Procurement Team Lead

Forth Ports Limited

Grangemouth

Hybrid

GBP 55,000 - 75,000

Full time

34 hours ago

Be an early applicant

A complete application in a minute

Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Generous annual leave entitlement

Defined contribution pension

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

GymFlex health club memberships

Cycle to Work scheme

On-site parking

Family-friendly policies

Job summary

Forth Ports Ltd. is seeking a Procurement Team Lead to guide the procurement function across the Scottish operation. You will lead the team, negotiate contracts, drive cost savings, and ensure compliant procurement processes aligned with business goals.

This role demands strong stakeholder engagement, data-driven decision making, and a proactive approach to continuous improvement, with travel to various UK ports as required and hybrid working initially.

Qualifications

Category Lead level experience in procurement or supply chain.
CIPS qualification or working towards certification.
Supervisory or team leadership experience and strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the Procurement team and manage supplier relationships.
Negotiate contracts and drive cost savings and process improvements.
Analyse P2P data to identify opportunities and ensure compliance with policies.
Coordinate meetings, monitor workload, and drive performance improvements.
Support Head of Procurement and act as deputy when required.

Skills

Category Lead

Leadership

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Excel

P2P systems

UK driving licence

Education

CIPS qualification

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Job Description

Location: Forth Ports Ltd, Carron House, Dock Road

Job Title: Procurement Team Lead

Location: Port of Grangemouth

Hours: 35hr contract - 0800-1600 or 0900-1700 (Hybrid)

At Forth Ports, we keep trade, logistics, and infrastructure moving. Every day, our teams support the flow of goods, materials, and services that businesses and communities rely on, helping to power economic growth across the UK and beyond. Our people are at the core of everything we do, and their expertise, commitment, and innovation drive our success.

With our commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2032 and Net Zero by 2042, we’re investing heavily in sustainable and digital technologies, including major growth in offshore wind and greener port operations. For you, this means joining a business that's evolving, ambitious, and making a real difference.

About The Role

As Procurement Team Lead, you will be responsible for leading and developing the Procurement team while delivering strategic and operational procurement support across the Scottish operation. Reporting to the Head of Procurement and Supplier Sustainability – Scottish Operation, you will drive procurement excellence through effective supplier management, contract negotiation, spend analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role plays a key part in ensuring procurement activities are compliant, cost‑effective, and aligned with business objectives, while fostering strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and manage relationships with key suppliers and internal stakeholders, including the negotiation of contracts and agreements which balances quality of service and value for money

Analyse data driven from the Purchase to Pay (P2P) system to identify opportunities for cost savings, process efficiencies and achieve procurement synergies across the Scottish Operation

Ensure all procurement activity and contractual arrangements comply with the Company’s statutory obligations, health and safety legislation and the relevant internal policies and governance standards

Coordinate and facilitate regular team meetings and training sessions to review workload allocation, monitor performance, and identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency

Adopt a continuous improvement approach for the Procurement service provided to the Scottish Operation and actively identify and implement opportunities to enhance service delivery and procurement performance

Support the development of the Procurement team by identifying training needs and ensuring appropriate learning and development opportunities are in place to build capability and ensure effective job performance

Provide proactive support to the Head of Procurement and Supplier Sustainability – Scottish Operation, contributing to strategic initiatives, cross-functional projects, and acting as deputy when required

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a proactive and collaborative leader who is passionate about delivering an effective procurement service and driving continuous improvement. You will be committed to developing your team, building strong working relationships, and balancing strategic priorities with operational delivery.

This role requires regular travel to other Scottish ports, with occasional travel to Tilbury and other UK locations as required. A full UK driving licence is essential.

The role requires office presence five days per week during the initial onboarding period, with the flexibility to work remotely for up to two days per week once fully established in the role.

Skills & Qualifications

Proven experience operating at Category Lead level within a procurement or supply chain environment

Ideally will be CIPS qualified or actively working towards CIPS certification

Previous supervisory or team leadership experience, with responsibility for guiding, developing, and managing team performance

Strong decision-making skills, with the ability to analyse complex information and make sound, timely judgements

Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and negotiate effectively at all levels

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior and executive management.

Highly proficient IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Excel and Word, with the ability to analyse and present data effectively

Experience working with Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) systems and associated procurement processes

Full driving licence, valid in the UK to travel between Scottish ports

Full UK working rights

What Forth Ports Can Offer You

A competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

Generous annual leave entitlement

Defined contribution pension scheme with up to 16.5% joint contribution plus life assurance at 4x salary

In-house Occupational Health — Provides professional workplace health advice, support, and guidance for employees across all sites

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) — Delivered through Health Assured, offering 24/7, 365-day confidential wellbeing support via the Wisdom app or telephone access, covering mental health, financial advice, legal guidance, and emotional wellbeing

Physiotherapy Support — Access to physiotherapy sessions through three external providers in Scotland, plus an onsite physiotherapist once per week in Tilbury

An annual Christmas thank you gift of a complimentary turkey or meat-free alternative for all employees

GymFlex health club memberships offering discounted access to gyms including Nuffield Health, PureGym, Anytime Fitness, The Gym Group, and selected local gyms

Cycle to Work scheme to support affordable, sustainable commuting

On-site free parking available for all employees

Attractive family-friendly policies, including enhanced maternity cover

Employee discount platform providing savings on UK-wide restaurants, retail, car rentals, days out, and holidays

We value diversity and inclusivity, and we are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.

As a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, we are committed to ensuring that members of the Armed Forces community are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their service.

We welcome applications from veterans, reservists, cadet force adult volunteers, and military spouses/partners, and we actively support flexible and inclusive recruitment practices.

About The Company

Over our 50 years of experience we have witnessed our ports grow to become important assets to support and deliver growth both for the UK and local economies. The growth impact has been achieved due to the continued investments in our infrastructure, making sure that our ports are able to continually develop their services and support the growth of many industries. Our people have played a significant role. They have delivered the highest quality of service through their expertise, loyalty and flexibility and, without them, we could not have built the strong reputation and the long term agreements with many customers that we have today.

Company Culture

Welcome to Forth Ports Careers. As a leading port operator, we employ over 1,100 people across our ports in Scotland and the Port of Tilbury in London. A career in a port business is very rewarding. There is real variety within each role and significant opportunities for promotion and career development. Don’t just take our word for it; view the “Some of our People” section and the video below to gain insight into the kinds of jobs our employees do, how they’ve grown with us, and what motivates them each day. The port business can be seen as a barometer for the economy and this drives us to be adaptable and fast paced as we identify new business opportunities.

Required Criteria