Lead Buyer

Copello; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading procurement firm in the UK is seeking a Lead Buyer for Digital Services to drive procurement for IT and software. Ideal candidates will have experience in Digital Procurement or strong Indirect Procurement skills, alongside a collaborative approach and ideally MCIPS qualifications. This role involves managing procurement competitions, developing supplier relationships, and offers a dynamic hybrid working environment with 2-3 days on-site per week.

Qualifications

• Experience in Digital Procurement or a strong Indirect Procurement background.
• A proactive, collaborative approach with strong leadership skills.
• Ideally MCIPS qualified or willing to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement activities in Digital Services across the Group.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to manage procurement competitions.
• Build effective supplier relationships and deliver robust outcomes.

Skills

Digital Procurement experience

Collaborative approach

Supplier relationship management

Proactive leadership

Education

MCIPS qualification (or working towards)

Job description

Lead Buyer - Digital Services

Join our Digital Services Procurement Team, responsible for leading all IT and software spend across the Group. Our scope includes:

• Enterprise Software, SaaS and Software Services
• Engineering and Manufacturing Software
• Networks, Telecoms and Hardware
• Printing, Cyber Security, AI and Cloud
• Outsourced services, including Front and Back Office and Application Maintenance

What We're Looking For

• Experience in Digital Procurement, or a strong Indirect Procurement background with the willingness and ability to develop digital category expertise
• A proactive, collaborative approach and the confidence to lead procurement activities
• Ideally MCIPS qualified, or willing to work towards the qualification

This is a transversal team, giving you the opportunity to specialise in a particular category or broaden your experience across multiple areas. If you already have experience in any of these domains—or come from an Indirect Procurement background and are keen to develop into Digital Procurement—we'd be delighted to discuss how you could fit into the team.

You will work closely with internal stakeholders to lead procurement competitions in the UK and at Group level, develop the procurement pipeline alongside Group Category Managers, build effective supplier relationships, and deliver robust procurement outcomes. The role offers genuine exposure to both UK-based and international procurement activities.

Dynamic (hybrid) working - typically 2-3 days per week on‑site, depending on workload classification

Security Clearance

Applicants must be British or dual UK nationals with British