Head of Procurement (Indirect)
c.£115,000 – £130,000 + benefits
London | Hybrid (2-3 days per week in the office)
The Opportunity
This is an exciting opportunity to build and shape procurement in a well-established, multi-channel UK consumer with a much-loved brand and a long high-street heritage. Following a period of significant business change, the company is now investing in building a genuinely commercial, professional procurement function from the ground up – and is looking for a Head of Procurement to lead it, reporting into the CFO, owning all Indirect spend.
You’ll take ownership of a broad, non-merchandise and indirect spend base, bring real commercial rigour to supplier relationships, and put in place the visibility, governance and tools the business needs to manage spend well.
This is a hands-on, build-it-yourself opportunity for someone who is just as comfortable personally leading a tough supplier negotiation as they are setting the strategy – and who wants the challenge (and reward) of establishing a function from an early stage, with scope to grow a team around them as they prove impact.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Shaping and owning the strategy for indirect / non-merchandise spend, essentially from the ground up.
- Mapping the supplier and contract landscape – who is bought from, what is spent, who owns each relationship – and closing the visibility gaps that currently exist.
- Getting directly involved in high-value supplier negotiations to secure stronger commercial outcomes and strip out cost that isn’t adding value.
- Interrogating current supplier deals – particularly in areas like professional services and marketing – and working closely with business leaders to challenge spend decisions constructively.
- Introducing the processes, governance, systems and contract-tracking discipline needed to manage third-party spend properly.
- Establishing procurement as a trusted, commercially-minded function, and growing a team around you as the remit expands.
What We’re Looking For
- A background in senior procurement roles within retail or another consumer-facing sector, at a business of comparable size.
- Solid category experience in indirect spend, with particular strength in professional services and marketing.
- A track record you can point to of having personally negotiated with suppliers and delivered real, measurable commercial improvement.
- Comfortable making sense of patchy spend and supplier information, and turning it into something usable.
- Sharp commercial instincts, strong negotiation skills, and the confidence to push back on senior leaders when needed.
- Prior experience setting up or overhauling a procurement function – not just running one that’s already established.
- A willingness to roll your sleeves up and get into the detail, balanced with the ability to think and plan strategically.
- Adaptability and pace, suited to a fast-moving retail environment.
Interested?
This is a confidential search. Further details about the business will be shared with shortlisted candidates. To find out more or to apply, please get in touch in confidence.
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