Job overview
University Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx) has an exciting opportunity for a Head of Supply Chain.
The Head of Supply Chain is part of the senior Procurement Leadership Team at UHSx, reporting into the Associate Director or Procurement. The post-holder will lead the Supply Chain strategy, minimise supply chain disruption through their leadership of receipt, distribution and material management teams and work with peers in category management to improve overall performance enabling the Trust to treat more patients at reduced cost.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive supply chain service ensuring that all activities are compliant statutory standards and national procurement regulations, in addition to the Trust’s Procurement Policy and Standing Financial Instructions. The post-holder will provide leadership to the Trust’s Materials Management Service activities such as lean procurement, operational business planning, demand planning, inventory planning, lead time optimisation, product life cycle management, capacity planning and footprint planning.
The Head of Supply Chain will also have responsibility for the Procurement Systems team which managed all procurement systems including the e-procurement system, catalogue management system, contract management database and e-tendering system. The post-holder will lead on the development of these systems ensuring that these are utilised to their fullest extent including for reporting and analytical purposes.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Engage with and influence stakeholders at all levels and in sensitive situations, delivering difficult messages where required to Executive and Trust Directors and senior clinical and operational leaders.
2. Build and maintain the reputation of the Procurement and Supplies service as a highly professional and enabling business partnering service.
3. Champion procurement and promote the benefits of leading procurement practices internally and externally, resulting in procurement having a visible and high profile within the Trust.
4. Provide expert guidance and counsel in relation to procurement logistics, regulations and procurement-related areas of Standing Financial Instructions. This will include regular review of internal policy documents, proposing and implementing changes as required.
5. Produce reports on supply chain activity for internal audiences including Sustainability Committee and Trust Management Board as well as external audiences including NHS England and the Sussex Health and Care Partnership.
6. Participate in the response to Procurement & Supplies related Freedom of Information requests, liaising with the Trust’s FOI team as needed and ensuring that
Person specification
Experience & Qualifications
Essential criteria
7. Senior leadership experience in Supply Chain Logistics, preferably NHS
8. MCIPS, CILTS or Chartered Professional Status;
9. Additional professional development through taught courses, seminars or other workplace experience, equivalent to a Masters level qualification
10. MBA or Masters Degree in a relevant field e.g. Purchasing, Supply, Logistics, Business etc
Skills
Essential criteria
11. Excellent written, oral and presentational skills
12. Able to present and explain complex commercial matters in formal and other settings to range of audiences.
13. Able to influence and negotiate with senior managers within the Trust and in external organisations, where they may be differing objectives and priorities
14. Excellent skills to enable planning and delivery of service plans for the forthcoming year and in the medium term
15. Able to develop policy and procedure for operational procurement areas
16. Able to work to tight deadlines
17. High level of competency in word processing, spreadsheet and presentational software packages
18. Knowledge and understanding of electronic procurement systems and development of those systems
Specific Role Related Requirements
Essential criteria
19. Experience in procurement leadership positions within a complex, service-delivery focussed organisation
20. Knowledge and awareness of developments in NHS Procurement operating model.
Desirable criteria
21. Knowledge and understanding of NHS 10 Year Plan and other policy developments that will affect the NHS
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Essential criteria
22. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
23. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications