The Global Indirect Procurement Lead is accountable for developing, executing, and continuously improving global indirect category strategies.
This role owns end-to-end indirect spend performance globally, including cost, compliance, service performance, and risk management, while leading indirect Category Managers responsible for execution.
The role partners closely with cross-functional leaders to drive demand management, standardisation, and scalable contracting.
Scope & Impact:
- Manages approximately £50M annual spend across global indirect categories.
- Leads indirect Category Managers delivering sourcing waves, supplier rationalisation, and contract frameworks.
- Key impact areas: cost reduction, demand management, compliance, and scalable service delivery.
What you’ll be doing
Global Indirect Strategy & Demand Leadership
- Define multi-year category strategies and sourcing roadmap across indirect categories.
- Drive demand management with stakeholders (scope control, specs, consumption discipline).
- Monitor market dynamics (rate inflation, supply constraints) and adjust strategy proactively.
Sourcing, Supplier Selection & Contracting
- Lead competitive tenders, supplier selection governance and negotiation strategy.
- Implement global frameworks (LTAs, rate cards, SLAs, governance clauses, compliance requirements).
- Drive supplier consolidation and preferred supplier panels.
Cost, Compliance, Risk & Service Performance
- Deliver year-on-year savings while maintaining service quality and stakeholder outcomes.
- Ensure compliance with procurement policies and contracting standards across sites/functions.
- Manage supplier risk for critical services and ensure continuity plans exist where needed.
People Leadership & Category Team Management
- Lead, coach, and develop indirect Category Managers; set objectives and priorities.
- Ensure consistent execution discipline and robust contract lifecycle management.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Compliance and site leaders to align decisions and governance.
- Support group-wide synergy initiatives and ensure alignment to broader frameworks when applicable.
Continuous Improvement
- Contribute to procurement excellence initiatives (analytics, digitalisation, process standardisation).
Leadership & Stakeholder Scope
- Direct reports: Indirect Category Managers.
- Key interfaces: Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Compliance, Operations, site leadership, Procurement Excellence & Governance.
- External: strategic suppliers and service providers.
This is what you’ll need to be successful in this role
Previous Experience & Seniority
- 10+ years in indirect procurement/category management, ideally in a global industrial context.
- Proven leadership of cross-functional stakeholder groups and governance-based compliance.
- Track record in complex services negotiations and multi-site frameworks.
- People leadership experience.
Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance or related discipline.
- CIPS (or equivalent) desirable.
- International travel as required.
Personal Attributes
- Commercially rigorous, structured, and stakeholder-savvy.
- Strong influencer at senior level; data-driven and resilient.
Salary - £70,000 - £83,000
Fully remote role - regular international travel, so being close to an airport is preferred
Must be based in the UK
