Head of Technology Procurement

Christie's; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days annual leave + Birthday leave

Volunteer day

Private Health Insurance

Pension contribution matching

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Christie’s is seeking a Head of Technology Procurement to act as the senior commercial partner to the CIO and CTG leadership. You will own commercial strategy, supplier ecosystem oversight, investment challenge, value realisation and savings delivery across all technology spend.

The role requires deep market insight, strong negotiation skills and a track record of delivering value in complex global organisations.

Qualifications

• Executive level stakeholder management and influencing skills with CIO/ExCo exposure.
• Significant experience leading technology procurement, technology commercial management or strategic sourcing in a global org.
• Proven leadership of large scale technology sourcing, transformation and value creation programmes.
• Strong commercial strategy, investment appraisal and business case development.
• Experience influencing senior technology executives and governing major technology investments.
• Deep understanding of software, cloud, data and cybersecurity markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead CTG senior commercial engagement across all functions.
• Partner with the CIO on major technology investment and supplier decisions.
• Provide commercial governance and escalation support to CTG leadership.
• Deliver measurable value, savings and cost avoidance from major technology investments.
• Shape commercial strategy across software, cloud, infrastructure and managed services.
• Lead negotiations, licensing positions and supplier decisions for CTG.

Skills

Executive stakeholder management

Technology procurement leadership

Large-scale sourcing leadership

Commercial strategy

Negotiation & contract management

Market insight & value realisation

Risk governance & compliance

Software, SaaS, cloud & infra

Leadership coaching & development

Job description

The Company

Christie’s, the world’s largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments, or in one of our more Operational teams, we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing fresh ideas whilst not forgetting our shared values; Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Responsibility & Relationships. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is inspiring to work with industry leaders across our business.

The Company

Christie’s, the world’s largest Art Business, is an incredibly exciting & enriching place to start or continue your career. Whether you work within one of our Specialist Art Departments, or in one of our more Operational teams, we are all working together with one common goal in mind: to continue the success of this 250 year old company, steeped in history, bringing fresh ideas whilst not forgetting our shared values; Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Responsibility & Relationships. Colleagues across all departments are truly passionate about what they do and it is inspiring to work with industry leaders across our business.

Why This Role Matters

The Head of Technology Procurement acts as the senior commercial partner to the CIO and Christie's Technology Group (CTG) leadership team, owning commercial strategy, technology supplier ecosystem oversight, investment challenge, value realisation and savings delivery across all technology spend.

The role helps the CIO and CTG leaders make better technology investment and supplier decisions before commitments are made. It brings commercial judgement, technology market insight and constructive challenge into digital transformation, supplier selection and major technology commitments, while providing clear direction, coaching and escalation support to the Technology & Strategic Sourcing Manager as a flexible sourcing delivery resource across technology and priority business demand.

How You'll Make An Impact

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

Technology Commercial Leadership & Business Partnering

• Lead senior commercial engagement across all CTG functions.
• Partner directly with the CIO on major technology investment, supplier and commercial decisions.
• Act as senior commercial partner to the CIO, CTG and technology leadership teams.
• Challenge technology demand, investment cases and major commitments before decisions are made.
• Build senior CTG stakeholder confidence through market insight, judgement and practical commercial advice.
• Translate technology priorities into clear commercial options, risks, value opportunities and recommended negotiation positions.
• Define and lead the commercial governance model for material CTG sourcing, renewals, supplier decisions and technology commitments, ensuring clear decision rights, approval routes and executive escalation.
• Embed evidence based commercial decision making across the technology portfolio.

Technology Commercial Strategy

• Own CTG commercial strategies aligned to enterprise priorities, technology roadmaps and investment plans.
• Shape commercial strategy across software, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and managed services.
• Advise on buy, build, partner and renew decisions where commercial structure, supplier dependency or value delivery are material.
• Strengthen technology business cases through commercial insight, market testing and value challenge.
• Set clear value realisation, savings and cost avoidance objectives across major technology spend areas and renewal cycles.
• Lead commercial assessment of major technology programmes, sourcing decisions and supplier proposals.
• Give the CIO a clear forward view of major renewals, supplier risks, cost pressures and value opportunities.
• Ensure commercial implications are visible in CTG planning and governance forums.

Supplier & Market Leadership

• Define the technology supplier ecosystem framework that helps CTG business owners improve value, resilience, innovation and accountability.
• Support CTG owned relationships with key suppliers and strategic technology partners through commercial insight and escalation support.
• Lead complex negotiations, licensing positions, commercial structures and supplier decisions.
• Use technology market insight to challenge assumptions and improve commercial outcomes.
• Provide frameworks, tools and reporting to support CTG owned governance of strategic supplier relationships.

Value Creation & Risk Management

• Drive measurable value, savings and cost avoidance from major technology investments, suppliers and commercial decisions.
• Identify and manage commercial, supplier, licensing and delivery risks before they affect outcomes.
• Provide automated governance, reporting and escalation routes that support CTG owned supplier resilience, continuity and accountability.
• Ensure technology commitments align to business objectives, risk appetite and value expectations.
• Provide commercial assurance over major technology commitments before approval, covering affordability, value, risk, supplier dependency and contractual control.
• Improve contract discipline and CTG owned supplier management through common frameworks, training and tools.

Procurement Capability & Technology Transformation

• Build CTG commercial capability and confidence in technology procurement decisions.
• Embed Procurement as a strategic CTG advisor, not an operational gatekeeper.
• Support implementation of the Procurement Office vision and operating model within CTG.
• Drive adoption of practical commercial disciplines across technology teams.
• Influence technology transformation, operating model evolution and business owned supplier management maturity.
• Provide direction, coaching and escalation support to the Technology & Strategic Sourcing Manager across technology sourcing and priority business demand.

Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate will:

• Operate credibly with the CIO, CTG and executive leaders, bringing clear commercial judgement to technology decisions.
• Challenge technology demand and supplier assumptions constructively, using evidence and market insight.
• Build alignment across CTG, finance, legal, business and strategic supplier stakeholders.
• Inspire confidence through technology market insight, practical advice and sound commercial judgement.
• Lead change in a complex technology environment with diplomacy, pace and accountability.
• Help CTG navigate commercial decisions in a way that respects Christie’s relationship led culture while improving discipline, transparency and accountability.
• Develop the Technology & Strategic Sourcing Manager through clear direction, coaching and constructive escalation support across technology sourcing and priority business projects.

The Candidate

Skills & Experience

• Executive level stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience operating as a commercial partner to a CIO, ExCo or Board level technology leadership team.
• Significant experience leading technology procurement, technology commercial management or strategic sourcing functions within a complex global organisation.
• Proven leadership of large scale technology sourcing, transformation and value creation programmes.
• Strong commercial strategy, investment appraisal and business case development capability.
• Experience influencing senior technology executives, supporting CIO decision making and governing major technology investments.
• Deep understanding of technology supplier ecosystems and business owned supplier governance models.
• Strong negotiation, commercial structuring, licensing and contract management expertise.
• Experience managing technology risk, governance and regulatory requirements.
• Strong knowledge of software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and managed services markets.
• Track record of delivering organisational change and embedding new operating models.
• Strong leadership, coaching and team development capability.

Desirable

• Experience within luxury, art, professional services or highly relationship driven organisations.
• Experience establishing or transforming procurement operating models.
• Exposure to global technology supplier ecosystems and strategic partnerships.
• Professional qualification in Procurement, Commercial Management, Technology or a related discipline.

Success Measures

• Improved commercial outcomes from major technology investments and programmes.
• Improved CIO and CTG leadership confidence in the quality, timing and commercial robustness of technology decisions.
• Increased value delivery from CTG owned strategic technology supplier relationships supported by Procurement Office frameworks and tools.
• Enhanced governance, risk management and commercial control across the technology portfolio.
• Improved forward visibility for the CIO of key CTG suppliers, renewals and strategic technology investments, with clearer decisions, risks, interventions and trade offs.
• Greater stakeholder satisfaction with Procurement Office support and commercial advisory services.
• Successful implementation of Procurement Office operating model objectives within CTG.
• Measurable contribution to technology savings, value realisation, cost optimisation and supplier performance visibility.
• Delivery of agreed annual technology savings, cost avoidance and value realisation targets, including renewals, licensing, cloud and major technology sourcing activity.
• Minimum 90% of material CTG renewals and sourcing events to include a documented baseline, negotiation strategy and value outcome.
• Improved quality of technology investment decisions through effective commercial challenge and assurance.
• Earlier commercial involvement in material CTG investments, renewals and supplier decisions, with visible improvement in affordability, risk position, supplier leverage and value delivery

Ideal Background

• Significant and demonstrable experience in senior technology procurement, technology commercial or sourcing leadership roles.
• Experience leading enterprise technology sourcing strategies within complex global organisations.
• Proven success enabling value through CTG owned strategic technology supplier partnerships.
• Experience supporting CIOs, technology leadership teams and enterprise transformation programmes.
• Demonstrated capability in commercial management of large scale software, cloud and digital transformation investments.
• Experience operating as a strategic business partner rather than a transactional procurement leader.

What’s Great About Working For Us

• 27 days annual leave + 1 day Birthday leave
• Christie’s Christmas office closure (guaranteed between 25th Dec – 2nd Jan) – in addition to annual leave: almost two weeks to fully switch off and spend time with friends and family
• Additional 1 week’s annual leave within the year of a 5-year anniversary i.e. 5th, 10th, 15th and so on
• Volunteering day: Take an additional day of annual leave to volunteer for a charitable organisation that’s important to you
• Donation matching of up to £500 per annum to help you support the organisations you care about
• Flexible Fitness Fund - £400 per year expense allowance for health and wellness related activity (taxable)
• Access to world-renowned art: with regular exhibitions in our galleries to wander around and exclusive guided tours hosted by specialist colleagues
• Discretionary Bonus (dependent on the business and employee performance payable in March each year)
• Generous retirement plan: We will double match your pension contribution up to 5% of your basic salary (Max 10% contribution from Christie’s)
• Private Health Insurance – no employee contribution needed, subsidised for other family members
• Dental Insurance – (may be extended at personal cost)
• Generous Income Protection Insurance in the event of accident, sickness or injury after 12 months
• Competitive Life Insurance policy from first day
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to personal advice and support services including counselling
• Eyecare vouchers (once a year)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Christie’s Extras – discounts on over 800 retailers, holiday packages, dinners and weekly shops
• Robust family first policy:
• 16 weeks full pay on Maternity Leave
• Four-day week, for eight weeks, at full pay on return from Maternity Leave
• Dependent back-up care: 10 sessions/ days of childcare or eldercare per year
• The Stork Club: Our community of parents who meet regularly over breakfasts, lunch, afternoon tea…
• Christie’s reserves the right to change company benefits at any time

Closing date: 4th October