Head of Procurement job description

The Head of Procurement is responsible for co-ordinating the Group’s procurement strategy and policies for purchases in support of the Company’s strategic objectives.

Develop and implement a companywide purchasing strategy
• Build and maintain strong working relationships to gain buy- in and engagement with the key stakeholders
• Challenge, enhance and standardise existing procurement practices across all business units to ensure conformity of approach, generate economies of scale and deliver better value for money
• Deliver a category approach to ensure the procurement resources align with all operational and functional business areas across the globe
• Build and grow the procurement team by utilising strong change management techniques and focusing on people development.
• Build superior supplier relationship management capability within the team and through continuous business improvement
• Maintain relationships with existing suppliers and source new suppliers as required
• Oversee procurement system and data strategy; Implement new tools to support the function and the wider business

• Lead support and manage the tendering process for large strategic purchases
• Maximise profit by tendering contracts and meeting with suppliers to negotiate the best terms of contract for
• Realise and deliver cost savings, together with a range of additional benefits including improved supplier performance, improved quality of service and total cost of performance along with risk management
• Manage department spend and budget
• Work collaboratively with finance on departmental and wider organisational forecasts, where procurement has an impact
• Manage the procurement governance process across the business ensuring policy compliance
• Support business operations to resolve SLA breaches of contract and provide guidance to resolutions
• Developing and managing the relationship with the procurement function

Strategic & Technical
• Professionally recognised purchasing qualification (MCIPS)
• Credibility at a senior level, with presence at a board level
• Background in procurement strategy
• Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to lead key negotiations at a senior level
• First class analytical toolkit, knowledge of implementing E products / IT systems
• Experience of delivering cost efficiencies with third party suppliers

Relationship Management
• Extensive experience managing complex supplier and organisational relationships
• A track record of delivering change, preferably within a media environment
• International experience in procurement

Managing Resources
• A strong leader, able to inspire and motivate a team,
• Ability to lead cross functional teams within a matrix environment
• Able to shape projects and secure resources
• Ability to build informal authority and influence key decision makers
• Confidence to manage budgets and undertake financial forecasting

Working Style
• Excellent communication, presentational and interpersonal skills
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Self motivated and proactive, enjoy working under pressure
• Comfortable with complexity and ambiguity and an appetite to address the toughest commercial challenges

Head of Procurement job description