Head of Procurement

Prospectus; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Prospectus is supporting a great organisation in the search for an experienced Head of Procurement. Based near St Albans, the 6-month contract offers GBP56,000–GBP63,000 with hybrid work and a minimum of three on-site days per week.

You will provide strategic leadership for procurement activities, oversee tendering, supplier management and systems, and drive continuous improvement while ensuring compliance and value for money. Contact Shannon Sanderson for assistance.

Qualifications

• Senior-level procurement experience, ideally in public sector environments.
• Proven ability to lead a procurement function and manage teams.
• Strong stakeholder influence and change leadership skills.
• Professional procurement qualifications such as CIPS.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the organisation's procurement function and strategy.
• Oversee tendering, contract management and supplier relationships.
• Ensure compliance with procurement legislation and governance.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to support commercial decisions.
• Identify cost savings and drive continuous improvements.
• Manage and coach the procurement team, monitor supplier performance.
• Lead procurement transformation and drive organisational change.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Senior procurement experience

Stakeholder engagement

Supplier management

Tendering processes

Change management

Cost savings delivery

Education

CIPS qualification

Tools

Procurement systems

Job description

Prospectus is delighted to be supporting a great organisation at the forefront of its field in the search for an experienced and strategic Head of Procurement. This is an exciting opportunity for a senior procurement professional to lead and develop a procurement function within a complex, publicly funded environment, ensuring best practice, compliance, value for money, and excellent stakeholder engagement. Based near St Albans, this role is offered on a 6-month contract, offering a salary of between GBP56,000 and GBP63,000, on a hybrid basis with a minimum requirement of three days per week on site.

As Head of Procurement, you will provide strategic leadership for the organisation's procurement activities, overseeing procurement operations, tendering processes, supplier management, and procurement systems. Working closely with senior leaders, you will drive continuous improvement across procurement policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and delivering an efficient, customer-focused service.

You will manage and develop the procurement team, providing expert advice to stakeholders across the organisation on procurement best practice, supplier engagement, and achieving optimum value for money. A key focus of the role will be identifying and delivering cost savings, improving supplier performance, and supporting the organisation in making informed commercial decisions.

The successful candidate will be a confident procurement leader with substantial experience operating at a senior level. You will bring a strong understanding of public sector procurement, procurement systems and tendering processes, alongside the ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead organisational change. Professional procurement qualifications such as CIPS, combined with proven management and leadership experience, will be highly valued.

This role would suit an individual who enjoys balancing strategic planning with operational delivery, building effective supplier and stakeholder relationships, and driving innovation and continuous improvement across procurement services.

At Prospectus, we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds and are happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable all interested candidates to apply. If you require assistance with your application, please contact Shannon Sanderson, the lead consultant for this role.

Key Requirements

• Lead and develop the organisation's procurement function, providing strategic direction and ensuring delivery of an efficient, high-quality service.
• Oversee all procurement activity, including tendering, contract management, supplier relationships, and procurement governance.
• Ensure compliance with relevant procurement legislation, policies, and best practice standards.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across the organisation to provide expert procurement advice and support commercial decision-making.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, value creation, and continuous improvement across procurement processes and systems.
• Manage, coach, and develop the procurement team, fostering a culture of high performance and customer service.
• Monitor supplier performance and drive improvements to maximise value, quality, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead procurement transformation initiatives and support organisational change through innovative and strategic procurement solutions.

Please note that applications and CVs sent directly by email cannot be accepted and must be submitted through the application link to ensure they are properly recorded and considered.