Head of Procurement

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Job title: Head of Procurement

Department: Finance

Location: Halifax or Peterborough, 2 days per week in the office plus significant national travel required.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Salary: Competitive, plus bonus

We're looking for a Head of Procurement to be part of our success story.

**Listed in the 2022 Sunday Times 100: Britain's fastest-growing private companies.
**Great career development opportunities - grow with us.

About the role

The Head of Procurement leads Activate Group's procurement activity across all Group entities and departments, including sourcing and acquiring goods and services, ensuring value, and managing supplier and network repairer relationships.

Key responsibilities

• Establish, lead and develop an engaged and high performing procurement and network management team.

• Develop and execute procurement strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Plan, direct and oversee our repair network, driving improvements in service levels and profitability.

• Implement a business partnering approach, fostering strong, consultative relationships with internal stakeholders to drive commercial outcomes.

• Adopt best-fit practices in tender execution and contract management, leading to measurable improvements in cost savings, contract delivery, and supplier performance.

• Negotiate contracts and agreements with suppliers to secure the best terms and conditions.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers, repairers and stakeholders.

• Work with suppliers, repairers and internal stakeholders to implement sustainable and innovative strategies, and to evolve the strategy as technology, markets, and business needs change.

• Monitor market trends, competitor strategies, and supplier / repairer performance to ensure a best-in-class procurement function.

• Oversee risk management and compliance within the supply chain.

• Collaborate with other departments to ensure procurement aligns with operational needs.

• Report to the CFO on procurement performance and contribute to strategic planning processes

• Ensure compliance with procurement governance and maintain transparency throughout procurement activities.

• Develop excellent working relationships with other areas of Activate Group, demonstrating a collaborative and supportive style of working

• Work with the People Team to promote and embed key people processes including absence management, engagement, performance improvement, conduct / standards, talent management and succession planning.

• Embed the Group values and purpose across the team

Skills and experience

• Proven experience as Head of Procurement or in a similar senior procurement role within the automotive and / or insurance industry (preferably including repairer network management experience)

• Experience in managing £multi-million budgets and delivering cost improvements

• Strong negotiation, contract management, and supplier relationship skills.

• In-depth knowledge of supply chain management and procurement best practices.

• Exceptional leadership and team management skills.

• Strategic thinker with a focus on continuous improvement and cost reduction.

• Strong analytical skills and ability to work with data to drive decisions.

• In depth knowledge of UK Procurement regulations and public procurement directives.

• CIPS qualification or equivalent is desirable.

• Demonstrable evidence of continuous professional development (CPD).

Benefits

• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Personal health cash plan - claim back the cost of things like dentist and optical check ups
• Enhanced maternity / paternity / adoption / shared parental pay
• Life assurance: three times basic salary
• Free breakfasts and fruit
• Birthday surprise for everybody!

What you can expect from us

At Activate Group, looking after team members is a major priority. Whether you're at our smart Halifax or Peterborough offices, one of our AAR sites or working from home, we'll make sure you have all the support you need to succeed.

From benefits that put your health and wellbeing first, to impressive rewards for our employee of the month, and little perks like free fruit and cereal, we'll go out of our way to show how much we appreciate you.

A bit about us

Named by the Sunday Times as one of the UK's 100 fastest-growing private companies, we employ more than 700 team members nationwide.

We work with some of the UK's largest fleets and insurance companies, supporting drivers that have been involved in a road incident at our contact centres in Halifax and Peterborough.

We look after every step of the repair process, repairing vehicles at our own Activate Accident Repair body shops, and through a UK-wide network of independent repair partners.

Want to know what it's like to work with us? Take a look at our purpose and values. They define who we are, and how we work with team members, customers and suppliers:

Purpose: Make someone's bad day better

Values:

• Make it happen - Be accountable. Take the initiative, work fast, and do a great job.
• Strive for better - Be bold. Challenge the norm - make small improvements often.
• Win together - Be a team-player. Win together, learn together, respect each other.