At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead procurement strategy and supplier relationships to drive growth and sustainability.
- Company: Join itsu, a fast-growing Asian-inspired food brand with a mission for healthy eating.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus scheme, hybrid working, health insurance, and daily free lunch.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of healthy fast food while making a real impact on procurement.
- Qualifications: Extensive FMCG experience, strong team leadership, and contract management skills.
The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.
About Us
At itsu, we're passionate about making healthy eating exciting, accessible, and affordable.
As an Asian-inspired food brand, we’ve grown to over 80 restaurants across the UK and Belgium, while building a thriving grocery business that reaches customers across Europe and beyond.
Known for our fresh, high-quality food prepared daily in every shop, we’re on an ambitious growth journey.
With plans to expand our store estate, accelerate our grocery presence, and continue investing in innovation, technology, and our people, we’re shaping the future of healthy fast food.
Its grocery, where this role sits, extends the much-loved itsu brand beyond our shops and into supermarkets, health food retailers, online channels, wholesale partners, and international markets.
Our growing product range includes customer favourites such as crispy seaweed thins, frozen gyoza and bao, brilliant'broth, rice'noodles, and miso'easy, bringing the taste and quality of itsu into homes around the world.
Joining itsu means becoming part of a fast-paced, innovative business with big ambitions, a strong culture, and a shared mission to help people eat beautifully every day.
About The Role
As Head of Procurement, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the procurement strategy, ensuring it supports business growth, innovation, profitability and sustainability goals.
Leading both supplier partnerships and a high-performing team, you'll drive commercial value, supply resilience and continuous improvement across the procurement and ESG agenda.
- Key Role Responsibilities
- Develop and Deliver our
- Procurement
Strategy: Create and implement a procurement strategy that aligns to the business growth, profit, innovation and sustainability objectives.
Deliver a proactive cost management approach identifying improvements through negotiation, benchmarking and tendering.
Ensure procurement work hand in hand with our NPD and technical teams in sourcing & selecting suppliers capable of delivering our innovation pipeline to market in line with our sourcing principles.
- Lead our
- Supplier
Relationships: Oversee the selection, onboarding and ongoing management of our suppliers, through an empowered procurement team.
Act as the initial point of escalation across the business for supplier related issues or opportunities.
Lead contract drafting and negotiations ensuring terms are well structured, maintained and do not lapse.
Support the wider business on contracts & tenders.
- Manage our BCP process: Lead the overall cross functional business continuity planning process, with specific responsibility for our suppliers ensuring supply resilience and cost protection.
- ESG: Oversee our ESG strategy, Ensure adherence to our sourcing policies & certification standards.
Review policies, procedures and processes periodically to keep in line with trends & regulatory changes.
- Build and Lead a High-Performing
- Procurement
Team: Build and lead high-performing procurement & ESG teams, with excellent cross functional collaboration.
Create a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- The Ideal Candidate Will Have
- Extensive experience working in Food FMCG
- Strong line management skills with proven experience in building and motivating teams
- Confident working knowledge of contracts, able to review contracts and redraft contracts at pace without close legal support.
- Deep understanding and experience of how to develop long term supplier relationships across geographies
- Proven track record of delivering well thought through cost savings, that balance commercial benefit whilst maintaining good supplier relationships.
- The gravitas to be a main point of escalation for the team with suppliers.
- Attention to detail and excellent commercial acumen to effectively manage and forecast all product COGS with a good working knowledge of the downstream impact to our sales team, customers and consumers
What We Offer
- Competitive Salary
- Competitive Bonus Scheme
- 25 days holiday + Bank holidays (two bank holidays are interchangeable for other religious holidays)
- Health Insurance
- Company Pension Scheme
- Hybrid Working model: This can vary by department, with some operating on a 3-day onsite/2-day WFH model and others on a 4-day onsite/1-day WFH.
Opportunity to work from abroad 2 weeks of the year.
- 50% employeediscount in itsu shops
• Free itsu lunch every day!
- Discounts at major retailers
- Salary sacrifice cycle and electric vehicle schemes
- Development & Growth opportunities
At itsu [grocery], everyone’s taste matters, and so does who’s behind it.
We celebrate diversity and are an equal opportunities employer.
Applications from all backgrounds are encouraged.
If you need support or adjustments to apply, we’ll happily accommodate.
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Head of Procurement employer: itsu
itsu is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises health, innovation, and employee well-being. With competitive salaries, generous holiday allowances, and opportunities for professional growth, employees are empowered to thrive in their roles while contributing to the exciting expansion of the itsu brand. Located in London, the company fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, ensuring that every team member's voice is valued and heard.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Procurement
✨Get Savvy with Industry Perks
Join procurement and purchasing forums or groups where pros hang out, like CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply). They'll share the inside scoop on job openings that might not show up on traditional job boards!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Consider creating a portfolio that outlines your achievements in procurement, like cost-saving initiatives or supplier management strategies. Having tangible evidence of your skills can really set you apart when applying to companies like itsu.
✨Tap into Your Network
Leverage LinkedIn to connect with professionals in procurement—follow relevant hashtags, join groups, and engage in discussions. This is a great way to get noticed by potential employers before they even post a job!
✨Keep Your Eyes on Job Boards
With full-time positions, timing can be everything. Set alerts on job boards specifically for procurement roles. Don't wait for a job posting to close; apply through our website as soon as you see a fit—being proactive can give you the edge!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Procurement
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Procurement Know-How:When you're crafting your CV, make sure to highlight any procurement-specific skills you've got. Talk about your experience with supplier negotiations, cost analysis, or inventory management. If you’ve used software like SAP or Oracle, don’t forget to mention that too – it shows you know your way around the tech side of things!
Quantify Your Achievements:In procurement, numbers matter. Use your CV and cover letter to showcase any quantifiable achievements you've made in reducing costs or improving efficiencies. For example, mentioning that you helped save 20% on purchasing costs last year is way more impressive than just saying you managed the budget!
Tailor Your Cover Letter to itsu:Your cover letter should read like you’re chatting directly to itsu. Research the company’s procurement strategy, mention how your skills align with their goals, and share your enthusiasm for contributing to their success. This personal touch can really set you apart from the crowd!
Professional Certs Can Go a Long Way:If you've got any procurement-related certifications, such as CIPS or APICS, make sure they're front and centre on your CV. These qualifications show you're serious about your career in procurement and are committed to continuous learning. It’s a great way to signal your expertise and dedication to potential employers like itsu.
How to prepare for a job interview at itsu
✨Show Off Your Negotiation Skills
In procurement, strong negotiation skills are key. Be ready to share examples of past negotiations where you've successfully saved costs or improved supplier terms. We want to hear how you approached those situations and the strategies you used to achieve positive outcomes!
✨Know Your Tools
Make sure you’re familiar with procurement software and tools commonly used in the industry, such as SAP Ariba or Coupa. Come prepared to discuss any experiences you've had with these tools or similar platforms, as we need someone who can hit the ground running at itsu!
✨Understand Market Trends
As a procurement professional, being aware of market trends can set you apart. Brush up on recent developments in supply chain management or procurement best practices and think about how they could impact your role at itsu. Bringing a current perspective will show your enthusiasm for the industry.
✨Demonstrate Your Team Player Attitude
A full-time position means you'll be working closely with various teams. Be prepared to discuss how you collaborate with others, manage conflicts, and build relationships with stakeholders. Sharing anecdotes about past teamwork experiences will highlight your ability to fit into itsu's culture.
