Supplier Engagement Executive

Title: Supplier Engagement Executive

Department: Trading

Reports directly to: Head of Trading

NMBS is the merchant sector’s leading digital and trading platform, offering insurance-backed guaranteed payment, and strengthening commercial and financial resilience to help members grow sales with ease. NMBS supports over 1,350 merchant members operating from more than 5,000 branches and works in partnership with over 600 suppliers across 26 categories.

We are in search for a Supplier Engagement Executive who will play a pivotal role within the Trading function, supporting the development, growth, and resilience of the NMBS supplier portfolio. The role focuses on supplier onboarding, early lifecycle engagement, and performance, ensuring suppliers are effectively integrated into NMBS commercial and digital platforms, including Microsoft Business Central, DataPlus, OnePlace and Data Yard, and are positioned for early commercial success.

Reporting to the Head of Trading, you will act as a central point of contact for suppliers during onboarding and early engagement. The role collaborates closely with internal colleagues across Trading, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and IT to deliver a consistent, structured, and high-quality supplier experience. Strong influencing skills, a process-driven mindset, and the ability to drive progress across multiple platforms and stakeholders are essential to success.

The role supports Category Managers in delivering trading and category objectives, providing supplier insights, performance updates, and structured communication, with particular focus on improving engagement and contribution from the long tail of suppliers. Through exposure to category performance, supplier dynamics, and trading priorities, the role builds strong commercial and analytical capability.

NMBS is committed to developing talent by providing the support and opportunities needed for individuals to build capability and progress their careers. This role contributes to that development by strengthening commercial, analytical, and supplier-management skills essential for future progression into Category Management.

Job Summary

• Lead supplier onboarding, early engagement and integration across NMBS platforms including Data Plus, OnePlace, Data Yard
• Provide structured training and support to suppliers to build confidence, capability and compliance with NMBS frameworks
• Ensure suppliers adopt agreed processes, data standards and digital workflows throughout onboarding and early lifecycle stages
• Manage early supplier performance, including the smooth transfer of direct turnover into NMBS
• Provide accurate updates on onboarding status, risks and progress to Trading and Category Management
• Track onboarding and supplier performance metrics and contribute to departmental KPI reporting
• Maintain momentum by monitoring progress, chasing actions and resolving issues efficiently
• Manage the end-to-end onboarding journey for suppliers across NMBS platforms
• Work collaboratively with Category Managers and internal teams to support supplier engagement, performance and continuous improvement
• Deliver regular performance and category insight reports to strengthen supplier engagement, with focused improvement across the long-tail supplier base
• Highlight supplier performance risks, bottlenecks, underperformance and sales growth opportunities to Category Managers
• Support general supplier administration including supporting Category Managers with chasing actions and resolving issues efficiently, documentation updates and ongoing transfers

Performance Standards

• Ability to work under pressure while managing multiple onboarding and engagement priorities
• Capable of working independently and making sound, process-led decisions
• Strong organisational and planning skills with high diligence
• Confident communicator able to influence suppliers and internal stakeholders
• Customer-focused approach, delivering value to both suppliers and members
• Willingness to adapt to change and support evolving business priorities
• Willingness to travel within the UK and work outside contracted hours when required

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in supplier engagement, onboarding, account management, or similar commercial roles
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability
• Good understanding of digital platforms, data management, and workflow processes
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Outlook, and Teams. Ability to use PHOCAS or Power BI preferred but not essential
• Experience within the merchant, supplier, or distribution sector desirable

Personal Attributes

• Highly self-motivated with a strong drive to deliver results
• Process-driven, structured, and disciplined in approach
• Positive, professional, and resilient under pressure
• Strong communication skills, written and verbal in person and on the phone
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and identify trends
• Collaborative, proactive and committed to continuous improvement

Key Measures of Success

• Successful onboarding and early performance of new suppliers
• Speed to first trade and transfer of direct turnover into NMBS
• Achievement of supplier acquisition and onboarding targets
• Improved engagement and retention of long tail suppliers
• Supplier adoption of NMBS digital processes and workflows
• Accuracy and quality of supplier data, insights, and reporting
• Contribution to Trading and category objectives
• Improved NPS score across the NMBS supplier portfolio
• Demonstrated readiness for progression into Category Management role