Procurement Director (Food & Beverages Manufacturing)

Novo Executive Search & Selection Ltd; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent food and beverage manufacturer is seeking a Procurement Director to lead sourcing strategies and supply chain operations. The role involves driving procurement excellence, building strong supplier relationships, and implementing risk management frameworks. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in procurement within the industry and a commitment to sustainable practices. This position provides a fantastic opportunity to shape procurement strategies in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in procurement and supply chain roles, ideally within the food and beverage industries.
• Track record of implementing procurement savings and risk mitigation programs.
• Strong understanding of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute sourcing strategies aligned with business goals.
• Drive sourcing excellence through supplier partnerships.
• Implement robust risk management frameworks.
• Embed sustainability into procurement decisions.
• Collaborate on logistics and inventory strategies.

Skills

Procurement

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Relationship Management

Risk Management

Strategic Expertise

Tools

Digital Procurement Tools

Job description

Client

Our client is a well-known food and beverage sector manufacturer and service business, that has had very impressive growth over recent years across various brands and categories. This company continues to thrive and develop different products as well as relationships new customers and is looking to push on with yet further growth.

Requirement

The business is looking to recruit a suitably experienced Procurement Director, to get involved with leading purchasing and supply chain matters, as well as respective team members.

Responsibilities

• Shape Strategy: Lead and execute sourcing strategies across different categories, aligned with supply chain and business goals.
• Deliver Cost Leadership: Drive sourcing excellence through Partner with Suppliers: Continue to build strong relationships with UK suppliers to ensure service, innovation, and ethical compliance.
• Mitigate Risk Proactively: Implement robust risk management frameworks to safeguard supply continuity amid global disruptions.
• Champion Sustainability: Embed ESG, ethical sourcing, and sustainability into procurement decisions, tracking progress against corporate goals.
• Enable Seamless Supply Chains: Collaborate on logistics, customs, and inventory strategies to optimize flow-to-market and delivery performance.
• Integrate Commercially: Work cross-functionally with Sales and Ops to support launches, promotions, and accurate demand planning.
• Lead a High-Performance Team: Build and mentor the diverse team with clear KPIs and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Drive Digital Transformation: Promote cutting-edge procurement tech, systems, and analytics to enhance decision-making and efficiency.
• Ensure Strong Governance: Uphold compliance, policy standards, and audit readiness across all sourcing regions.

Expertise & Traits Needed

• Significant experience in procurement and supply chain roles – ideally within the food and beverage industries but this is not a pre-requisite
• Ideally, demonstrated expertise across multiple categories
• A track record of having successfully implemented procurement savings, risk mitigation, and supplier development programs
• Proven experience in building high standards of procurement, having integrated this into current ways of working to drive improvements
• Strategic expertise, having experience in business partner roles, bringing your procurement expertise to non procurement experts and influencing areas beyond your direct control
• Strong understanding of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and Risk Management frameworks.
• Expertise in logistics, 3PL management, price discovery, contract negotiation and management, supply chain planning and logistics understanding (forecasting, warehousing, trade compliance)
• Familiarity with digital procurement tools
• A deep commitment to ethical / sustainable procurement
• Collaborative and influential team builder with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams, driving change, and developing high-performing talent

How to apply

If this exciting role is perceived to be suitable and of interest, please do get in touch.