Director of Procurement - London

We are seeking a Director of Procurement to lead our university-wide procurement function, overseeing an annual expenditure of £350m. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this is a pivotal leadership position responsible for shaping and delivering a strategic, high‑performing procurement service that supports our world‑class teaching, research, and operational priorities.

As Director of Procurement, you will provide clear, strategic direction across all purchasing and supply‑chain activities, ensuring value for money, compliance with legal and ethical standards, and the delivery of robust, efficient and forward‑thinking procurement processes. This is a transformative moment for us as we implement major process improvements and transition to Oracle Fusion Cloud, making this an exciting opportunity to drive long‑lasting change.

You will play a central role in influencing senior leaders, embedding best practice, and ensuring that procurement contributes meaningfully to strategic objectives, including sustainability and our commitment to achieving net zero by 2040.

What you would be doing:

• Lead and modernise our procurement function, ensuring effective governance, operational excellence, and a consistent focus on value for money.
• Provide senior leadership oversight on all procurement and contracting processes, including developing and executing category strategies, improving procure‑to‑pay operations, and embedding streamlined, standardised methodologies across the organisation.
• Drive a major transformation programme that enhances procurement activity end‑to‑end covering sourcing, supplier management, contract management, and digital enablement.
• Lead our transition to the Oracle Fusion ERP platform, maximising its capability to deliver efficiency, transparency and better decision‑making.
• Lead a skilled team of procurement professionals, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration and innovation.
• Strengthen relationships with internal stakeholders and guide the organisation in achieving ambitious efficiency targets, sustainability commitments, and improvements to our procurement control environment.
• Represent the university externally, working closely with research funders, government bodies, suppliers, and other strategic partners.

What we are looking for:

• MCIPS qualification or equivalent.
• Extensive experience in senior procurement leadership roles within large, complex organisations.
• Strong track record of leading procurement transformation and delivering measurable improvements.
• Experience interacting with senior internal and external stakeholders including research donors and professional bodies.
• Proven expertise in negotiating strategic procurement agreements.
• Deep knowledge of procurement best practice, processes, and systems.
• Strong influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively at executive level.
• Exceptional negotiation and commercial skills with sound judgement.
• Focus on operational excellence with a proactive approach to process improvement.
• Ability to inspire, lead, and develop teams.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Creative problem‑solver with the ability to drive organisational change.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to lead and transform our procurement offering to the university.
• The chance to work on and support the implementation of our new ERP System, Oracle Cloud.
• A competitive salary and sector-leading benefits package, including generous annual leave, pension provision and flexible working arrangements.
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

This is a full-time, open ended post in Imperial's Finance team. We are looking to interview for this role on the 28th April. Due to the nature of this role, we will be shortlisting candidates as applications are received. We therefore reserve the right to close this vacancy as soon as a suitable candidate has been appointed. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as possible to avoid disappointment.

Candidates are required to complete an online application. If you require any further details about the role, please contact us. Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.