Director of Procurement & Property

Stratford, London (Hybrid, 2 days per week) | National remit

Help shape the future of one of the world’s most influential charities. As the world’s leading cancer charity, Cancer Research UK has spent more than 120 years driving discoveries that have saved and improved millions of lives across the globe. Today, the charity invests over 400 million annually in life-saving research and operates across a complex national footprint encompassing world-class research facilities, fundraising operations, retail estates and commercial partnerships.

As CRUK continues to evolve and modernise, the charity is seeking an exceptional commercial leader to join its senior leadership team as Director of Procurement & Property; a newly elevated strategic role with responsibility for transforming procurement capability, modernising commercial operations and helping shape the future footprint of one of the UK’s most recognised charitable organisations.

This is far more than a traditional procurement leadership position. Reporting into the Chief Financial Officer, you will be one of a small number of senior directors helping to shape enterprise-wide strategy, influence investment decisions and drive organisational transformation across the organisation. With responsibility spanning Procurement, Property, Estates, Facilities and Capital Projects, you will oversee significant third-party expenditure, strategic supplier relationships, a national property portfolio and multidisciplinary teams, with procurement representing approximately 70% of the remit.

Most importantly, you will inherit a function with genuine scope for transformation. The foundations have been established. Now the organisation is seeking a leader who can elevate commercial maturity, strengthen supplier partnerships, embed modern technology, optimise operating models and create a best-in-class procurement and property function that directly supports the charity’s mission and long-term sustainability.

This role offers a rare combination of strategic influence, operational leadership and transformational delivery. You will lead the next phase of CRUK’s commercial evolution, including:

• Developing and delivering an integrated procurement and property strategy aligned to organisational priorities.
• Driving procurement transformation through improved category management, supplier relationship management and commercial governance.
• Evaluating and implementing future commercial systems and digital capabilities, including procurement technology, ERP integration, automation and AI-enabled solutions.
• Consolidating and optimising a substantial supplier base whilst strengthening relationships with strategic partners and major enterprise vendors.
• Creating a more data-driven, commercially focused and outcomes-oriented procurement function.
• Supporting the evolution of CRUK’s property strategy as the organisation reshapes its retail and operational estate.
• Providing expert commercial advice to Executive leadership, Boards and Committees on major investment and strategic decisions.
• Embedding sustainability, responsible sourcing and social value throughout the supply chain.

Your remit will extend across a diverse national portfolio that includes:

• Corporate headquarters in Stratford.
• The globally renowned Francis Crick Institute in King’s Cross.
• Major research and operational sites across Cambridge, Manchester and Scotland.
• A substantial retail estate undergoing strategic transformation towards a future superstore model.
• Significant strategic partnerships with leading global suppliers and technology providers.

The scale of the organisation demands a leader comfortable operating within a business generating approximately 700 million of annual income and managing complex commercial relationships at enterprise level.

We are interested in speaking with accomplished procurement and commercial leaders from large, complex organisations, ideally operating at 500m+ scale. You may currently be a:

• Procurement Director
• Group Procurement Director
• Chief Procurement Officer
• VP Procurement
• Procurement Transformation Director
• Commercial Director
• Director of Commercial Excellence
• Procurement & Supply Chain Director
• Director of Procurement, Property & Facilities
• Director of Estates
• Director of Property

We welcome applications from established property and estates leaders, provided this is complemented by substantial procurement and commercial experience. Equally, we are interested in transformational procurement professionals who have developed strong expertise across property, facilities or estates spend and are motivated by the opportunity to take on a broader strategic leadership role.

You will bring:

• A proven track record of leading large-scale commercial transformation programmes.
• Experience operating within complex, multi-site organisations.
• Strong expertise across category management, strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management.
• Experience implementing procurement technology, digital transformation initiatives and operating model improvements.
• The ability to influence executive stakeholders, Boards and governance committees.
• Exceptional commercial judgement combined with a collaborative and purpose-led leadership style.

Sector background is less important than mindset. We are seeking a commercially astute leader who can bring fresh thinking, challenge convention and help position procurement as a strategic enabler of organisational success.

Few roles offer the opportunity to combine genuine commercial challenge with such a meaningful purpose. Every commercial decision, negotiation, supplier partnership and transformation initiative ultimately contributes towards funding research, accelerating discovery and helping more people live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.

Alongside the opportunity to shape a nationally significant function, CRUK offers:

• Hybrid working environment (typically two days per week in Stratford).
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with flexibility around religious and public holidays.
• Additional Christmas closure benefits.
• Pension contribution of up to 12%.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Comprehensive wellbeing support and employee assistance programme.
• Career development and leadership opportunities within one of the UK’s most respected organisations.

This is an opportunity to build something. To modernise procurement capability, influence strategic investment decisions, reshape a national property portfolio and help ensure one of the world’s leading charities remains commercially strong, operationally sustainable and fit for the future. If you are a transformational procurement leader motivated by both challenge and purpose, we would be delighted to hear from you.