Job Overview
Be part of something extraordinary.
Frimley Park Hospital is being reimagined as part of one of the UK’s most ambitious healthcare projects.
This isn’t just a rebuild — it’s a revolution in care, sustainability, and innovation.
We’re creating a digitally enabled, future‑proof new hospital that puts patients and staff first, with cutting‑edge facilities, green spaces, and flexible design.
We are seeking a highly experienced Associate Director of Procurement to join our New Hospital Programme, who will provide strategic procurement leadership for the New Hospital Development Programme.
As AD of Procurement you will ensure that procurement and commercial governance for the New Hospital Programme is embedded, transparent, and aligned to national guidance. You will work at a strategic level with senior stakeholders internally and externally, including representing the Trust in complex, politically sensitive discussions with national bodies, construction partners, and IC organisations. The role requires balancing competing priorities across construction timelines, equipment planning, digital integration, decant and enabling works, and operational commissioning. The post holder will also support the Commercial Director and the incoming Commercial Manager in discharging their wider commercial duties, flexing capacity across the commercial workstream in response to programme demands.
Join us and help shape the future of healthcare. Leave a legacy that lasts.
Main duties of the job
* Lead the development and delivery of the New Hospital Programme Procurement Strategy, supported by the NHP Head of Procurement.
* Oversee procurement for construction, enabling works, equipment, digital systems, commissioning, and transition planning.
* Ensure alignment with national NHP commercial frameworks and guidance.
* Provide expert commercial advice to the Programme Board and SRO.
* Develop contracting strategies that manage risk, ensure value, and support programme delivery.
* Lead market engagement with construction, design, digital, and equipment suppliers.
* Oversee tendering, evaluation, negotiation, and contract award processes.
* Ensure contracts support programme milestones, risk allocation, and performance management.
* Work with Estates, Digital, Clinical, Finance, and PMO teams to ensure procurement supports programme sequencing.
* Provide commercial leadership across all workstreams.
* Represent the Trust in national NHP commercial forums.
* Work with Finance to forecast, track, and report capital expenditure.
* Ensure accurate data for procurement planning, risk management, and decision‑making.
* Build and lead a high‑performing procurement team aligned to programme needs.
Working for our organisation
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme.
We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.
Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.
We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) or similar appropriate professional institute or relevant experience.
* MBA or equivalent qualification or significant and appropriate in‑depth senior level experience.
* Educated to Degree level.
* Evidence of Continued Professional Development to include:
* Supply Chain Management
* Project Management
* Procurement Systems Training
* The Procurement Act 2023
* Risk assessment / analysis training.
Desirable criteria
* Project Management PRINCE 2.
Experience
Essential criteria
* Extensive demonstrable experience of effectively managing procurement teams at all levels, including senior management.
* Proven track record of effective governance and performance management.
* Full understanding of the healthcare environment, including commodity areas for which individuals are responsible - specialist clinical areas and technical areas such as IT. Political awareness - senior management experience.
* Project management - the ability to manage large complex collaborative projects.
* Substantial proven knowledge of contract management.
* Demonstrated ability to effectively manage conflict.
* Time management - the ability to manage and prioritise project activities and the workload of the business unit.
* Cross‑discipline and multi‑regional teamwork.
* Strategic and day to day management of team including recruitment, training, development, performance management and staff records.
* Senior management experience across multiple sites or organisations.
* Significant Programme Management experience.
* Extensive analytical and problem solving skills.
* Experience of delivering significant change / transformation programmes.
* NHS Procurement experience.
* Significant procurement or commercial experience in the Public or Private sector with expert understanding of the technical requirements of public sector procurement, in terms of the practical application of the EU Principles, UK Law (Procurement Act 2023) and best practice guidance to a range of project‑based procurement activities.
Desirable criteria
* NHS experience at senior management level.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential criteria
* High professional standards combined with track record of commercial and business acumen.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
* Significant and advanced Procurement proven knowledge comprising:
* Advanced negotiation skills.
* Proven knowledge of Strategic sourcing methodologies.
* Proven knowledge of supply chain theory.
* Contract Law and dispute resolution.
* Statistical and data analysis skills.
* Proven knowledge of market areas related to specific work categories.
* Business Development and Marketing Plans NHS conditions of contract.
* Bespoke / specialised terms of contract.
* High level proven knowledge of procurement and commercial strategy development in partnership with the wider health community.
* Politically astute, with honed communication, influencing and inter‑personal skills.
* Proven knowledge and understanding of the political environment and stakeholders.
* Business acumen, with proven experience in the ability to influence and manage commercial opportunities.
* Highly motivated and driven to deliver change at pace with rigour.
* Acts as a strong leader and is respected by executives of stakeholder organisations.
* Constructs and communicates complex messages to stakeholders with impact.
* Engages and operates effectively at a senior level Analytical and Judgement Skills.
* Develops effective customer centric engagement methods to meet the needs of stakeholder organisations.
* Evidence of developing complex strategies, business plans and programmes.
* Evidence of developing effective teams, including virtual teams.
* Leadership skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust’s and your performance expectations.
* Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources.
Desirable criteria
* Working knowledge of Bravo e‑tendering and Tableau.
About Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) is proud of its strong reputation, record of achievement and ambition for the future. We serve a population of over 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire, and remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Our new organisational strategy – FHFT 2030 – sets out our ambition to be the best place to receive care and the best place to work in the NHS. Underpinned by our Trust values – Committed to Excellence, Working Together, Facing the Future, and being a modern, compassionate, Healthcare Organisation – we are creating a culture where our people can thrive and patients always come first.
We continue to invest heavily in our services and facilities. This includes the development of a new hospital at Frimley Park, major expansion of diagnostics and inpatient capacity, and the continued transformation of services across our sites. We have already delivered a brand‑new £100m state‑of‑the‑art Heatherwood Hospital, a £49m Emergency Assessment Centre at Wexham Park, and a £10m upgrade to maternity services.
We are also committed to sustainability and the NHS Net Zero ambition. Our new hospital and estate developments are being designed to be environmentally responsible, energy efficient, and future‑proofed, featuring on‑site renewables energy and intelligent energy systems. Through our green plan, we are embedding sustainable practices across all areas of care and operations, ensuring we reduce our environmental impact while improving population health and wellbeing. Our staff are key to help us deliver on our ambition and to ensure sustainability is a core component of care delivery and our operations.
Alongside estates’ investments, we are embedding a strong focus on digital innovation and quality improvement. Our electronic patient record (Epic), launched in 2024, is already enabling safer, more connected, and more effective care for patients, while giving staff the tools they need to do their best work. Our electronic patient record also supports safe and effective digitised care pathways, savings time and carbon, whilst delivering excellent quality of care.
Everything we do is guided by our values, shaping how we care for patients, support colleagues, and build a sustainable future for healthcare together.
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