Senior Procurement Lead

We are currently creating a pipeline on behalf of The Ministry of Justice, for x2 Senior Procurement Leads (Inside IR35) for a 6-12 month hybrid contract based predominantly from home with occasional trips to London. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) priorities include improving public safety and reducing reoffending by reforming prisons, probation and youth justice, and building a justice system which makes access to justice swifter and more certain for all citizens whatever their background.

Project professionals in the MoJ help to improve the government’s ability to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.

As a Senior Procurement Lead, your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead and develop a high-performing digital procurement team
• Deliver complex, high-value procurements across software and digital services
• Manage end-to-end sourcing (frameworks, open competition, multi-supplier models)
• Set commercial strategies aligned to agile and digital delivery
• Provide expert advice to senior stakeholders on sourcing and risk
• Oversee pipeline management and workload allocation
• Drive best practice and capability uplift in digital procurement
• Build strong relationships across digital, finance and delivery teams
• Ensure compliance with public procurement regulations and governance
• Manage commercial risk while balancing pace and delivery
• Procure software solutions and digital services (not hardware/infrastructure)
• Deliver digital/outcome-based procurements including AI and automation
• Hit the ground running within a fast-paced category team

Extensive experience leading public sector digital & technology procurements is required, along with strong leadership capability and experience building and developing high-performing teams. You should have expert knowledge of public procurement regulations (PCR 2015 / Procurement Act 2023) and hands-on experience using CCS frameworks (e.g. G-Cloud, DOS).

Strong strategic thinking with sound commercial judgement, excellent stakeholder management and influencing at senior level, and strong risk management and governance expertise are essential. You should be a clear, decisive communicator with strong decision-making ability, knowledgeable in software licensing and SaaS commercial models, and have experience in AI, automation, or emerging technology procurements.

MCIPS or equivalent commercial accreditation and experience in category management or capability leadership are also preferred.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, MOJ guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

The Ministry of Justice guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge that this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs.