Head of Procurement

Candidate Opportunity Brief
Position: Head of Procurement
Reporting to: Finance Director
Confidentiality: Open

Ford & Stanley Executive Search ( Part of the Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group ) are a leading Executive search and talent advisory firm specialising in the following sectors:

• Rail & Transportation
• Civils & Construction
• Manufacturing & Supply Chain
• Technology & Cyber Security
• Logistics & Intermodal Freight
• Defence

Our search directors, search consultants and in–house research team specialise in retained opportunities at the highest level of organisational leadership and management.

Our success is based upon a blend of trust–driven relationships, robust market knowledge, and working practices that ensure the best possible alignment of organisational need with experience and personal ambition.

Working with business leaders on bespoke assignments for over a decade, we understand exactly what our customers expect from an executive search and talent advisory service – whether there is a pressing business need for an executive interim or that of a long–term permanent appointment – Ford & Stanley Executive Search provide the solution.

We have been exclusively appointed by our client company on a retained search for a Head of Procurement.

Below you will find a 'Candidate Opportunity Brief' developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Principal Consultant & Senior Consultant of Ford & Stanley Executive Search and the Finance Director and Head of Strategy at our Client Business.

This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents, and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification.

Client Opportunity Statements:

"We are seeking a Head of Procurement to build on recent progress and firmly establish a high performing, commercially focused procurement function. Following a successful period of interim leadership, this role provides the opportunity to embed stability, strengthen governance, and elevate maturity across a high volume, fast paced operational environment.

Reporting to the Finance Director, the Head of Procurement will act as a trusted strategic partner, balancing pace and prioritisation with robust control, compliance, and risk management. The role will introduce more streamlined, commercially astute ways of working, ensuring procurement enables, rather than constrains, the business.

This role will suit a confident, hands on procurement leader who thrives on embedding improvement, leading capable teams, and driving tangible commercial impact within a nationally significant business.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

• Stabilise, embed, and further develop the Procurement team, building on recent progress to grow capability, create clarity of purpose, and instil confidence through clear leadership, direction, and accountability.
• Strengthen procurement processes and ways of working, improving governance, pace, and effectiveness while introducing more streamlined, commercially astute approaches that enable the business to better leverage opportunity.
• Act as a trusted strategic partner to the Finance Director, operating as a key "right hand" advisor with responsibility for managing procurement related risk, ensuring appropriate controls, and supporting sound decision making across the business.

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

MCIPS qualified

Proven experience of operating in a highly regulated industry such as Rail, Transportation, Energy, Aerospace, Nuclear.

Experience of the full procurement lifecycle, including running tenders, supplier engagement, tender evaluations, contract negotiations, contract management, etc.

Robust knowledge of public procurement obligations, audit requirements and governance frameworks. Experience of running procurement tenders under either UCR 2016 or Procurement Act 2023 regulations.

Able to challenge ways of working and implement practical improvements to processes, systems and behaviours, whilst maintaining trust and engagement.