Group Head of Procurement

Reports To: Group General Counsel, Bluefield Partners LLP

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Advanced degree or professional certifications in procurement or project management preferred.
• Proven experience in procurement with a construction background, ideally with exposure to renewable energy projects.
• Strong understanding of procurement laws and regulations.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

Purpose of the Group Head of Procurement:

The Group Procurement Manager has a pivotal role in shaping and implementing our approach to procurement. In this newly created role, you will work as part of a growing multi-disciplinary team to procure goods and services across the Bluefield group of companies. The focus of this role will be on procuring goods and services at a group level, supporting the business transition to an automated procurement system, and ensuring that new and existing suppliers are compliant with all of our policies.

Procurement is currently undertaken at the business function level meaning that processes are inconsistent and the Group rarely benefits from the scale of its purchasing power. The Group Procurement Manager role has been created to provide a centralised function that works with each business unit to ensure that procurement is coordinated and managed with consistent processes.

As part of the role, the Group Procurement Manager will need to support other parts of the group (including other group focused teams such as Legal, ESG, Risk, HSEQ, IT, Finance, HR, project managers) in supply chain controls and ensuring that outsourcing risks are identified and managed. The Group Procurement Manager will also support in several key working groups across the group established to implement best practice and new ways of working centrally in key areas.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish a Group Procurement function: Establish Procurement as a central Group function to service each of the individual business units. Collaborate with key stakeholders to integrate procurement processes into all aspects of the organization's operations.
• Develop Procurement Processes: Establish and implement lean and effective procurement and contract management processes for internal teams, driving cost efficiencies and ensuring appropriate due diligence is undertaken for high-spend transactions, with a focus on continuous improvement. Support business functions with the identification and selection of suppliers. Undertake the procurement of goods and services and associated activities to agreed project and commercial objectives. Management of stock levels across multiple sites and storage locations across the country. Negotiate commercial terms with preferred suppliers.
• Oversee Major Works Procurement: Support the internal teams with the procurement of major works packages, ensuring compliance with budget and timelines and maximising value. Collaborate with project management teams to develop robust procurement strategies for major work packages, ensuring alignment with overall project objectives.
• Develop a procurement plan: Develop and deliver a procurement plan across the asset-operating businesses, identifying short-term and long-term requirements and opportunities including identification of KPIs and metrics of success. Conduct a comprehensive spend analysis across the asset-operating businesses to identify key sourcing categories and opportunities for consolidation and standardisation. Develop and implement a multi-year procurement plan that aligns with Bluefield's strategic objectives, including short-term and long-term goals, KPIs, and metrics of success.
• Drive cost efficiencies: Identify, capture and report savings opportunities through strategic procurement practices, such as demand management, specification optimisation, and supplier consolidation.
• Training and Development: Develop and implement a comprehensive training and development program for internal teams to enhance their procurement knowledge and skills. Share best practices, promote continuous improvement, and recognise and celebrate successes.
• Any other reasonable task as requested by a Manager, Partner, or Director of the business.

Interactions within the Bluefield Group:

The role will require engagement across the Bluefield group of companies including amongst others Bluefield Partners LLP, Bluefield Services Limited, Bluefield Construction Management Limited, Bluefield Renewable Developments Limited, and Bluefield Operations Limited. The role will temporarily report to the Group General Counsel until a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) has been recruited and will then report to the CCO. Communicate information as required within the team. Attend team, business unit and company meetings as required.

Job Location: Bristol Central and frequent UK travel. Hybrid working available, with a minimum of 3 days in office (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays).

About the Bluefield Group: The Bluefield Group is comprised of Bluefield Partners LLP, Bluefield Services Limited, Bluefield Operations Limited, Bluefield Renewable Developments Limited, Bluefield Construction Management Limited, and other subsidiaries. Each of these is focused on renewable energy at various stages of the lifecycle of a solar/wind/BESS site and each provide services to an FCA-regulated fund (Bluefield Solar Income Fund) along with other funds. The group is expanding its operations, and we are establishing a new Procurement team to address group-wide procurement issues and to ensure that the highest standards of governance and process management are embedded. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to join as a Group Risk Manager. Headquartered in Bristol, we are at the forefront of sustainable investment and energy solutions. There may be opportunities to travel overseas on occasion and this may be required for training purposes. You may be required to visit company sites within the UK; this requires you to be able to drive.

Hours of Work: 37 ½ hours per week, Monday to Friday 9:00 am until 5:30 pm.

Inclusive statement: We aim to have a workforce that is representative of all sections of our society, where you can act true to yourself and where you feel a sense of belonging in Bluefield. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in our workforce. These include women, those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQI+ people.