Head of UK Procurement

EquiTalent; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

EquiTalent is seeking a commercially focused Head of UK Procurement for a PE‑backed global live entertainment business based in London. The role requires 3 days per week in the office and leads procurement across the UK events portfolio.

You will manage circa 3,000 suppliers and £100m spend, driving cost efficiencies, governance and supplier relationships while supporting the wider value creation plan.

Qualifications

• Deep procurement expertise across temporary infrastructure, facilities management, production services, logistics and other operational services.
• Strong sourcing, supplier negotiation and contract management capabilities; hands-on involvement in day‑to‑day procurement.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement‑led cost optimisation initiatives across the UK events portfolio, delivering sustainable savings across key spend categories.
• Manage sourcing, tendering and supplier negotiations across procurement categories and services.
• Partner with Event Directors, Operations and Finance to identify commercial opportunities and embed procurement best practices.
• Establish procurement governance, supplier risk management and commercial processes in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial business.

Skills

Procurement

Sourcing

Negotiation

Contract management

Stakeholder management

Job description

Head of UK Procurement – PE Backed Live Entertainments Business

Location: London (3 days/week in office)

Salary: up to £100k plus package

About the Company

Our client is a leading, private equity–backed, global live entertainment business that runs some of the best-known events in its markets. Following significant investment and continued expansion, the business is entering its next phase of transformation, with a focus on operational excellence, cost optimisation and building scalable corporate functions to support its ambitious growth plans.

They are seeking a commercially minded Head of UK Procurement to lead procurement across their UK events portfolio, playing a pivotal role in delivering cost efficiencies, strengthening supplier relationships and establishing a sustainable procurement capability.

The Role

Reporting to the UK CFO, the Head of Procurement will take ownership of procurement initiatives across the UK business, managing a complex supplier landscape of approximately 3,000 suppliers and £100m of spend.

Operating within a highly decentralised and entrepreneurial environment, the successful candidate will combine hands‑on commercial delivery with the ability to influence operational stakeholders, introduce procurement best practices and support the wider value creation agenda.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading procurement-led cost optimisation initiatives across the UK events portfolio, identifying and delivering sustainable savings across key operational spend categories
• Managing sourcing, tendering and supplier negotiations across procurement categories including temporary infrastructure, facilities management, production services, logistics, sanitation and other operational services
• Partnering closely with Event Directors, Operations and Finance to identify commercial opportunities, improve supplier performance and embed procurement best practices
• Establishing procurement governance, supplier risk management and commercial processes while maintaining the flexibility required in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial business

About You

You’ll be a commercially focused, hands‑on procurement professional who thrives in dynamic, operationally complex environments. You’ll combine strong technical procurement expertise with the interpersonal skills required to influence stakeholders, challenge established practices and deliver meaningful commercial improvements

The ideal candidate will have:

• Deep procurement expertise across temporary infrastructure, facilities management, production services, logistics, sanitation and other operational services
• Strong sourcing, supplier negotiation and contract management capabilities, with a willingness to remain personally involved in day‑to‑day procurement activities
• Experience operating within decentralised, multi‑site or complex organisations, ideally where procurement processes and governance are still developing
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the emotional intelligence, resilience and pragmatism to navigate challenging operational environments
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset, comfortable working independently, introducing structure and driving change without extensive corporate infrastructure