Head or Procurement
Job Title: Head of Procurement
Reporting to: Operational Support Director
Location: Manchester
About IES
IES Utilities Group Ltd is a leading UK utility provider delivering end‑to‑end infrastructure solutions. Our teams operate across Power, Gas, Water, Telecoms, District Heating and Renewables, supporting survey, design, construction, and maintenance services nationwide. Headquartered in Manchester, we are committed to innovation, safety, quality, commercial excellence, and sustainable delivery across all operations.
Procurement plays a critical role in enabling our operational performance, ensuring that goods, materials, subcontractors and strategic suppliers support the safe, efficient and cost‑effective delivery of our projects.
Purpose of the Role
The Head of Procurement is responsible for leading and developing the Group’s procurement strategy, governance framework and commercial buying activity. The role ensures that sourcing decisions, supplier relationships, commercial agreements and category strategies deliver optimal value, compliance and reliability across IES operations.
This position provides strategic leadership for procurement, strengthening supply‑chain resilience, driving commercial efficiency, embedding controls, and ensuring procurement services effectively support project delivery, operational teams and business growth.
Key Responsibilities
1. Leadership & Strategy
Lead and develop the Procurement function, including category managers, buyers and supply‑chain coordinators.
Define and implement procurement strategy aligned with business growth, operational priorities and sustainability goals.
Establish category plans covering materials, subcontractors, fleet/plant, services and frameworks.
Embed a culture of commercial discipline, value creation, collaboration and ethical procurement.
Lead innovation in procurement, including digital procurement tools, demand forecasting and supplier‑led improvements.
2. Governance, Compliance & Assurance
Ensure compliance with internal procurement policies, financial controls, contractual governance and audit requirements.
Maintain the Procurement Management System, including processes for tendering, evaluation, approvals and contract award.
Ensure adherence to legal and regulatory obligations, including contract law, modern slavery, anticorruption, data protection and ethical sourcing standards.
Chair procurement reviews, audit sessions and commercial governance forums.
Provide assurance reporting on procurement compliance, risk, spend and performance.
3. Strategic Sourcing & Category Management
Lead procurement planning, strategic sourcing and competitive tendering for key spend categories (materials, subcontractors, frameworks, services).
Manage supplier selection, qualification, onboarding and due‑diligence processes.
Develop long‑term category strategies to optimise cost, quality, sustainability and supply‑chain resilience.
Oversee contract drafting, negotiation and award ensuring robust commercial terms, risk allocation and performance requirements.
Maintain category pipelines, supply‑market analysis and cost‑saving initiatives.
4. Supplier Management & Performance
Develop and manage strategic supplier relationships to improve quality, reliability and innovation.
Lead supplier performance management, KPIs, service-level agreements and improvement plans.
Support resolution of supplier performance issues, disputes and risk events.
Conduct regular supplier reviews, audits and commercial assessments.
Strengthen supply‑chain resilience through dual‑sourcing, risk mapping and proactive planning.
5. Commercial & Financial Management
Manage procurement budgets, cost‑saving targets, rebate programmes and commercial performance reporting.
Conduct cost analysis, value‑engineering assessments and total‑cost‑of‑ownership evaluations.
Lead commercial negotiations, framework agreements and major contract renewals.
Support accurate commercial reporting for forecasting, business cases and tender submissions.
Drive continuous improvement in cost efficiency, value extraction and supply‑chain optimisation.
6. Systems, Data & Digital Procurement
Lead the development and use of digital procurement platforms, e‑tendering tools, contract repositories and spend analytics systems.
Ensure robust data management, traceability and version control across all procurement activities.
Use data‑driven insights to support decision‑making, category reviews and commercial risk management.
Support integration between procurement systems and finance, asset, inventory and project‑management platforms.
7. Operational Support & Stakeholder Engagement
Work closely with Operations, Commercial, Finance, SHEQ and Project Delivery to ensure procurement meets operational needs.
Provide commercial and procurement support during tendering, mobilisation, project planning and delivery.
Engage with clients, auditors and partners on procurement‑related matters.
Support incident investigations, root‑cause analysis and commercial improvements where supply‑chain issues contribute to service failures.
Professional Qualifications & Experience
* Extensive procurement experience in utilities, infrastructure, construction or engineering environments.
* Strong knowledge of procurement governance, contract law, sourcing strategies and supply‑chain management.
* Proven track record in strategic sourcing, category management and commercial negotiations.
* Experience managing high‑value contracts, major suppliers and complex commercial portfolios.
* CIPS qualification (Level 5/6) desirable.
* Experience with digital procurement systems and spend analytics tools.
* Strong commercial, financial and contractual acumen.
Leadership & Behavioural Competencies
* Strategic Leadership: Able to set procurement strategy, build capability and lead a high‑performing team.
* Commercial Acumen: Strong focus on cost control, risk management and value creation.
* Operational Excellence: Disciplined approach to governance, compliance and commercial delivery.
* People Leadership: Able to coach and develop procurement and commercial professionals.
* Decision Making: Analytical, evidence‑based and proactive in managing commercial risk.
* Communication: Influential communicator able to engage stakeholders across all levels.
Technical Competencies
* Strategic Sourcing & Category Management
* Contract Law & Commercial Negotiation
* Supplier Relationship & Performance Management
* Procurement Governance & Assurance
* Cost Analysis & Value Engineering
* Procurement Systems & Digital Tools
* Risk Management & Commercial Controls
* Market Intelligence & Supply‑Chain Strategy