Procurement Leader

Escape; Penicuik; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing life sciences company is seeking a Procurement Leader in Penicuik, Scotland. This high-impact role involves leading a procurement team, enhancing processes, and ensuring operational excellence. The ideal candidate has strong experience in pharmaceuticals or medical devices, proven leadership skills, and excellent negotiation abilities. This position offers flexible working arrangements and a comprehensive benefits package including private health insurance and competitive bonuses.

Benefits

Flexible working with core hours

Competitive bonus

Private Health Insurance

Life Assurance

Income Protection

Pension match up to 6%

Qualifications

• Strong experience in procurement within pharmaceuticals or medical devices.
• Proven leadership of successful teams and track record of change.
• Experience with global suppliers is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a small procurement team.
• Identify opportunities to streamline procurement processes.
• Mitigate supply chain risks to ensure uninterrupted supply.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies aligned with business goals.
• Lead supplier selection and negotiation.
• Manage procurement budgets and deliver measurable cost savings.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing procurement team.

Skills

Procurement experience in pharmaceuticals

Leadership skills

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Education

CIPS qualification or equivalent

Job description

Overview

This is a chance to work for a company that truly makes a difference to patient care worldwide.

We are recruiting for a Procurement Leader to join a growing life sciences company with ambitious expansion plans across Europe and the USA. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone with a pharmaceutical or medical device background who thrives in a regulated, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a small procurement team, improving processes across strategic sourcing, supplier management, and contract management, while driving cost savings and delivering operational excellence.
• A key part of this role is identifying opportunities to streamline and improve procurement processes, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and scalability across the function.
• Mitigate supply chain risks, ensuring uninterrupted supply, and building scalable procurement strategies that evolve with the business.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies aligned with business goals.
• Lead supplier selection, negotiation, and contract management to ensure quality, compliance, and value.
• Manage procurement budgets, deliver measurable cost savings, and drive process improvements across the function.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, ensuring continuity and business resilience.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing procurement team.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders across Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, and Finance.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in procurement within pharmaceuticals or medical devices (highly regulated environments).
• Proven leadership of successful teams and a track record as a driver of change.
• Experience dealing with global suppliers is advantageous.
• Exceptional negotiation, analytical and stakeholder management skills.
• CIPS qualification or equivalent preferred.

What our client offers

• Flexible working with core hours, 37.5-hour week.
• Competitive bonus.
• Private Health Insurance, Life Assurance, Income Protection.
• Pension match up to 6%.
• Initially on-site for 6-8 months, with flexible working thereafter