Head of Procurement

Location: Manor Royal Crawley, United Kingdom

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across five major industries; Aerospace, Defence, Ground Transportation, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

**About the role**:
In this role you will have responsibility for managing Thales' Systems and Equipment Procurement in the UK, managing a team of 11 Category Managers and Buyers.

You will be responsible for the end to end performance of the acquisition process and ensuring collaborative implementation of agreed category strategies that you oversee in the Region with a focus on continuous improvement of relevant categories.

Accountability for supplier selection and relationship management via the Category Manager, as well as strategic supplier performance including quality, cost, delivery, contractual performance and innovation for all business units in the region.

This role will also be responsible for motivating and leading the team and ensuring collective and individual efficiency, forming and enhancing team dynamic to meet the challenges in front of the business. The role is Regionally based but will represent relevant categories on behalf of the Segment Director and as such requires an excellent view of the organization as well as a strong ability to interact with many stakeholders while ensuring the implementation of agreed Global category strategies.

**Technical Skills**:

- Excellent track record in category management with a very good knowledge of the Regional market for categories under their control. Understanding of global markets.
- Has ability to lead the categories and manage suppliers.
- Good knowledge of the best practice acquisition Process.
- Ability to understand project / program business and customer needs and where the supply base can be leveraged to add strategic value
- Working knowledge of financial tools and techniques.
- Proven understanding of economic models for the categories under management so that increased value can be added to Thales and the supply base.
- Proven ability to challenge and develop innovative supply chain / procurement solutions that add value to the business.
- Experience in risk and opportunity management.
- Very strong contractual experience in highly complex procurements (esp. framework agreements & subcontracts) and complex negotiation experience including import / export considerations.

**Work Experience Requirements**:

- Experience in Procurement including experience of interactions with senior management.
- Experience in working in cross functional teams in a Procurement Bids and/or Project role.
- Experience in delivery of complex supplier solutions and SRM (Supplier relationship Management)
- Experience in Product Policy management.
- Experience in people management.

**Education Requirements**:

- Professional qualification (CIPS, EIPM, ISM etc.) are essential.
- International business, Procurement, Supply Chain or Engineering degrees are desirable coupled with other professional qualifications (e.g.)
- Project Management & strong team management in an international organisation.

**What We Can Offer**

We’re committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry. We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.

**Location and mobility**

We have scope to have this role based from a number of Thales key locations, including Belfast, Glasgow Crawley, Reading, Temple Combe or Cheadle Heath. You should expect to undertake regular UK business travel, including travel to Customer sites as part of this role.

**Flexible working**

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times.