Head of Procurement

A leading organisation is seeking a Head of Procurement to play a pivotal role in shaping the procurement strategy, diversifying sourcing channels, and maximising margin through effective purchase price optimisation. This position offers you the opportunity to lead a dedicated team of specialists, ensuring optimised terms and pricing with suppliers, as well as prioritised and timely payments that balance working capital challenges with supplier order commitments.

You will be at the heart of supplier due diligence and management, underpinning robust commercial relationships while driving process improvements across internal functions. The role provides flexibility with hybrid working arrangements in London, empowering you to collaborate across departments and make a tangible impact on both customer delivery expectations and organisational profitability. If you are passionate about building strong supplier networks, championing efficiency, and fostering a supportive team culture, this is your chance to join an organisation committed to continual growth and operational excellence.

• Shape the procurement strategy to diversify sourcing channels, reduce dependence on specific suppliers or vendors, and leverage competitive tension for optimal terms.
• Lead a team of procurement specialists, motivating and mentoring them to deliver streamlined processes that enhance both customer satisfaction and supplier relationships.
• Drive cost savings initiatives by negotiating best pricing and terms, implementing scalable RFP processes, and continuously improving ways of working within the team.

What you'll do:

As Head of Procurement and Purchasing Operations, you will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of procurement strategy development, supplier relationship management, payment prioritisation, and process optimisation. Your day-to-day activities will involve collaborating closely with various internal teams to ensure seamless operations from supplier onboarding through to order fulfilment. You will guide your team in maintaining industry knowledge, negotiating favourable terms with suppliers, managing payment schedules efficiently, and identifying opportunities for cost savings.

• Lead, manage, motivate, and mentor the procurement and purchasing team to ensure high performance and professional development.
• Maintain industry knowledge and cultivate strong relationships with suppliers and distributors while actively diversifying sourcing options.
• Negotiate optimal pricing and commercial terms with suppliers to maximise profitability and proactively prevent margin erosion.
• Prioritise orders across a diverse portfolio of suppliers to ensure timely fulfilment of customer delivery expectations.
• Manage supplier payments on a weekly or daily basis as required, balancing working capital needs with order commitments.
• Identify alternative supply sources to reduce dependency on specific suppliers and drive efficiencies through supplier consolidation.
• Ensure negotiation of payment terms aligns with agreed company standards while maintaining accuracy in all transactions.
• Collaborate effectively across departments including treasury, purchasing, and other functions to support organisational goals.
• Supervise supplier onboarding processes for efficient completion and oversee supplier order processes for timely delivery.
• Lead procurement optimisation programmes aimed at achieving both short-term cost savings and long-term process improvements.

What you bring:

Your extensive experience in procurement strategy development will enable you to bring fresh perspectives on sourcing diversification while leveraging your proven negotiation skills to secure advantageous terms for the organisation. As Head of Procurement and Purchasing Operations, your background in supplier management will be invaluable for cultivating robust commercial relationships that support business growth. You will demonstrate strong leadership abilities by guiding your team towards high performance through regular mentoring sessions and collaborative meetings. Your proficiency in MS Excel combined with familiarity using internal systems ensures accurate data analysis for informed decision-making. With excellent interpersonal skills you will foster effective cross-departmental collaboration ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on priorities. Your self-motivation allows you to handle multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines while maintaining meticulous attention to detail. Adaptability is key; you thrive amidst uncertainty by embracing change management principles that drive continuous improvement throughout procurement operations.

• Proven experience in shaping procurement strategies that successfully diversify sourcing channels and optimise purchase prices.
• Track record in concluding successful negotiations with suppliers or vendors resulting in improved commercial terms and tangible cost savings.
• Extensive knowledge of supplier management practices coupled with strong relationship-building skills across diverse distributor networks.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, motivate, and mentor high-performing teams within procurement or purchasing environments.
• Expertise in using MS Excel for data analysis alongside competence in relevant IT systems for procurement operations.
• Excellent communication skills enabling effective collaboration across departments as well as clear management of stakeholder expectations.
• Self-motivated approach with proven ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure while meeting deadlines independently or as part of a team.
• Curiosity combined with adaptability; flexible mindset capable of dynamically managing change, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Background in analytical roles with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail when handling complex data sets or financial information.
• Experience delivering optimisation initiatives that achieve both short-term savings targets and longer-term process enhancements.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates