Head Of Technology Procurement

Description:

The Head of Technology Procurement is a senior leadership role responsible for building and leading the group’s technology procurement capability. The postholder will establish category strategies across a broad portfolio including Enterprise software and SaaS, Cloud and platform services, IT services, hardware and infrastructure, network and telecoms, cyber security, AI and automation platforms. The role will implement a structured, intelligence-led category capability.

In the early phase this will be a transformation role as much as a steady-state leadership role. The postholder joins at the point of Procurement transformation and will shape their own team within an agreed cost envelope, build category programmes where few or none currently exist, and deliver measurable commercial impact from day one of full operation.

The role is one of five direct Chief Procurement Officer reports and sits at the centre of the function’s commercial delivery.
 

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy and Delivery

Own and execute category strategy and commercial outcome across the full technology portfolio, prioritising categories with the greatest near-term commercial opportunity
In partnership with business stakeholders, build living category plans from the ground up where none exist, including market analysis, supply base segmentation, influence demand-side behaviour, route-to-market selection, and savings identification
Lead sourcing events and negotiations for strategic and high-value contracts, using the group’s eSourcing tooling as standard practice
Partner with Software Asset Management teams to develop deal calendars and inform negotiation planning
Ownership and leadership of the renewal strategy, drive competitive tension into renewal cycles and new spend commitments, moving from single-source and incumbent renewal to structured market engagement. No material renewals unplanned, maintaining a forward looking Deal Calendar to drive renegotiation strategies
Develop a category pipeline that gives Finance and the business forward visibility of upcoming sourcing activity and projected savings

Savings and Commercial Outcomes

Build and maintain the technology category savings pipeline, reported to Finance on an agreed cadence
Identify and quantify both price and quantity levers within the category, including rate reduction, volume aggregation, scope discipline, and demand management
Significantly contribute to the group’s committed savings target, with category performance measured once the function reaches its target operating state

People and Team Leadership

Lead and develop the UK category team
Partner with the Head of India Procurement to align India-based sourcing resource to the technology pillar over time
Act as a coaching presence for the team, modelling high-quality commercial practice and category methodology
Contribute to the broader Procurement leadership team, sharing category intelligence and supporting cross-functional savings opportunities

Stakeholder and Supplier Management

Build trusted relationships with senior business stakeholders, up to and include C-level, across relevant business unit leadership teams and act as a trusted advisor and primary commercial interface to Technology
Represent Procurement credibly and commercially, changing the perception of the function from transactional order-taker to strategic commercial partner
Partner with in-business Vendor Performance teams to support the management of key supplier relationships at a senior level, particularly across priority categories

Operating Model and Governance

Contribute to the development of procurement standards, methodology, and governance frameworks as the function builds out
Ensure category activity aligns to the system of record and eSourcing tooling as defined by the operating model
Support compliance with third-party risk management, contract management, and regulatory requirements as they apply to the Technology portfolio
Support the development of company-wide vendor management minimum standards
Partner with the TPRM team to ensure appropriate onboarding due diligence and ongoing monitoring of vendors

Person Specification

Essential Experience

Significant experience in senior procurement or category management roles, with a track record of building and running commercial category programmes, not just inheriting them
Deep expertise in at least three of the core technology categories, including Enterprise software, IT Services, Cloud and platform services. 
Demonstrable record of building and delivering P&L savings in a complex, matrixed organisation
Experience leading sourcing events and negotiations for high-value, multi-year contracts
Experience devising and leading negotiations with Tier 1 vendors (eg. Microsoft, ServiceNow, TCS, Accenture)
People leadership experience developing and managing a team
Comfortable operating at the start of a transformation journey, able to create structure where little exists today

Desirable Experience

Experience in a regulated environment, such as financial services or insurance
Familiarity with eSourcing platforms and digital sourcing methodology
Knowledge of contingent labour commercial frameworks and the procurement–HR interface
Experience working with offshore or nearshore sourcing teams as an extension of the UK operation
Exposure to spend analytics tooling and category data management

Behaviours and Attributes

Commercial in instinct, focused on outcomes and value rather than process compliance
Inquisitive and keen to embrace new technology and maximise AI utilisation
Credible at senior stakeholder level, able to challenge, influence, and build trust simultaneously
Resilient and self-directing, comfortable operating with ambiguity
High standards of analysis and output, modelling what good looks like
Collaborative across the leadership team and with business partners
Pragmatic about sequencing, understanding that a broad category portfolio requires prioritisation