Corporate Procurement Director

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Job Description

Location can be Birmingham or London

Base salary: £91,000pa to c.£122,026pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

This role is responsible for the successful delivery of all corporate and indirect procurement, contract management and the management of commercial policies, processes & reporting. In addition, the role provides visible and effective leadership across the procurement function, fostering talent development and a collaborative, high-performance culture. By building strong relationships with internal stakeholders and the supply chain, the Delivery Procurement Director will drive exceptional supplier performance and support the successful delivery and long-term legacy of HS2.

About the Role

• To be accountable for leading HS2 Ltd.'s corporate procurement team and external resources engaged in response to the business remit and programme needs;
• To be accountable for developing and implementing procurement and commercial strategies and category management to ensure that HS2 Ltd.'s contracts deliver value for money for the taxpayer and meeting the objectives of HS2 stakeholders;
• To be accountable for leading the corporate and indirect procurement team, ensuring compliance with corporate policies and processes are consistent and robust;
• To be responsible for leading the procurement of frameworks and major contracts above for professional services or other corporate requirements, being procured under the Procurement Act 2023 or through existing government frameworks;
• To be responsible for facilitating the development of HS2 Ltd.'s relationship with existing and potential suppliers as well as with central government and other relevant stakeholder groups, including Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce, and Local Authorities;
• To be responsible once contracts are awarded for leading the team which provides contract management in a category management structure which provides oversight for all corporate contracts and ensuring that HS2 Ltd discharges its client duties as the Employer;
• To be accountable for approving documentation relating to tenders and ensuring a robust audit trail is put in place for all procurement procedures;
• To be responsible for ensuring that HS2 Ltd complies with statutory requirements and relevant government policies, demonstrating that its procurements are fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory, and be responsible for delivering value for money and ensuring that contracts are awarded to companies with the most advantageous offering to HS2 Ltd;
• To be accountable for delivering assurance and compliance of procurement and commercial policies, processes and standards to ensure a consistent and robust approach is applied across all development and delivery teams;
• To be accountable for creating a world class procurement function within HS2 that is recognised as such by suppliers and other organisations;
• To be responsible for overseeing the procurement and contract authorities in accordance with delegated authorities;
• To be responsible for leading the team ensuring they are consistently implementing constantly developing the HS2 Integrated Management System (IMS);
• To be responsible for embedding a safety culture and associated behaviours, and ensuring that Health & Safety requirements are included in contracts and the team ensure this is a priority in all the procurements they undertake;
• To be responsible for taking all reasonable steps to take care of your own and others' health and including those who may be affected in the day-to-day delivery of this role by taking personal responsibility for working to the HS2 Safe at Heart programme principles; and
• To be responsible for overseeing the delivery of EDI strategy, across HS2 Ltd and its supply chain.
• Actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About You

Skills:

• Demonstrates strong commercial acumen and advanced negotiation skills to secure optimal value, manage risk, and deliver sustainable outcomes across complex procurement portfolios.
• Has a proven ability to procure complex and high-value works, goods, and services, selecting and applying appropriate procurement routes in line with regulatory thresholds, risk profiles, and market conditions.
• Possesses expert knowledge of central government procurement policies and regulations, ensuring full compliance while driving effective, efficient, and commercially sound procurement delivery.
• Skilled and experienced in influencing a wide range of senior internal and external stakeholders, including government departments, to align objectives and drive impactful results.
• Experience in leading and developing high-performing team that consistently deliver customer-focused solutions and measurable outcomes.
• Strong strategic thinker with clear, effective communication and confident leadership in complex and challenging environments.
• Advanced negotiation skills in contract terms, relationship management, and dispute resolution, ensuring equitable outcomes while safeguarding the programmes interests and fostering productive partnerships.

Type of experience:

• Experience of procurement, deployment and use of procurement IT systems;
• Experience of managing a complex stakeholder group with often competing objectives;
• Experience of general corporate procurement, contract management, supply chain & supplier relationship management and developing policy & process;
• Experience of operating within a commercial environment within an organisation, undertaking high value, high volume and high-profile procurements;
• Experience leading commercial negotiations;
• Experience leading significant sized teams and senior procurement staff who have been undertaking procurement of works and services;
• Experience leading procurement from planning to delivery stage within major projects in the UK such as infrastructure, rail, airports, highways, etc.; and
• Experience of operating within Procurement at a strategic level and has the ability to lead high value major projects.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time-bound visas that we cannot accept. Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK's new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain's major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our 'Safe at Heart' programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.