Director of Procurement in London

As Procurement Sourcing Senior Director, you will have end-to-end responsibility for global sourcing strategy across a large and complex portfolio within the Professional Services and Human Resources categories—including recruitment, benefits, contract labour, payroll services, consulting, insurance, and relevant advisory services. You will set long-term category strategies aligned with organisational priorities, regulatory requirements, and shifting market conditions. Acting as the senior commercial authority for these categories, you will shape sourcing decisions that impact financial performance, risk profile, and operational resilience. This role is focused entirely on category leadership and commercial strategy. You will lead supplier portfolio strategy, negotiation frameworks, governance structures, and value delivery across all regions, working closely with senior stakeholders in HR, Finance, Risk, Legal, and other functions.

Core Responsibilities

• Global Category Strategy & Commercial Leadership: Own the global sourcing strategy for HR and Professional Services categories. Develop forward-looking roadmaps based on market intelligence, regulatory changes, enterprise demand, and strategic priorities. Lead major negotiations, contract structuring, and supplier selection to optimise overall value and minimise risk.
• Supplier Portfolio Governance & Risk Management: Build and manage a global supplier ecosystem that balances scale, specialisation, operational resilience, and compliance. Define governance frameworks, KPIs, executive-level supplier reviews, and risk mitigation structures to protect service quality, cost discipline, and contractual integrity.
• Enterprise Stakeholder Partnership: Serve as the senior commercial partner to leaders across HR, Finance, Legal, Risk, and other functions. Align category strategy with organisational objectives, influence decisions, and manage complex trade-offs across regions and business units. Establish credibility in high-stakes commercial discussions.
• Value Creation & Demand Optimisation: Deliver measurable value through cost optimisation, supplier performance improvements, contract harmonisation, and structured demand management. Identify opportunities for innovation and improved service delivery across the supplier landscape.
• Market Intelligence & Category Innovation: Maintain deep knowledge of global market trends, supplier developments, regulatory shifts, and new delivery models across the HR and Professional Services ecosystem. Use insights to refine long-term category strategy and strengthen competitive positioning.

YOU’RE GOOD AT

• Setting organisation-wide category strategies and turning them into actionable sourcing plans across complex service portfolios.
• Leading high-value, complex negotiations across HR and Professional Services categories with a focus on commercial value, risk management, and long-term resilience.
• Providing senior-level leadership to cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, highly matrixed global environment.
• Influencing senior stakeholders and gaining alignment across multiple regions and business units, often without formal authority.
• Applying strong commercial judgement, using data and market insights to make balanced strategic trade-offs.
• Designing and overseeing supplier governance structures that ensure transparency, compliance, and effective risk management.
• Operating with executive presence and representing Procurement convincingly in senior-level discussions.

YOU BRING (EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS)

• Bachelor’s degree in a business-related or analytical field (e.g., Marketing, Economics, Accounting, Supply Chain). Advanced degrees (MBA, JD) or equivalent strategic sourcing experience are a plus.
• 16+ years of experience developing and delivering sourcing strategies across multiple categories within a complex, global organisation.
• Strong negotiation skills and commercial acumen.
• Exceptional communication skills with executive presence.
• Strong relationship-building abilities and experience influencing senior leaders in high-stakes scenarios.
• Pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach and a high degree of professionalism.
• Structured thinking with the ability to turn concepts into clear proposals or business cases.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining strategic focus.
• Experience in both strategic and operational procurement initiatives.
• Exposure to supplier relationship management (SRM) programmes and supplier risk mitigation.