3 month contract role with a Local Authority Job Summary: • Interim Procurement and Strategic Category Lead for London Borough of Islington within the Community Wealth Building directorate. • Responsible for leading strategic procurement and category management activity across key service areas, driving value for money, social value, and commercial outcomes. • Provides expert advice to senior stakeholders and leads complex procurement programmes, ensuring compliance with legislation and council governance frameworks. • Plays a key leadership role in shaping procurement strategy, delivering savings, and supporting inclusive economic growth. Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample): • Lead category strategies, procurement pipelines, and action plans across multiple service areas. • Provide expert procurement and commercial advice to Directors, senior leaders, and cross-organisational boards. • Manage and develop a team of procurement professionals (up to 6 direct reports). • Oversee complex, high-value procurement exercises and contract management activity. • Ensure compliance with procurement legislation, governance, and policy frameworks. • Drive value for money, cost savings, and income generation through strategic sourcing. • Lead stakeholder engagement across internal teams (Finance, Legal, Audit) and external partners (NHS, local authorities, anchor institutions). • Support development of business cases, tender documentation, and procurement strategies. • Manage procurement risks, ensuring mitigation strategies are in place. • Promote social value, sustainability, and community wealth building through procurement activity. • Lead transformation and continuous improvement initiatives within procurement and category management. • Deputise for the Head of Strategic Procurement and Category Management when required. Skills/Experience: • Extensive experience in strategic procurement and category management within the public sector. • Strong knowledge of UK procurement legislation, policy, and governance frameworks. • Demonstrable experience delivering complex procurement projects and programmes. • Experience managing and leading high-performing procurement teams. • Strong commercial acumen, with experience delivering cost savings and value for money. • Experience working with senior stakeholders, including Directors and elected Members. • Knowledge of category areas such as corporate services, housing, environment, health, or digital. • Experience in contract management, supplier engagement, and market shaping. • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. • Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills. • Ideally MCIPS qualified or working towards CIPS accreditation. • Experience embedding social value, sustainability, and community wealth building initiatives. Additional Information: • Bi-Weekly Payments. • Location: Town Hall, Islington (Hybrid – minimum 1 day on-site). • Hours: 35 per week. • Reports to: Head of Strategic Procurement & Category Management. • Direct reports: Up to 6 staff. • DBS: Basic required.