Head of Procurement

Location:

- Haywards Heath or Manchester
- Salary:

- up to £110,000 depending on experience
- Department:

- Transformation

We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too

Are you a strategic procurement leader ready to make a real impact? At **1st Central,** we’re looking for a passionate **Head of Procurement** to steer our Procurement Team. You’ll work alongside senior leaders to deliver against our business plan and shape our long-term strategies in line with company objectives.

In this high-impact role, you'll be responsible for the design and implementation of procurement activities that offer strategic direction, deliver value for money, and elevate procurement to a truly strategic business function. You'll drive a best-in-class approach to procurement, outsourcing, across the 1st Central Group, ensuring compliance with our Group Risk Framework and championing robust savings, risk management, and regulatory practices.

If you're passionate about developing and leading high-performing teams, transforming procurement capability, and building strong business partnerships—this could be your next big move.

**Must-have skills to be successful in this role**:

- ** Strategic Leadership & Transformation Delivery -**You'll bring experience in leading end-to-end procurement strategy and transformation programs that align with business objectives, delivering long-term value and operational excellence.
- ** Advanced Stakeholder Management & Influencing Skills -**You're confident building strong relationships and influencing senior stakeholders across complex, regulated environments to position procurement as a strategic business partner.
- ** Category Management & Commercial Expertise -**You'll use your expertise in category strategy, indirect procurement, and outsourcing to drive commercial outcomes through effective supplier management and contract negotiation.
- ** People Leadership & Team Development -**You're a natural leader who will inspire, mentor, and develop a high-performing, inclusive team, while fostering a collaborative and supportive culture.

We're big on working flexibly - you'll spend most of your time working from home, with 1 day per week in the office at either **Haywards Heath, West Sussex or Salford Quays, Manchester** (depending on which is closer to where you live) - because collaborating with colleagues is always great, right? But of course, it’s your choice - if you prefer to be in the office more - that's good with us too.

**What’s involved**:
**Procurement Strategy & Framework**
- Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing management of a strategic procurement and outsourcing framework, including supplier selection, commercial negotiation, contract execution, and cost savings.
- Drive the Procurement and Outsourcing Strategy, aligning with corporate goals and regularly reporting progress to the FCG Executive.
- Develop category strategies in partnership with relevant stakeholders to ensure business needs are met and market opportunities leveraged.

**Leadership & Culture**
- Lead, coach, and inspire a procurement team to become high-performing through change, providing clear direction and supporting development and wellbeing.
- Promote a culture of trust, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement aligned to the First Central Way
- Head a team of Procurement business partners & Procurement professionals to ensure consistent, high-quality support across the business.
- Provide effective business management by planning and managing budgets and evaluating performance.

**Supplier & Risk Management**
- Oversee robust risk management, regulatory compliance, and ethical sourcing practices.
- Champion procurement integrity, sustainability, and ESG/DEIB commitments, working closely with the ESG Strategy Manager and Third Party Risk Management team to meet Scope 3 requirements and maintain supplier accreditation and performance.
- Review and manage Outsourcing, Procurement, and Supplier Management policies and ensure the business is well-versed in these requirements.

**Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnership**
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers, ensuring SLA adherence and supplier performance.
- Work cross-functionally with all business pillars and Finance to align procurement strategies with the corporate strategy, streamline purchasing, and improve data and reporting.
- Develop effective communication mechanisms to ensure stakeholders are engaged and informed, building a strong network of support.

**Governance & Reporting**
- Provide control and oversight of pro