Head of Procurement

About the role

Edinburgh Airport welcomed a new strategic investment partnership between Global Infrastructure Partners and VINCI Airports in June 2024 with VINCI Airports acquiring a 50.01% interest in Edinburgh Airport.

The Head of Procurement is a key member of the airport's Leadership Team and will be responsible for the operational procurement strategy, contract negotiation, stakeholder relationship management, cost control and efficiency, and maintenance of effective control and policies. The Head of Procurement is also responsible for line managing three direct reports.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and working alongside other members of the Executive Committee and Leadership Team, this is a hands-on role focusing that requires an individual that is a self-starter, pro-active, driven and reliable. The role is ideally suited to someone that has experience in working for commercially focused and fast-paced companies.

The role will be part of a high-performing Finance & Procurement team, who are committed to excellence and forming trusted, supportive and collaborative relationships with wider stakeholders.

What you'll be doing

Strategic Procurement Management:

1. Develop and implement procurement strategies aligned with business objectives, values and operational needs.
2. Monitor market trends to identify cost-saving opportunities.
3. Assess supplier risks.
4. Ensure Sustainability is at the core of all procurement activities, aligning to our Greater Good Strategy.

Stakeholder Management:

1. Engage and collaborate with key internal and external stakeholders to understand their requirements and expectations.
2. Maintain open communication channels with operations, finance, legal, and other relevant departments to ensure alignment on procurement objectives.
3. Build strong partnerships to facilitate smooth procurement processes and decision-making.
4. Provide training and support to large internal requisitioner base on procurement practices.

Supplier and Contract Management:

1. Establish and maintain relationships with key suppliers and vendors to secure reliable sources of quality products and services.
2. Negotiate contracts, terms, and pricing to achieve the best value and service while minimising risks.
3. Draft, review, and manage supplier contracts, ensuring clarity, compliance, and protection of the company's interests.
4. Conduct supplier evaluations and performance reviews to maintain high standards.
5. Support and input with key procurement tenders across the business.

Compliance and Risk Management:

1. Ensure compliance with aviation and airport-specific regulations, safety standards, and procurement policies.
2. Mitigate risks related to supply chain disruptions and supplier performance.
3. Develop and enforce procurement policies and procedures to ensure ethical and transparent practices.
4. Ensure robust procedures when onboarding new suppliers.

Budget and Cost Control:

1. Work with the Finance Business Partners to ensure adherence to budget.
2. Track and analyse procurement activities and cost-saving initiatives.
3. Work closely with the Accounts Payable team to provide a robust procure to pay supplier process.
4. Approve purchase orders.
5. Review and approval of sundry payments.

Team Leadership and Development:

1. Mentor the procurement team to enhance skills and performance.
2. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration within the procurement function.
3. Proactive senior leader within the wider business (Leadership Team).

Vinci Group Purchasing:

1. Work with VINCI Group Procurement and other group airports (including London Gatwick and Belfast International) to identify joint procurement opportunities and share best practice.

What we're looking for

1. The successful candidate must be able to obtain a Counter Terrorist Check, so you must have been living in the UK for the last 3 consecutive years.
2. Strong commercial and procurement knowledge and experience.
3. Strong leadership skills and the ability to inspire trust and commitment from others.
4. Track record of delivery and challenging the status quo.
5. Strong influencing skills based on a value set of high integrity and sense of purpose to make a difference.
6. Inspirational coach and effective team player.
7. High level of strategic thinking and commercial awareness and able to translate strategy into action.
8. Ability to analyse value at stake then relentlessly focus and prioritise on the big impact opportunities that deliver P&L results.
9. Degree and/or MCIPS qualification.
10. Has extensive experience of sourcing and contract management within a broad range of categories of expenditure, e.g., maintenance, logistics, engineering, products and services, Utilities, IT/telecoms and construction.
11. Legal awareness of contract risks and experience of drafting bespoke contract terms.

Key Competencies:

1. Communication and Negotiation
2. Strategic Thinking
3. Stakeholder Engagement
4. Contract Writing and Management
5. Relationship Building
6. Risk Assessment
7. Commercially Focused
8. Financial Acumen
9. Leadership and Team Development
10. Problem Solving

If your experience looks slightly different to what we've listed here, we encourage you to still apply. You could add something we didn't know we needed.

What we'll offer you

1. Pension scheme- employer contributions can be up to 7%
2. 32 days holiday, based on full time roles, increasing with service
3. Annual discretionary bonus
4. Supporting your health and wellbeing- private healthcare after 1 years' service, access to our Employee Assistance Programme and occupational health services
5. Free car parking on site and when you go on holiday
6. We offer a range of other benefits, find out more here

Why EDI?

We are Edinburgh Airport, where Scotland meets the world. The success of the airport comes down to our people, and you can help us deliver even more big days for our passengers and colleagues. The development of your career is important to us, and we'll support and encourage this every step of the way. As a business we're driven by our values - they're at the core of our culture and everything we do. We're looking for people who will demonstrate these values day-in, day-out. So if this sounds like you, apply now and get ready for your career to take off.

Building a diverse workforce that is inclusive and accessible to all is a priority for our business. As part of this journey, we are proud to be the first UK airport to be endorsed by WORK180. They only recognise great employers for all women. Find out about our policies on our WORK180 employer page.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to ensuring applicants with a disability can participate fully in our recruitment process. Please let us know in your application form if you require any adjustments, such as parking arrangements or alternative methods of communication.