Head of Procurement

About the Role

We are recruiting a Head of Procurement to take a capable, largely self-taught buying operation to the next level. Our terms and rebates are strong, and we have built an import model and an own-brand range that have lifted gross margin. What we need now is strategic procurement: sourcing back to the manufacturer, rigour on price as well as terms, repeatable process, and leadership of the team.

The role has two jobs. The first is to lead procurement and supply chain for the core business: planning, purchasing, sourcing, imports and supplier performance. The second is to build the supply chain behind our own certified pipe support system: manufacturing partners working to our specifications, second sources for critical lines, and suppliers taken through testing and certification with us.

Key Responsibilities1. Team Leadership & Development

You will lead a team of three: a Category Manager, a Buyer / Supply Chain Associate and a Buyer. The team are committed and know the business well, but day-to-day purchasing currently takes all of their capacity, leaving little room for planning, process improvement or supplier development.

• Agree a written 90-day handover plan with the Category Manager, with the transfer of commercial knowledge a named deliverable for both of you.

• Develop the Category Manager in the category and product role, including sourcing for our own pipe support system.

• Take over the strategic supplier relationships currently held by the Managing Director and directors, progressively through your first year.

• Review how daily ordering is done and remove repetitive work through better process and system settings, so buyers manage exceptions rather than every line.

• Coach the team on planning, supplier management and data; run regular 1:1s and team meetings focused on accountability and improvement.

• Lead recruitment where additional or replacement resource is agreed, and build succession cover for every role.

2. Sourcing, Price & Category Strategy

• Analyse spend by category and supplier, and write a plan for each major category covering sourcing, price, range and risk.

• Source back to the manufacturer: direct suppliers rather than intermediaries, approved second sources for critical lines, and lower-cost regions where quality allows.

• Test price, not just terms: should-cost and landed-cost models, raw material indices such as steel, benchmarking and structured tendering. Track savings and report them.

• Run an annual negotiation calendar and regular range reviews with the Category Manager and Sales.

3. Building Our Pipe Support System Supply Chain

• Build a base of manufacturing partners working to our specifications, with at least two qualified sources for every critical component, including our insulated support blocks.

• Work with our technical lead and manufacturers to co-develop and specify products, taking suppliers through fire, thermal, acoustic and load testing and certification in our name.

• Put supplier quality in place: factory audits, first-article inspection, test certificates and change control against our drawings.

• Plan stock depth for data centre programmes from the specification pipeline, measured on fill rate and lead time.

• Support the decision on contract manufacturing and our own small-scale production as the system matures.

4. S&OP, Planning & KPIs

• Develop and own the monthly S&OP cycle: a single consensus demand plan built with Sales, Finance and Operations, including the data centre and specification pipeline.

• Forecast demand at SKU, customer and channel level; monitor forecast accuracy and bias and correct them.

• Set order quantities, safety stocks, reorder points and supplier order days from demand data, balancing availability against working capital.

• Manage inventory health across UK locations and act on excess, slow-moving and obsolete stock.

• Own the procurement KPI framework: back orders, stock availability, supplier delivery reliability against required date, quality, lead time, landed cost and savings. Work with Finance and Transport so the impact on delivery performance is understood and acted on.

5. Supplier Management

• Segment suppliers by value and risk so effort goes where it matters.

• Introduce supplier scorecards and quarterly reviews with key suppliers, with joint improvement plans.

• Share forecasts and order schedules with suppliers; negotiate lead times, MOQs and flexibility.

• Make supplier relationships belong to the team, not to individuals.

6. Imports, Logistics & Compliance

• Oversee inbound supply from international origins, choosing sea, air or road on lead time and cost, and working with forwarders and customs brokers for compliant, efficient imports.

• Monitor shipments, manage delays early and communicate the impact to the business.

• Own import compliance, including the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for steel products from January 2027.

• Set up European sourcing so stock reaches our EU customers without routing through the UK.

7. Process, Systems & Data

• Maintain accurate master data (lead times, MOQs, pack sizes, supplier details) in OrderWise and our planning tools.

• Develop the reports and dashboards the function needs to make decisions, working with our BI team.

• Document procedures and drive continuous improvement: simplify, automate and standardise.

8. Cross-Functional Collaboration & SLT Contribution

This role carries a seat at the Senior Leadership Team table and with it a genuine expectation of contribution. You will be expected to:

• Work with the Sales Director as your key peer on range, pricing and product decisions.

• Plan supply, stock and freight with our Head of EU Operations for the EU and data centre work.

• Represent procurement and supply chain at SLT level with clear data, well-reasoned positions and honest assessments of risk.

• Make the case for the resource, systems and decisions your function needs, and push back constructively where demands are unrealistic or create supply risk.

• Support commercial teams with availability commitments, launch timelines and project feasibility.

The business operates as a collegiate, collaborative organisation. We expect challenge and honest debate at the SLT table, and we expect it to be done with respect and a shared focus on what is right for the business.

Key Skills & Experience

• 5+ years in buying or procurement leadership, ideally in industrial, construction, MRO or building products distribution.

• Direct sourcing from overseas manufacturers, including landed cost, freight and duty.

• Supplier development against a specification: quality systems, factory audits, and taking a product through testing or certification with a manufacturer.

• Evidence of delivery, with numbers: savings achieved, processes implemented, suppliers developed.

• Has led and developed buyers, ideally including taking over a team from the person who built it.

• Strong track record in demand and supply planning; confident with ERP replenishment settings, spend analysis and Excel.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management; able to challenge constructively and build consensus.

Desirable

• CIPS qualified or working towards it, or APICS/CSCP.

• Experience with pipe supports, HVAC or mechanical services products, or with own-brand product development.

• Experience setting up or scaling S&OP in a growing business.

• Experience with OrderWise or a similar distribution ERP.

• Familiarity with CBAM or other import compliance regimes.

• Ambition to grow into an operations role covering inventory and the warehouse.

Personal Attributes

• Sensitivity and tradecraft: able to take on an established team and its commercial knowledge with respect, and add value from the first weeks.

• Curious first, then decisive: learns how things work before changing them, then acts.

• Commercially minded and customer-focused.

• Proactive and hands-on, comfortable rolling up sleeves.

• Able to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.

• Confident and direct, with the interpersonal skills to bring people with them.

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