely want to match your experience with the correct salary. The reason why we don't advertise is because we honestly have a degree of flexibility and would never want salary to be a reason why someone doesn't apply to Octopus - what's more important to us is finding the right octofit!
• ???? Octopus Energy Group is a unique culture. An organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker. Where people work with autonomy, alongside a wide range of amazing co-owners, on projects that break new ground. We want your hard work to be rewarded with perks you actually care about! ???? Visit our perks hub - Octopus Employee Benefits
• ???? Octopus Electric Vehicles, part of the Octopus Energy Group, won the Sunday Times best company to work for in 2024. We were named 6th out of the top 100 start-ups to work for by Tempo in 2025 and on Glassdoor we were voted 50 best places to work in 2022. Our Group CEO, Greg has recorded a podcast about our culture and how we empower our people. We've also been placed in the top 10 companies for senior leadership
• P.s. ???? just to let you know, we are dog friendly company so you may see our 4 legged friends in the offices - feel free to bring yours! Rest assured though, we've taken lots of precautions for those who have allergies

The electric revolution has arrived - and from 2035 you'll no longer be able to buy a new petrol or diesel car in the UK.

We're building a whole new way for drivers to join the electric charge and not only learn about and shop for their EV online, but experience a 'lease for life' through an industry changing customer experience. This is the chance to join one of the UK's most exciting start-ups - making it easy for individuals and businesses to go electric by getting their car, charger and energy all in one cracking deal.

Octopus Electric Vehicles launched in 2018 to make it seamless to switch to cleaner, greener driving. Our mission is to drive sustainable change, decarbonise the planet and provide our customers with fair pricing and a fantastic experience.

We're an Octopus Energy company-an innovative new energy supplier. We are part of the Octopus Energy Group, which seeks to improve the lives of millions of people by transforming the industries we operate in. The Octopus Group incorporates Octopus Energy, Octopus Healthcare, Octopus Investments, Octopus Property, Octopus Ventures and Octopus Labs.

Please note we use AI to help us assess applications fairly and objectively.

If this sounds like you then we'd love to hear from you.

Are you ready for a career with us? We want to ensure you have all the tools and environment you need to unleash your potential. Need any specific accommodations? Whether you require specific accommodations or have a unique preference, let us know, and we'll do what we can to customise your interview process for comfort and maximum magic!

Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the job requirements. Whoever you are, if you like one of our jobs, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we hire. Across Octopus, we're looking for genuinely decent people who are honest and empathetic. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.