Head of Procurement - Technology
3 days ago
Cheshire West And Chester
Head of Procurement – IT & Technology Industry: Utilities (Water / Energy Infrastructure) Location: Cheshire Permanent | Full Time (37 hours) Onsite with flexibility (approx. 3 days office-based) Salary: Up to £100,000 + £5000 car allowance + 20% bonus + excellent benefits Overview A leading UK utilities organisation is seeking an experienced Head of Procurement – Technology to lead the strategic sourcing and commercial management of IT, software and technology services. This senior role plays a critical part in enabling one of the organisation’s largest and most complex technology transformation programmes the full replacement of a billing system, covering technology, software and infrastructure. You will be responsible for managing the commercial and procurement strategy that underpins this end-to-end transformation. Working closely with Technology, Finance and senior business leaders, you will act as a trusted commercial partner while driving value, resilience, compliance and innovation across a high-value technology portfolio. Key Responsibilities • Lead the end-to-end procurement and commercial strategy for Technology, including software, infrastructure and services., • Own the commercial and supplier strategy for the complete transformation of the legacy billing system, one of the organisation’s largest technology programmes., • Manage high-value, business-critical spend (c. £80m+ annual influence; £150m+ category value)., • Develop and implement market, sourcing and supplier collaboration strategies aligned to long-term business objectives., • Act as a senior business partner to Technology leadership, influencing strategy and investment decisions., • Deliver multi-million-pound savings and defined commercial benefits, agreed with Finance and embedded into budgets., • Oversee supplier performance, risk, compliance and innovation across strategic technology partners., • Lead annual category planning and contribute to wider business planning cycles., • Drive ongoing market intelligence, benchmarking and trend analysis, bringing insight and innovation into the organisation., • Ensure compliance with Procurement Policy, governance frameworks and best practice while enabling agile ways of working., • Lead, coach and develop a team of commercial professionals, supporting capability building and succession planning., • Be recognised internally and externally as a subject-matter expert in technology procurement within utilities. Skills & Experience • Extensive experience in senior IT / Technology procurement roles within large, complex organisations., • Proven experience supporting major technology transformation programmes, ideally involving core systems replacement (e.g. billing, ERP, CRM)., • Strong background in managing high-value, business-critical spend categories and strategic suppliers., • Advanced senior stakeholder management and influencing capability., • Demonstrable people leadership and team development experience., • Strong commercial negotiation, dispute resolution and problem-solving skills., • Politically astute with the ability to operate effectively in complex governance environments., • Experience working cross-functionally across Technology, Finance and Operations., • Solid understanding of IT governance, enterprise architecture and technology strategy., • Knowledge of IT delivery methodologies (Agile, DevOps) and IT service management., • Experience with vendor evaluation, selection and ongoing supplier management., • Good understanding of technology regulations, data protection and compliance requirements., • Utilities sector experience highly desirable. Essential: • Degree educated, • Relevant professional or postgraduate qualification (e.g. CIPS, RICS, MBA, MSc) Desirable: • Experience of technology procurement within the Utilities or Energy sector, • Knowledge of OT environments and their impact on Technology estates, • Exposure to billing platforms, network management, geospatial or satellite technologies Benefits • Salary up to £100,000, • Car cash allowance (£5,000), • Annual bonus opportunity (20%), • 26 days annual leave + bank holidays (rising to 30 days with service), • Generous pension (up to 14% employer contribution) and life assurance, • Private healthcare and wellbeing support, • Flexible benefits platform, gym discounts, EV scheme and share plans, • Enhanced parental leave and strong wellbeing / mental health support Why Apply? This is a rare opportunity to shape technology procurement at scale and play a pivotal role in a once-in-a-generation billing system transformation within critical national infrastructure. You’ll have senior-level visibility, real influence and the chance to leave a lasting legacy. For more information please email: