Head of Procurement Category Portfolio Lead

Networking Women in the Fire Service; London; On-site; GBP 72,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The London Fire Brigade seeks three Heads of Procurement to lead strategic initiatives within the Procurement & Commercial team. The successful candidates will play key roles in managing supplier relationships and ensuring compliance, while driving value and efficiency in procurement operations.

Benefits

26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible working including work from home 60%

Free access to the Brigade gym

Contributory pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing a high performing procurement team.
• Hands-on knowledge of strategic sourcing and category management approaches.
• Strong understanding of procurement legislation and sustainability initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute strategic procurement and commercial initiatives.
• Negotiate complex, high-value contracts.
• Develop long-term sourcing category strategies to drive operational efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Procurement Strategy

Stakeholder Management

Education

Experience in Procurement Category Management

Knowledge of Public Contracts Regulations 2015

Job description

Posts: 3 x Head of Procurement category portfolio lead roles for:

• Frontline Operations & Professional Services
• Assets & Estates
• Technology, Collaboration & Complex Transactions

Grade: FRS G
Salary range: £72,181 – £89,656 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: 4 PM on Friday 04 July 2025

London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the busiest fire and rescue service in the country. What’s more, we are one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world protecting people and property from 103 stations across the 1,587 square kilometres of Greater London.

Not all lifesavers wear uniforms. From specialist support staff to education and fire prevention, enforcing regulations to answering 999 calls, we’re a diverse, welcoming community – will you join us?

The Brigade is currently in the middle of a multi-year transformation journey. The aims of this transformation are to provide the capabilities, capacity, and resiliency to enable LFB to provide the best possible service to London and Londoners. As part of this journey, the Procurement & Commercial team is also transforming to introduce comprehensive end-to-end category management capability alongside a recently created Procurement Operations & Enablement team who together will enable the efficient transition to a more digital, data-driven insights, and results-focused way of working. We are seeking enthusiastic, passionate, and experienced customer focused senior Procurement Category Professionals to lead our teams for this exciting journey, as the Function grows in capability, influence and impact.

Pivotal to the ongoing transformation of the Procurement & Commercial team as a result of a current re-structure exercise underway is the creation of 3 senior procurement category management leadership roles now sought to progress this journey reporting directly into the LFB’s CPO, the Assistant Director of Procurement & Commercial.

The Head of Procurement category roles will play a key leadership role in managing and executing strategic procurement and commercial initiatives. Each role is critical in delivering the procurement strategy and key outcomes for their respective portfolios through establishing sustainable category and commercial strategies, negotiating high-value contracts, fully leveraging and managing supplier relationships, and ensuring compliance with corporate policies. You will also work closely with cross-functional teams at all levels to optimise costs, provide specialist advice, improve operational efficiency, and contribute to the achievement of the LFB’s objectives ensuring that positive impact flows directly through to the frontline. The successful candidates for these 3 exciting roles will have a proven track record of leadership in procurement, applying best practice, the ability to successfully influence senior stakeholders including suppliers and collaboration partners, excellent communication and engagement skills and a commitment to delivering quality results in a complex environment.

We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people’s age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.

Assessment Overview
Stage 1

To apply, please complete the online application, upload a copy of your up-to-date CV and provide evidence to address how your skills and experience match those outlined in the job description. Please use no more than 2 sides of A4.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend stage 2.

Please ensure you give yourself enough time to complete and submit your application. Late or un-submitted applications cannot be accepted.

Please note any correspondence received from us will be via e-mail and sent to the address you provide on your application form.

Stage 2

Assessment date for these roles is to be confirmed. Please be advised that if you are unable to make the scheduled assessment date, we may not be able to make alternative arrangements. The assessment process will involve a competency based panel interview and a case study presentation.

Please note: Should you be shortlisted you will be invited to an interview at the Brigade headquarters (Union Street) or exceptionally via Microsoft Teams (a video conferencing service). You will be asked to provide relevant contact details for that to take place if shortlisted.

Please be aware that candidates invited will be asked on the assessment day to produce a short, written case study presentation on a relevant topic shared on the day.

Additional Information
Specifically, each of the 3 new Head of Procurement category roles will:

• Act as a Trusted Adviser to, and work with LFB’s Directors and Heads of Service to design and deliver best practice commercial strategies and approaches. This specifically includes advice as to the most appropriate route to market and procurement procedures to maximise best outcomes for the LFB always providing a positive and practical range of alternative options for consideration
• Develop and implement long-term sourcing category strategies to drive cost savings, innovation, and operational efficiency that fully embrace latest good practice category management methodologies ensuring alignment with overall organisational goals and ensuring risk management practices are in place to deliver best possible outcomes, including but not limited to value for money.
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers, ensuring strong supplier performance, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Negotiate complex, high-value contracts and ensure that supplier agreements are favourable and support the organisation’s objectives delivering first class levels of service.
• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing procurement team, in the day-to-day delivery and continuous improvement of the respective procurement category areas of responsibility providing coaching, feedback, and career development opportunities, including succession planning.
• Applicants should have extensive demonstrable experience of managing a high performing procurement category team, hands on knowledge of strategic sourcing and the very latest category management approaches, and a strong understanding of both the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023.
• Champion sustainability initiatives within the procurement process, ensuring that ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability are key components of sourcing decisions fully embracing and applying the knowledge and expertise from colleagues in the Sustainable Development Team.
• A strategic thinker with the ability to influence stakeholders up to the highest levels, the preferred candidate will be an integral member of the Procurement & Commercial Senior Leadership Team contributing to and advancing wider priorities and cross cutting projects on behalf of the Function.
• Deputise for the CPO/Assistant Director of Procurement & Commercial and support in the coverage of relevant Boards as and when required.

Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the roles are detailed in the job descriptions. If you are unable to see the job descriptions, salary range or the full advert, please visit our jobs pages at https://jobs.london-fire.gov.uk/alljobs/ to access the advert.

Benefits of working for the London Fire Brigade

• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Flexi-time Scheme (which can result in an additional 12 days annual leave)
• Additional leave between Christmas Day and New Year
• Family (including maternity) leave and emergency support leave
• Flexible working including work from home 60%
• Free access to the Brigade gym
• Use of the Brigade’s Medical Adviser/physios/fitness advisers
• Free counselling
• Season ticket loans
• Join social networks including our Equality Support Groups
• Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff discount scheme including access to Blue Light Card retail and hospitality discounts
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation

In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a Standard criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory.