Head of Procurement - Directs

Zertus UK & Ireland; North Kesteven; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

25 days annual leave

Annual bonus 15%

Pension plan

Life assurance

Healthcare plan

Job summary

Zertus UK & Ireland is seeking a commercially-minded, people-focused Head of Procurement (Directs) to lead direct materials sourcing across the UK & Ireland. You will manage a team of procurement professionals and work with Operations, Finance and Commercial teams to ensure continuity of supply and deliver value.

This permanent, full-time role is based at a manufacturing site with hybrid working and 2–3 travel days per week across the UK & Ireland and occasional international travel.

Qualifications

• Significant procurement leadership experience within FMCG, food manufacturing or related sector.
• Experience leading high-performing procurement or category management teams.
• Proven experience creating and executing procurement or category strategies.
• Strong direct materials, commodity buying and category management expertise.

Responsibilities

• Leading, developing and inspiring a team of procurement specialists and category leaders.
• Creating and delivering the UK & Ireland direct materials procurement strategy.
• Deputising for the Procurement Director where required.
• Driving cost savings, PPV delivery, rebate opportunities and working capital improvements.
• Building strategic supplier partnerships to improve quality, innovation, service and sustainability.
• Managing commodity and category strategies across key raw material spend areas.
• Working closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Technical, Commercial and Finance teams to drive business performance.
• Supporting innovation projects through effective sourcing and supplier collaboration.
• Identifying and mitigating supply chain risks while maintaining continuity of supply.
• Representing the business externally through supplier relationships, industry forums and market engagement.
• Ensuring strong governance, contract coverage and procurement best practice across the function.
• Contributing as a key member of the wider business leadership team.

Skills

Procurement leadership

Category management

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Supply chain risk

Direct materials buying

Strategic thinking

Education

Degree or CIPS qualification

Job description

Zertus UK & Ireland | Hybrid (UK) with UK and occasional international travel

Love the idea of influencing the ingredients and raw materials behind some of the UK's most loved chocolate and snacking brands?

We're looking for a commercially-minded, people-focused Head of Procurement (Directs) to take ownership of our direct materials sourcing strategy across Zertus UK & Ireland. Leading a talented team of procurement professionals, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring our factories have the materials they need to create products enjoyed by millions of consumers across the UK, Ireland and beyond.

This is a newly created leadership role reporting directly to the Procurement Director, working alongside the Head of Procurement (Indirects), giving you the opportunity to help shape procurement strategy, influence senior stakeholders and build strong supplier partnerships while delivering tangible commercial value across the business. From sourcing cocoa and chocolate ingredients to supporting innovation projects and managing supply risk, no two days are the same.

Position Type

Permanent, Full Time

Hours

Monday - Friday, 0830 - 1630

Location

Based at one of our manufacturing locations with hybrid working with 2 to 3 days travel per week across all UK and Ireland sites plus some international travel, 3 to 4 times per year.

Salary

Competitive Salary + 15% Bonus + £7220 Car Allowance

Closing Date

28/09/2026

Key responsibilities include

• Leading, developing and inspiring a team of procurement specialists and category leaders.
• Creating and delivering the UK & Ireland direct materials procurement strategy.
• Deputising for the Procurement Director where required.
• Driving cost savings, PPV delivery, rebate opportunities and working capital improvements.
• Building strategic supplier partnerships to improve quality, innovation, service and sustainability.
• Managing commodity and category strategies across key raw material spend areas.
• Working closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Technical, Commercial and Finance teams to drive business performance.
• Supporting innovation projects through effective sourcing and supplier collaboration.
• Identifying and mitigating supply chain risks while maintaining continuity of supply.
• Representing the business externally through supplier relationships, industry forums and market engagement.
• Ensuring strong governance, contract coverage and procurement best practice across the function.
• Contributing as a key member of the wider business leadership team.

Ideally, you'll have

• Significant procurement leadership experience within FMCG, food manufacturing, consumer goods or a related sector.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing procurement or category management teams.
• Proven experience creating and executing procurement or category strategies.
• Strong direct materials, commodity buying and category management expertise.
• Demonstrable commercial negotiation and supplier management experience.
• Experience operating within complex manufacturing environments.
• A track record of delivering cost savings, value creation and business improvement initiatives.
• Experience influencing and engaging senior stakeholders up to board level.
• Experience supporting business transformation, growth or change programmes.
• Degree, CIPS qualification or equivalent procurement qualification desirable.

What will make you successful?

We're looking for someone who combines strong commercial capability with strategic thinking and natural leadership.

• Outstanding stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong leadership, coaching and team development capability.
• Excellent commercial acumen and negotiation expertise.
• Strategic thinking balanced with the ability to deliver operational results.
• Resilience and confidence when operating in a dynamic, fast-moving environment.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach to problem solving.
• The ability to influence across multiple business functions and levels.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• A passion for continuous improvement, innovation and personal development.
• Competitive salary plus 15% annual bonus plan and car allowance.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (33 in total) plus holiday purchase scheme.
• 4% employer and 5 % employee pension plan.
• Life assurance plan x4 basic salary.
• Various salary sacrifice schemes including pension payments, cycle to work and electric car (subject to meeting minimum criteria).
• Healthcare cash plan via paycare (Dental, Optical, Chiropody, Professional Therapy, Counselling) with a value over £400 each year.
• Play a genuine business partnering role, helping drive productivity, efficiency and profitability improvements.
• Work in a complex manufacturing environment where your recommendations lead directly to operational action.
• Support a site with ambitious performance improvement and growth objectives.
• Build your career within one of the UK's leading chocolate and snack manufacturers with training, development and professional membership opportunities.

At Zertus UK & Ireland, we're proud to be home to three successful businesses Humdinger, Kinnerton Confectionery and Lir Chocolates. Together, we manufacture an exciting range of snacks, confectionery and chocolate products enjoyed across major retailers, convenience stores, e-commerce channels and international markets.

Our growing portfolio includes household and customer favourite brands such as NOMO, Sun Valley Nuts, Kinnerton Kids, The Fruit Factory and Yum & Yay, alongside licensed and collaborative products with iconic names including Baileys and Guinness.

As part of Zertus GmbH, a European food group, you'll join a business that combines entrepreneurial thinking with the scale and resources of an international organisation.

Our UK & Ireland locations include

• Heckington, Lincolnshire
• Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire
• Fakenham, North Norfolk
• Bromborough, Wirral
• Navan, Ireland

Zertus UK&I is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.

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