Head of Procurement – AR

Job Details

Head of Procurement

Directorate: Resources
Reporting to: Director of Finance, Procurement and Audit
Location: Tower Hamlets (Hybrid Working Available)

Lead Procurement Transformation. Deliver Better Outcomes. Shape the Future.

Are you an ambitious procurement leader ready to make a significant impact in one of London’s most dynamic local authorities?

Tower Hamlets is seeking an exceptional Head of Procurement to provide strategic leadership for our corporate procurement function, overseeing approximately £450 million of third-party spend annually. This is a unique opportunity to influence how public services are commissioned, delivered and improved, ensuring maximum value for residents, communities and local businesses.

As Head of Procurement, you will lead the continued transformation of procurement across the Council, driving innovation, commercial excellence and best practice while embedding a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

About the Role

This is a highly visible leadership position where you will work closely with senior officers, elected members, partners and suppliers to shape and deliver the Council’s procurement strategy.

You will lead a service of up to 22 procurement and commercial professionals, directly managing senior leaders within the function and ensuring procurement plays a central role in delivering the Council’s strategic priorities.

The role combines strategic leadership, commercial expertise and organisational influence, providing the opportunity to drive meaningful change across a large and complex public sector organisation.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Lead and deliver the Council’s procurement transformation programme, championing innovation, efficiency and best value.
• Develop and implement the Council’s procurement strategy, ensuring compliance with legislation, regulations and best practice.
• Provide expert procurement and commercial advice to Corporate Directors, Directors, Members and senior stakeholders.
• Take overall responsibility for procurement governance, contract management frameworks and procurement policies.
• Lead major commercial negotiations and supplier relationships on behalf of the Council.
• Identify and deliver sustainable savings, efficiencies and commercial benefits across a £450m spend portfolio.
• Support and challenge services to redesign delivery models and achieve improved outcomes for residents.
• Drive collaboration opportunities with other London boroughs and public sector organisations.
• Lead procurement input into major transformation programmes and strategic projects.
• Promote social value, sustainability, innovation and responsible procurement across all Council activities.
• Oversee procurement reporting, performance management and compliance monitoring.
• Manage procurement service budgets of approximately £2m.
• Represent the Council at local, regional and national forums, conferences and professional networks.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking a strategic and commercially astute leader with a proven track record of delivering results within a complex organisation.

You’ll bring:

Essential Experience

• Significant experience leading a procurement function within a large, complex organisation in either the public or private sector.
• A demonstrable record of delivering procurement transformation, commercial savings and service improvements.
• Experience leading organisational and cultural change programmes.
• Strong experience managing budgets, teams and performance in a leadership capacity.
• A track record of developing innovative procurement and commercial strategies that deliver measurable outcomes.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders, executives, boards, elected members or equivalent governance structures.

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Deep expertise in procurement, sourcing, contract management and commercial strategy.
• Strong understanding of the financial, legal and governance requirements associated with procurement.
• The ability to develop and implement long-term strategic plans while maintaining operational delivery.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical capability and confidence using data to inform decision making.
• The ability to build high-performing teams and create a culture focused on excellence and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience.
• Relevant professional qualification (such as CIPS) is highly desirable.

Why Join Tower Hamlets?

Tower Hamlets is one of the UK’s most exciting and diverse boroughs, serving vibrant communities and delivering ambitious programmes that make a real difference to residents’ lives.

As Head of Procurement, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Influence strategic decisions at the highest level.
• Lead a high-profile transformation agenda.
• Manage significant commercial activity and expenditure.
• Drive innovation and best-value outcomes for local communities.
• Develop procurement excellence across a large and complex organisation.
• Build partnerships across London and the wider public sector.

Our Values

We are looking for leaders who embody the Council’s TOWER Values:

• Together – Collaborating across boundaries to achieve the best outcomes.
• Open – Communicating clearly and transparently.
• Willing – Challenging convention, innovating and taking accountability.
• Excellent – Inspiring high performance and continuous improvement.
• Respectful – Valuing diversity and putting communities at the heart of everything we do.

Additional Information

• This role does not require a DBS check.
• Occasional evening and weekend working may be required to meet business needs.
• Flexibility to work across locations as required.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements available.

Ready to Lead Change?

If you’re an inspiring procurement leader with the vision, commercial expertise and ambition to transform procurement services and deliver outstanding value for residents, we’d love to hear from you.