Global Head of Indirect Procurement, IT and R&D in Watford

Life Unlimited. At Smith+ Nephew we design and manufacture technology that takes the limits off living. Join Smith+ Nephew’s Global Indirect Procurement organisation as the Global Head, Category Lead for IT & R&D, where you will play a critical role in enabling the company’s digital, data, and innovation agenda. This is a highly strategic leadership role—not a traditional sourcing position. You will serve as a trusted partner to IT and R&D leadership, helping shape procurement strategies that directly support enterprise transformation, technology modernisation, and innovation at scale.

You will act as a thought partner and commercial strategist, working closely with senior stakeholders to define not only the scale of value that can be unlocked, but the roadmap, priorities, and strategic choices required to realise it. Your success will depend on your ability to bring clarity, challenge, and perspective—helping leaders think differently about supplier relationships, commercial models, and the role procurement can play in enabling future enterprise capability.

You will lead a global portfolio spanning IT, Digital, Software, Infrastructure, R&D, and Clinical services, owning the development and execution of category strategies that unlock value across cost, capability, risk, and innovation. You will also lead and develop a high‑performing global team and position Procurement as a strategic enabler of Smith+ Nephew’s RISE ambition.

What will you be doing?

• Strategic Business Partnering & Enterprise Alignment: Serve as a trusted advisor and proactive thought partner to CIO and R&D leadership, co‑developing strategies and influencing the direction of major technology and innovation initiatives. Translate business strategy into actionable procurement strategies, supplier models, and investment approaches, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities. Bring an informed perspective on current challenges while shaping forward‑looking roadmaps, identifying where procurement can guide, challenge, and enable better outcomes. Embed Procurement early in strategic planning cycles, ensuring meaningful involvement in defining priorities—not just executing on them. Constructively challenge senior stakeholders and provoke new thinking, improving decision quality across complex and ambiguous topics.
• Category Strategy & Value Creation: Define and execute global category strategies across IT, Digital, Software, Infrastructure, R&D, and Clinical services. Lead the framing of value—clearly defining what ‘winning’ looks like across initiatives (e.g., innovation, capability, speed, cost, risk) before structuring commercial approaches. Build multi‑year value pipelines aligned with Finance and business leadership, embedding savings, cash, and broader value outcomes into business plans. Leverage deep market intelligence, supplier insight, and technology trends to enable innovation and competitive advantage. Position category strategies as growth and capability enablers, not simply cost management tools.
• Supplier & Ecosystem Leadership: Own executive‑level relationships with strategic technology, digital, and AI partners. Establish and lead strategic supplier ecosystems across hyperscalers, SaaS providers, AI partners, CROs, and specialist providers. Redefine partnership models to enable mutual value creation, including structuring incentives that reward innovation, performance, and long‑term outcomes. Drive supplier‑enabled innovation and access to emerging technologies and differentiated capabilities. Lead robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) to deliver performance, resilience, and sustained value.
• Commercial Insight, Transparency & Performance: Maintain deep, real‑time understanding of key supplier relationships, contracts, and commercial structures. Ensure clear visibility of financials, commitments, risks, and opportunities across the supplier landscape. Drive simplification of fragmented data and contract environments, ensuring critical insights are always accessible. Establish disciplined approaches to monitoring, performance tracking, and continuous optimisation of strategic partnerships. Promote a mindset of ownership and accountability for commercial outcomes across the organisation.
• Advanced Commercial Strategy & Deal Orchestration: Lead complex, global commercial engagements, including AI initiatives, ERP transformations, and multi‑year digital programmes. Design and orchestrate commercial constructs that align incentives, balance risk, and deliver long‑term strategic outcomes. Focus on structuring the right outcomes and value architecture, rather than relying solely on traditional negotiation techniques. Navigate modern technology procurement challenges, including licensing models, consumption‑based pricing, data ownership, and intellectual property considerations. Partner closely with Legal, Finance, and Risk to ensure governance, compliance, and protection of enterprise interests.
• Digital & AI Enablement: Act as a leader in ‘procurement in the age of AI’, ensuring the function is equipped to manage emerging technology categories effectively. Shape procurement and supplier strategies in response to rapid AI‑driven disruption, evolving supplier models, and changing market dynamics. Drive adoption of digital procurement tools, AI‑enabled workflows, and advanced analytics to improve speed, decision quality, and user experience. Support the organisation in navigating AI‑related supplier risk, innovation models, and commercial implications. Lead capability development to ensure procurement teams can operate effectively in increasingly digital and AI‑enabled environments.
• Risk, Compliance & Governance: Proactively manage commercial, regulatory, data privacy, cybersecurity, and third‑party risk across IT and R&D ecosystems. Ensure robust governance across supplier selection, contracting, and ongoing supplier management. Partner with Security, Compliance, and Legal functions to mitigate emerging risks in digital and AI‑driven environments.
• Transformation & Capability Building: Lead and contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Indirect Procurement function. Shape operating models, processes, and tools that support scalable, high‑impact procurement. Build and develop a high‑performing global team with strong commercial, technical, and business‑partnering capabilities. Foster a culture of accountability, intellectual curiosity, and continuous improvement. Promote an enterprise mindset, positioning procurement as a strategic enabler rather than a transactional function.

What will you need to be successful?

• Bachelor’s degree required (business, technology, engineering, or related field).
• 15+ years of experience in procurement, technology, or related commercial leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading global or matrixed teams and influencing senior stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications & Capabilities:

• Deep experience across IT and/or R&D procurement, including software, cloud, digital, infrastructure, data, or clinical services.
• Strong understanding of modern technology ecosystems (e.g., SaaS, cloud, AI/ML, digital platforms).
• Experience working with both large technology providers and emerging AI‑focused organisations.
• Proven ability to act as a strategic business partner, shaping decisions and influencing outcomes.
• Highly intellectually curious, able to navigate ambiguity and challenge thinking constructively.
• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to balance speed, cost, risk, and innovation.
• Track record of leading transformation, including operating model evolution and capability building.

Travel: Approximately 20–30%.

You. Unlimited. Inclusion and Belonging: Committed to Welcoming, Celebrating and Thriving on Inclusion and Belonging.

Your Future: Generous annual bonus and pension schemes, Save As You Earn share options, and a car allowance.

Work/Life Balance: Flexible vacation and time off, paid holidays and paid volunteering hours, so we can give back to our communities.

Your Wellbeing: Private health and dental plans, healthcare cash plans, income protection, life assurance and much more.

Flexibility: Hybrid working model (for most professional roles).

Training: Hands‑on, team‑customised, mentorship.

Extra Perks: Discounts on gyms and fitness clubs, salary sacrifice bicycle and car schemes, and many other employee discounts.

Smith+ Nephew is an equal opportunities employer.