Procurement Excellence Lead

Procurement Excellence Lead

We are seeking a seasoned procurement expert to join our team as a Procurement Excellence Lead. As a key member of our leadership team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving the strategic direction of our procurement capabilities.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of successfully leading cross-functional teams, with expertise in procurement strategy development, execution, and process improvement. They will be responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving best-in-class procurement processes, policies, systems, and governance frameworks that enable high performance, compliance, and innovation across procurement.

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead critical enablement pillars, including enterprise spend analytics, process optimisation, policy and compliance frameworks, risk integration, supplier enablement, and performance reporting. The successful candidate will also spearhead the Procurement Innovation agenda—identifying and embedding emerging technologies such as automation, AI, and advanced analytics to unlock value and drive operational efficiency.

To succeed in this role, you will require excellent cross-functional stakeholder management skills at a senior level, with experience in rapidly building relationships with key stakeholders. You will operate across various business units, influencing at senior levels through the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership to the Procurement Excellence function
• Actively contribute to the formulation and execution of the enterprise-wide procurement strategy as a core member of the procurement leadership team.
• Own the strategic roadmap for procurement technology, ensuring systems are optimally configured to enable data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency.
• Leverage Enterprise Reporting function capability to deliver enterprise-grade analytics and insights
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of procurement policies, standards, and operating frameworks to ensure compliance, consistency, and scalability.
• Develop and execute a supplier engagement strategy that enhances collaboration, transparency, and alignment with organisational values and procurement objectives.
• Lead sourcing transformation initiatives, embedding agile methodologies, digital tools, and best practices to enhance speed, quality, and value.
• Design and deliver enterprise-wide education programs to uplift procurement knowledge, policy compliance, and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead the Procurement Innovation Practice, identifying and piloting emerging technologies such as AI, automation, and advanced analytics to drive step-change improvements.
• Apply Design Thinking and human-centred design to simplify procurement processes and enhance user experience.
• Leverage market intelligence and external networks to identify disruptive trends and translate them into actionable innovation roadmaps.

Requirements:

• Relevant graduate or postgraduate qualifications in Business, Commerce, Accounting, Supply Chain Operations, Engineering or Law
• 15+ years' experience in Procurement and/or contract management, from strategy development to execution.
• Proven experience in leading successful commercial negotiations, with evidence of applied innovative thinking, negotiation skills, and strategic negotiation planning.
• Highly proficient in preparing and evaluating business cases, risk profiles and cost models.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, influence, and collaborate with cross-functional and indirect teams within the procurement function.
• Category experience crucial and industry knowledge preferred.
• Experience with developing metrics, projections, and financial models.
• A strong understanding of customer experience and customer-centricity principles
• Strong commercial business acumen and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex ideas simply and influence at all levels and audiences within the organisation.
• Professional certifications such as MCIPS (CIPSA) or Project Management (e.g. PMP) qualifications highly regarded.

About Us:

We believe that we can make a real difference to the lives of customers through our values, purpose, and the way that we deliver personalised care. Our people reflect the diversity of our community. We welcome all talents and backgrounds and embrace our differences, so you can bring your true self to work.

We support our people to be the best version of themselves, physically and mentally. With a healthy work/life balance, leadership support, study leave, volunteering options, and a commitment to promoting from within. We reward our people and celebrate their success, provide initiatives that develop careers and look after our people's health, wellbeing, and futures.