Head of Global Strategic Procurement in Cambridge

The Head of Global Strategic Procurement will lead the development and execution of procurement strategy across all regions, ensuring alignment with our business objectives. This role is responsible for driving material/service cost optimisation, supplier innovation, supply/supplier risk management, managing the transition to outsourcing, and implementing robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) practices. The position requires strong leadership to harmonise procurement processes, governance, and supplier engagement across multiple geographies.

Responsibilities in this role:

• Global Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a global strategic procurement strategy aligned with our business objectives. Drive transformation initiatives to enhance procurement efficiency and effectiveness across all supply markets and geographies. Ensure global governance and compliance standards are consistently applied.
• Global Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Design and implement a formal SRM framework for global strategic suppliers. Segment suppliers based on global strategic importance and develop tailored engagement plans. Conduct regular global supplier performance reviews and joint business planning sessions. Foster collaborative innovation initiatives with key suppliers to support growth strategy.
• Cost Optimisation & Value Delivery: Identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements across global spend categories.
• Supply and Supplier Risk Management & Compliance: Ensure procurement activities comply with international legal, regulatory, and ethical standards. Develop global supply and supplier risk mitigation strategies for supply chain disruptions and geopolitical challenges.
• Transition to Outsourcing: Lead global outsourcing strategies for selected procurement categories. Manage supplier onboarding, contractual frameworks, and service-level agreements (SLAs) across regions. Oversee global change management initiatives to align internal stakeholders with new operating models.
• Team Leadership & Development: Build and lead a high-performing global procurement team, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Ensure professional development opportunities for all team members are discussed annually.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Work with the group data team to inform sourcing strategies and report supplier performance management, plus the associated interventions and recovery actions as required. Drive digital transformation in procurement through e-auctions and other e-tools.
• Global Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with senior leadership and regional teams and act as a trusted advisor on global strategic sourcing and supply chain matters.

Apply if you have most of the following:

• Global procurement leadership in a complex, multi-region, matrixed organisation.
• Proven ability to set and execute a global procurement strategy aligned to business transformation goals.
• Strong experience with strategic supplier management (SRM), including supplier segmentation, performance reviews, and joint business planning.
• Track record of delivering cost optimisation and value beyond savings across major spend categories.
• Experience managing supplier and supply chain risk, including geopolitical and disruption scenarios.
• Led outsourcing initiatives, including supplier selection, contracts, SLAs, and operating model change.
• Strong use of data, analytics, and digital procurement tools to drive sourcing and supplier decisions.
• Experience influencing senior leaders and regional teams in a matrix environment.
• Led and developed global, high-performing teams.

Education:

• Professional procurement qualifications strongly preferred (e.g. CIPS, ISM, or equivalent).
• Ongoing professional development in procurement, supply chain, and leadership.
• Training or certification in strategic sourcing, contract management, or supplier risk management is an advantage.
• Exposure to digital procurement, analytics, or transformation programmes through formal learning is beneficial.

Additional local needs:

• Office based no less than 3 days per week (Cambridge).
• Ability to travel 20% of your time, locally, nationally and globally.

The benefits we will offer you include:

• 27 days holiday increasing with service up to 30 days (option to buy/sell).
• Pension contributions up to 9%.
• Private medical insurance for you and your partner.
• Company car allowance.
• Extensive flexible benefit programme including Cycle to Work.
• Life assurance at 4x basic salary.
• Enhanced parental leave and pay.
• Paid volunteering leave.
• Access to industry leading wellbeing resources and tools.

Marshall Land Systems is a Canadian-owned global company with an unrivalled pedigree of British engineering excellence. From its origins in Cambridge, UK, through more than a century of innovation, pioneering advances from the nose of Concorde to the early Hydrogen fuel cell technology that ultimately powered the moon landings, Marshall engineers now continue to innovate specialist vehicles and infrastructure for NATO forces across the world. From bomb disposal vehicles to deployed shelters, from command and control to CT scanners on the battlefield, Marshall Land Systems protects people in critical situations with the very best in engineering. It employs 600 people with major facilities in the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands.