Head of Procurement - Direct Materials in Leeds

A direct materials leadership role where the commodity exposure is real: cocoa, sugar, oils, nuts and fruit, bought globally, with a team of eight and a seat close to the top of the function.

North Yorkshire (flexibility across the group's other UK sites)

Hybrid: 2-3 days on site

£90,000-£105,000 + 15% bonus + £7,220 car allowance + benefits

Permanent

The Opportunity

We’re supporting a multi-site food manufacturing group with the appointment of a Head of Procurement for direct materials. This is the senior direct materials seat in the business. You’d lead the raw materials procurement team of eight, including two Heads of Category covering commodities and chocolate and ingredients, and turn sourcing strategy into reliable supply, commercial value and strong operational performance. The categories carry genuine market risk: cocoa, sugar, oils, nuts and fruit, sourced through global purchasing and grower/origin networks. This is not a role where the buying is a formality and the job is the process around it. It reports to the Procurement Director, deputises for them, and contributes to senior leadership activity. The business is going through significant change and growth, so it suits someone who is comfortable building while delivering rather than inheriting a settled function.

Key Responsibilities

• You’d own direct materials sourcing and category performance across the group, with accountability for both the commercial outcome and the team that delivers it.
• Lead and develop the raw materials procurement team, including two Heads of Category.
• Set and deliver the direct materials procurement strategy alongside the Procurement Director.
• Own supplier and grower negotiations, strategic relationships and supply-risk mitigation.
• Drive PPV, savings, OTIF, contract coverage, inventory and raw material quality performance.
• Work closely with Operations, Technical, Supply Chain, Commercial and Finance.
• Deputise for the Procurement Director and contribute to senior leadership activity.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be an established procurement leader from FMCG with real direct materials ownership behind you, including global purchasing and commodity or category management. Food, confectionery, snacking or ingredient-led manufacturing is particularly relevant, though adjacent FMCG manufacturing backgrounds are worth a conversation. People leadership is non-negotiable. You’ll be managing senior category leaders, not a group of buyers, so evidence of developing and empowering a team matters as much as the commercial track record. Beyond that: strategy development and execution, strong supplier negotiation, credibility with a board-level audience, and experience of change, transformation or growth-stage businesses. A tactical buying profile without strategic ownership is unlikely to be the right fit here. Some international travel is involved, roughly three to four supplier trips a year, plus UK and Ireland supplier visits.

Why Join?

The categories are the draw. Cocoa, sugar, oils, nuts and fruit are among the most volatile commodity markets in food, which makes procurement performance visible at board level rather than buried in a cost line. You’d also be joining at a point where the business is changing quickly, with a portfolio of well-known own brands and licensed partnerships behind it. There’s a clear brief to build a stronger, more empowered team and to put a proper direct materials strategy into delivery, with the autonomy to do it.

The package is £90,000-£150,000 plus a 15% bonus, £7,220 car allowance, private medical cover, pension and 25 days plus bank holidays with a holiday purchase scheme, on a hybrid pattern of 2-3 days on site. If you’re interested in learning more, we’d be happy to have a confidential conversation.