Practice Group / Department:
COO – Finance Transformation
Job Description
We're Norton Rose Fulbright - a global law firm with over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide. We provide the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. At Norton Rose Fulbright, our strategy and our culture are closely entwined. We know that our expansion will mean little unless it is underpinned by truly global collaboration and we understand that pioneering work only takes place when our people have room to move and think beyond boundaries. As well as the relevant skills and experience, we're looking for people who are innovative, commercial and value the work that they do.
The Team
The EMEA Head of Procurement will be responsible for the management and delivery of all processes and procedures relating to NRF LLP’s procurement.
The role will work closely with the global procurement function, the Head of Finance, the Firm’s GC office, IT, Operations, Property, regional COOs across EMEA, the Firm’s Sustainability team and other Business Services Department Heads who will be the main customers for the function.
The role will be Newcastle based with occasional travel to London required.
The role will initially have one direct report with the potential to add further heads in the future. The role will also be supported by the global procurement team.
The Role
The Head of Procurement will be responsible for the end-to-end procurement process and will work closely with multiple cross-functional teams and business units across a wide range of spend categories in support of our EMEA business.
The successful candidate will be responsible for further developing a procurement strategy with a focus on centralising procurement activity, reducing complexity, driving out cost reductions and managing risk while also reviewing the potential for greater automation and/or systems adoption.
You will be responsible for analysing spend, developing purchasing strategies, managing tenders, negotiating contracts, managing the contract lifecycle, and building and maintaining vendor relationships.
The key to success will be working collaboratively with your internal customers to deliver on their requirements. Sometimes this will mean taking the lead while at other times providing assistance within existing structures or with existing relationships.
Main responsibilities of the role include the following:
* Manage the EMEA procurement function including line management responsibilities
* Establish a procurement strategy and build the profile of the procurement function
* Review existing tools and systems and generate a development roadmap including a review of the current contract management database
* Review resourcing levels and link any future team growth to the development roadmap and delivery of cost savings
* Develop relationships with the global procurement team, heads of departments and regional COOs and build wider awareness of the procurement function and the value it brings to the business
* Review and maintain centralized procurement policies and procedures for EMEA
* Work closely with the Firm’s Sustainability team to manage and deliver strategic sustainability goals and embed the Firm’s sustainability policies into the procurement process
* Build insights into key strategic vendors to develop NRF intelligence and vendor strategy, including a review of vendor CSR performance
* Carry out a review of vendor spend aiming to reduce the number of vendors and overall spend while increasing purchasing power
* Oversee and improve the vendor management process, including the development and maintenance of a preferred vendor list and a regular review cycle
* Review vendor performance under the largest contracts and review SLAs and KPIs working with departmental heads and regional management to resolve delivery or quality issues
* Maintain strategic procurement relationships with the firm’s highest-spending vendors, collaborating with departmental heads and regional management
* Drive supplier innovation, cost reduction, and performance improvement to maximize value from supplier relationships beyond contractual commitments
* Participate actively in the budgeting process, helping budget holders control costs
* Ensure all activities comply with legal, ethical standards, and statutory requirements
* Develop KPIs and objectives, delivering regular reports to senior management
* Participate in and contribute to special projects as assigned and assist with administrative tasks as necessary
Skills and Experience Required:
* 10+ years of experience in a procurement function
* Experience with Software, SaaS, and Cloud contracts, especially in IT
* Strong knowledge of procurement systems and contract databases
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint
* Proactive, change-focused, with innovative problem-solving skills
* Client-centric with operational excellence focus
* Collaborative, relationship-building skills internally and externally
* Experience working across borders and multiple functions
* Strong analytical and negotiation skills with a track record of value delivery
* Deadline-driven with high accuracy performance
* Excellent communication skills, able to present compelling information
* Effective with all organizational levels
* Influencing and persuasion skills, capable of engaging senior stakeholders
* Experience with sustainability and CSR assessment and reporting is an advantage
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We aim to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, feel a sense of belonging, and realize their full potential. Our flexible work model supports work from both office and remote locations, complemented by family-friendly and inclusive policies, and programs promoting health and wellbeing. Learn more about our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from diverse candidates. We strive for an accessible recruitment process and welcome any adjustments or accommodations needed.
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