Head of Procurement & Contract Management

The Organisation: The Oil and Pipelines Agency are a statutory public corporation, sponsored by the Secretary of State for Defence, formed in 1985 by virtue of the Oil and Pipelines Act 1985. Our department sponsor is a member of the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The Role: We are looking to appoint a Head of Procurement & Contract Management, to be responsible for overseeing and managing all commercial aspects of our supply chain and procurement, to support OPA’s operations, managing and leading both the Procurement and QS Teams as one Commercial function. Through the strategic development and implementation of comprehensive procurement and global supply chain strategies, this role enhances organisational efficiency, drives cost savings, and mitigates risks. By executing efficient procurement policies and practices, it ensures that contracts for goods and services are in place on time, offering the necessary flexibility to meet business needs, while strictly complying with public procurement regulations. This newly created role provides a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to continue to develop and improve the Procurement & Contract function, to meet our organisational needs, and add a great deal of value at a high level, for our organically growing business. As regular travel with some overnight stays will be a feature of this role, candidates will need to have a full (preferably clean) driving licence.

Responsibilities:

• Developing and executing the company’s procurement and global supply chain strategy. This involves identifying opportunities, to maximise value and deliver goods and services to meet the business and our customers’ needs.
• Implement and oversee forecasting plan of procurement requirements, and scheduling of those business needs to ensure supply contracts are timely placed to meet delivery requisites.
• Proactively manage global supply chain disruptions/risks and adapt sourcing strategies to market trends.
• Overall management of the Procurement & QS functions. This includes developing plans, setting targets and objectives, monitoring performance, and implementing effective commercial strategies.
• Improve systems and workflows to demonstrate lean, efficient, proportionate procurement processes, which demonstrates both commercial best practice and compliance with the public procurement regulations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with global and local suppliers, negotiating favourable terms and ensuring performance through regular evaluations and audits.
• Oversee OPA’s 3rd party supply chain delivering the safe, efficient and value for money without detriment to specifications and deliverables of goods and services.
• Implement and oversee an assurance audit plan for contractors within the supply chain, identifying and managing risks, in line with the OPA’s risk appetite, and driving improvement in delivery.
• Prepare and manage the procurement and supply chain budget, providing regular performance reports on major spends against critical or complex contracts.
• Oversee pricing and supply strategies, ensuring optimal pricing for goods or services to maximise our financial resources, without detriment to specifications and deliverables of goods and services.

The Candidate: The ideal candidate will hold relevant professional qualifications, and have 5-10 years of experience in supply chain management, with a proven track record of managing complex supply chain operations and driving cost-saving initiatives. You’ll need to demonstrate the ability to work independently, and as an effective team leader with strong leadership and team-building abilities, possess strong negotiation and supplier management skills, and exhibit excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities. Proficiency in supply chain software and ERP systems is essential, along with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to think strategically with a hands-on approach. Experience of working in an environment subject to external regulations, preferably in oil and gas or other high hazardous industry, with CPIM, CSCP and CILT accreditations are advantageous.

Knowledge/Skills:

Required Skills:

• Strong capability to think strategically and align commercial functions with business objectives.
• Ability to lead strategic commercial initiatives and influence organisational change.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in using data to drive decisions and evaluate effectiveness.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Expertise in supporting organisations through transitions and changes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement successful commercial and business strategies.
• Excellent financial/commercial understanding.
• Detailed knowledge (gained through experience) of the end-to-end commercial lifecycle, specifically:

• Category planning
• Pipeline management
• Sourcing / Procurement
• Contract Negotiation
• Contract management (Public Sector Contract)
• Contract management (NEC)
• Analysis of commercial data and intelligence gathering

Desirable Skills:

• Knowledge of supplier relationship management and procurement and commercial value drivers.
• Knowledge of Delta Source to Contract (S2C) system (or equivalent)
• Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics Purchase to Pay (P2P) system (or equivalent)