Head of Procurement

City Football Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

City Football Group seeks a Head of Procurement to lead its global procurement function. The role involves developing procurement strategies, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring cost-effective purchasing decisions. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in procurement, strong leadership abilities, and excellent communication skills. Benefits include 26 days of annual leave and private healthcare.

Benefits

26 days annual leave plus an additional day for your birthday

Private healthcare

Annual discretionary bonus

Partnership and lifestyle discounts

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading a procurement team with a proven track record.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong literacy and numeracy skills for report writing.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute global procurement strategy and policies.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing procurement team.
• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate contracts.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical Skills

Supplier Relationship Management

Education

Professional certifications (e.g. CIPS, CPSM, CSCP)

Job description

Closing Date of Applications - 07/07/2025

Our Story

Established in 2013, City Football Group is the world’s leading private owner and operator of football clubs, with total or partial ownership of twelve clubs across the world. City Football Group also invests in other football related businesses and serves as a global commercial platform for our partners, whilst fulfilling our purpose of empowering better lives through football on a local and global scale, consistent with what “City” football has meant to people for over a century.

Our Winning Team

Our purpose is to empower better lives through football. We are proud of the role City Football Group clubs play in their localities, delivering positive economic, social and environmental impact through our operations and through programmes and activities that bring about meaningful, lasting change.

The Head of Procurement will lead the global procurement function for City Football Group and will be responsible for developing and implementing the procurement strategy and related policies, providing strategic subject matter expertise, advice and guidance to senior internal stakeholders that drives effective and informed financial decision making.

Reporting into the Finance Director, the right candidate will oversee sourcing, supplier selection, supplier management and contract negotiations to ensure cost efficiency, compliance, and strategic alignment with business objectives.

The role will build and maintain relationships with senior management and business leaders including the Chief Financial Officer, Manchester City Finance Directors, and other functional senior leaders to provide expert guidance, implement procurement best practices and drive the improvement of procurement processes. The head of procurement will provide strong leadership, analytical insights, and negotiation skills to create value and mitigate risks for the Group.

This is Your City

As part of our team, you will be entitled to 26 days annual leave plus an additional day off for your birthday, private healthcare and a simply health cash plan, an annual discretionary bonus, plus a range of partnership and lifestyle discounts.

Your Impact

1. Develop and execute the organisation's group-wide global procurement strategy and related policies, overseeing the procurement budget and volume, ensuring cost-effective purchasing decisions. Work with the CFO to set group procurement targets to ensure ongoing cost efficiencies and be responsible for delivering a global strategy, related policies and procurement processes that meet these objectives.

2. Lead, mentor, and develop a pro-active and highly visible procurement team that adds value and is recognised as high-performing by the wider business.

3. Analyse spending volumes, categories and patterns across the business and identify areas to target for structural cost reductions, both during budget setting and ongoing throughout the year.

4. Build and lead strong relationships with external parties including key suppliers, ensuring high supplier performance and negotiating favourable terms. Manage supplier base related audits and risks for the City Football Group, minimizing possible exposures.

5. Advise, challenge and coach senior leaders on all procurement matters across the group ensuring ongoing efficiencies and early-on consideration of procurement and supplier aspects in decision making processes.

6. Ensure procurement policies, processes, and systems are fit for purpose. Identify, propose and lead process across departments to manage and improve procurement processes, compliance and reporting across the group. Regularly monitor and assess material risks and communicate as appropriate to the relevant key stakeholders.

7. Monitor market trends, pricing fluctuations, and economic factors affecting procurement decisions. Utilise findings to provide insight and recommendations to CFO and CFG senior leadership teams.

What we are looking for

Person Specification

Proactive Communicator

• Demonstrates a proactive approach to stakeholder engagement, ensuring the business understands the Procurement function, its value, and impact (e.g. cost savings versus budget)
• Maintains regular and effective communication with Finance Business Partners and key stakeholders to swiftly identify cost-saving opportunities

Inspiring Leader

• A natural leader who not only guides the Procurement team with clarity and purpose but also acts as a respected representative of the function across the wider business
• Committed to building and developing a high performing team, setting clear goals, and fostering a culture of accountability and growth
• Aligns well with our company culture. Talented, hardworking, and humble, who inspires the same values in others
• Capable of shaping and communicating a clear vision for Procurement, positioning it as a strategic partner in delivering savings and managing supplier risk
• Committed to supporting the development of team members, particularly by setting clear objectives and offering continuous feedback and coaching

Cost-Saving Focused

• Proven ability to deliver tangible savings through strategic supplier management, strong negotiation skills, and collaborative working.
• Uses insight and relationships to identify value opportunities that benefit the business financially and operationally.

Essential

• Knowledge of procurement best practices, with significant experience leading a procurement team and a proven track record of managing large procurement budgets.
• Strong negotiation, contract management, analytical and supplier relationship skills.
• Previous experience of building and leading a high performing and fit for purpose procurement team.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Excellent literacy and numeracy skills, with experience in writing reports, specifications, and agreements.
• An ability to influence senior members of the organisation

Desirable

• Relevant professional certifications (e.g., CIPS, CPSM, CSCP) are highly desirable.

City Football Group promotes equal opportunities in employment and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose skills and experience seem to meet our needs. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you only if you are selected for an interview.

Employment is subject to the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

Due to our safeguarding promise, all UK based CFG roles will be subject to a DBS check upon commencing employment with us. This will be either a basic, standard or enhanced check depending on the job role and responsibilities.