At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a major housing procurement programme, ensuring quality and compliance.
- Company: A prominent London local authority focused on transforming housing services.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and significant strategic influence.
- Other info: High-profile role with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Shape the future of housing procurement and make a real impact in your community.
- Qualifications: Experience in large-scale procurement and strong stakeholder management skills.
A major London local authority is seeking a highly experienced Procurement Lead to join its Housing Assets team on a fixed-term basis. With a strong focus on transforming housing services and delivering long-term value, the organisation is embarking on one of its largest-ever procurement programmes, aimed at improving the quality, safety and sustainability of its housing stock. This is a pivotal opportunity to play a leading role in shaping and delivering a landmark capital procurement programme within a complex and high-profile public sector environment.
As Procurement Lead, you will take ownership of the council's largest procurement programme within the Housing Revenue Account, valued at approximately £500m, alongside negotiating a significant £25m contract extension. This is a senior, high-impact role where you will lead the end-to-end procurement strategy, ensuring robust governance, compliance and delivery of best value outcomes. You will work closely with senior stakeholders, legal advisors, consultants and internal teams to design and deliver innovative procurement solutions aligned to the new Procurement Act 2023 and evolving housing regulations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading the delivery of a large-scale housing capital procurement programme, ensuring successful outcomes across cost, quality and delivery.
- Developing procurement strategies, routes to market and tender documentation in collaboration with legal, technical and procurement specialists.
- Negotiating and managing a major contract extension, ensuring value for money and compliance with council regulations.
- Acting as chair of the procurement project board, providing leadership, direction and governance across the programme.
- Managing project plans, timelines, risk registers and reporting frameworks to ensure effective programme delivery.
- Overseeing financial management, including budget control, audit compliance and value optimisation across a £500m programme.
- Leading stakeholder engagement across internal teams, residents, suppliers and senior leadership, including presenting at committees and boards.
- Ensuring compliance with Section 20 consultation requirements and embedding resident engagement into procurement activities.
- Driving innovation through market engagement, soft market testing and development of performance frameworks, KPIs and pricing models.
- Supporting mobilisation and transition planning, ensuring effective contract management and supplier integration post-award.
- Contributing to wider service transformation and continuous improvement initiatives across housing capital delivery.
You will play a critical role in shaping how major housing investment programmes are procured and delivered, directly impacting residents and communities across the borough.
What you'll need to succeed:
- Proven experience leading large-scale procurement or capital programmes within local authority or social housing environments.
- Strong knowledge of public sector procurement, including the Procurement Act 2023.
- Extensive experience in construction, housing or asset management, ideally within residential property environments.
- Demonstrable experience managing high-value contracts and delivering value-driven procurement outcomes.
- Strong financial management capability, including budget oversight and governance in complex programmes.
- Experience working with legal advisors, consultants and cross-functional teams to deliver compliant procurement solutions.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership, boards and committees.
- Strong leadership and programme management capability, with experience chairing governance boards and driving delivery.
- Ideally a degree in a construction-related discipline (e.g. Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying) and/or professional membership (RICS/CIOB).
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
What you'll get in return:
- Opportunity to lead one of the largest housing procurement programmes within a London borough.
- A high-profile role with significant strategic influence and visibility.
- The chance to shape procurement strategy and drive long-term value in housing services.
- Collaborative working environment with senior stakeholder exposure.
- Competitive day rate / salary (dependent on experience).
- Hybrid Working - 3 days in the office and 2 days home-based.
This campaign is being managed exclusively by Hays. If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV. For a confidential discussion or if you have any questions, please contact me directly using my Hays contact details.
Strategic Procurement Lead in Croydon employer: Hays HR
As a major London local authority, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer committed to transforming housing services and delivering long-term value. Our collaborative work culture fosters innovation and strategic influence, providing employees with the opportunity to lead significant procurement programmes that directly impact communities. With competitive remuneration, hybrid working options, and a focus on professional growth, we offer a rewarding environment for those looking to make a meaningful difference in public service.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategic Procurement Lead in Croydon
✨Get Involved in Local Procurement Meetups
Join local procurement and purchasing groups on platforms like Meetup or Eventbrite. These gatherings are great for networking with industry professionals, sharing insights, and potentially hearing about temporary roles that might not be widely advertised!
✨Seasonal Hiring Cycles are Your Friend!
Keep an eye on seasonal trends in procurement, as many companies ramp up hiring during certain times of the year – especially around end-of-financial-year periods when budgets are being utilised. Be proactive and reach out to companies directly during these windows.
✨Leverage Online Platforms for Temporary Roles
Don’t forget to browse specific job boards dedicated to temporary positions, such as Reed or Indeed. You can filter your search for procurement roles and set up alerts for when new jobs pop up, so you can apply immediately!
✨Showcase Your Skills on Professional Networks
Create short case studies or posts on LinkedIn showcasing your procurement experience or interesting projects you've tackled. This not only builds your visibility but can also attract recruiters looking for temporary talent like you!
We think you need these skills to ace Strategic Procurement Lead in Croydon
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Relevant Experience:When applying for a temporary role in procurement-purchasing, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Mention specific tasks like negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships, or optimising inventory. This will show Hays HR that you can hit the ground running!
Keep it Concise and Impactful:For a temporary role, we recommend keeping your CV and cover letter concise. Focus on key achievements that showcase your procurement skills and any immediate impact you’ve made in past roles. Use bullet points for clarity—this way, Hays HR can quickly grasp your capabilities!
Include Relevant Certifications:If you’ve got any certifications that are relevant to procurement, like CIPS (Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply), don’t forget to mention them! This adds extra weight to your application and shows Hays HR that you're serious about your professional development.
Emphasise Flexibility and Availability:Since this is a temporary position, make sure to emphasise your availability and flexibility in your cover letter. Let Hays HR know when you can start and that you’re ready to adapt to their needs, making your application even more appealing!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hays HR
✨Know Your Procurement Basics
Brush up on key procurement concepts and terms, like 'total cost of ownership' and 'supplier relationships'. We want to impress them with our knowledge! Being able to talk fluently about relevant techniques and tools specific to the procurement field will definitely lend credibility.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
In a purchasing role, you might get thrown some real-world scenarios to assess how you’d handle supplier negotiations or cost-saving strategies. Be ready to demonstrate your problem-solving skills! Practising how you'd tackle these situations in advance will help us shine during the interview.
✨Highlight Your Flexibility and Adaptability
Since it’s a temporary role, emphasise how you can quickly adapt to new processes and environments. Share examples of past experiences where you’ve tackled new challenges with ease, showing they can rely on us to hit the ground running and contribute immediately!
✨Show Off Your Tech Savvy
Being well-versed in procurement software like SAP or Coupa can set us apart from other candidates. If you've got experience with these tools, be sure to mention it! Having a handle on data analysis and reporting will also demonstrate our capability to leverage technology effectively in procurement.
