Head of Procurement

Head of Procurement

Full Time - 35 hours

London- hybrid 50%

At Just we encourage a flexible and agile working environment for the majority of our opportunities. Get in touch with us to discuss in more detail.

Who are Just?

We help people achieve a better later life. That’s our purpose and it’s the reason we exist. We are a fast-growing FTSE 250 company helping customers enjoy the retirement they deserve. We do this through a variety of market leading, award-winning products and services, delivered by a diverse team of over 1,400 purpose-led colleagues who genuinely put the customer at the heart of everything we do.

This is a brilliant time to join our business. We are on an exciting growth journey to become the UK’s most loved retirement expert.

Purpose

We are looking for a Head of Procurement to lead the central Procurement function supporting the purchasing activity of the business. Leadership includes optimising the performance and value added by the team and also promoting the Procurement ‘brand’ to ensure business stakeholders understand the value of engaging with the function.

This includes managing formal sourcing, onboarding and contract renewal processes, and assessing value for money from third party products and services and provoking action to optimise this value. The role will also lead the Category Managers to support the Third Risk Party Management team to minimise supplier-related risks and uphold regulatory standards.

Core Responsibilities

• Sourcing: Oversee the operation of formal sourcing processes and controls incorporating appropriate RFI, RFQ and RFP stages as well as risk assessment in line with SS2/21 regulatory processes
• Contracting and onboarding: Work closely with Legal to negotiate optimised commercial terms for third party contracts as well as ensuring that third party risks and performance are managed where appropriate via contract terms.
• Insight and analysis: Use spend analysis to support cost optimisation
• Optimisation of group-wide arrangements: Identify third parties for which there are multiple touch-points across the Group and optimise terms and business interactions where their opportunities to make these more efficient and cost effective.
• Team leadership: Lead and develop the Procurement team establishing clearly defined roles, responsibilities and ways for working. Establish category strategies where appropriate to optimise the impact of the team.
• Stakeholder management: Engage with a wide range of stakeholders to support their purchasing decisions, including understanding the business context for purchasing activity, and navigating a de-centralised Supplier Relationship Management governance structure to support supplier relationships managed by the business.
• Governance and risk management: Ensure Procurement practice is in line with the Group Procurement and Outsourcing Manual (“GPOM”) and the Outsourcing and Third Party Company Policy.
• Continuous improvement of the sourcing and supplier onboarding processes
• Strong business knowledge: Maintain strong business understanding including key strategic priorities and markets in which the business operates. Just Group is changing and evolving at a fast pace, so there will be need to keep abreast of the changing landscape and shape of activity
• Review of wider purchasing operating model: Ensure that the Purchase Ledger and Accounts Payable teams’ processes support the wider objective to optimise value for money in our spend through efficient processes and controls that complement the wider Procurement strategy

Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in senior Purchasing/Procurement management roles; proven experience as a Head of Procurement is highly desirable
• Demonstrated success in improving supplier and service provider performance
• Strong team management skills with a track record of leading and developing high-performing teams
• Methodical, data-driven, detail-oriented, and highly organized approach to work
• Commercially aware with excellent analytical skills and a proactive problem-solving mindset
• Comfortable making key decisions in a fast-paced, dynamic business environment
• Able to seamlessly shift between hands-on tactical work and strategic planning
• Confident communicator with the ability to engage, influence, and challenge stakeholders at all levels, including Executives
• Skilled in questioning existing processes and driving continuous improvement
• Quick learner who applies initiative effectively
• Experience working within FCA and/or PRA-regulated environments is advantageous
• Knowledge of Oracle systems is a plus, but not essential

Company Benefits

• A Competitive Salary, Pension Scheme and Life Assurance
• Along with 25 Days Annual Leave plus an Additional Day on us for your Birthday
• Private Medical Cover and Income Protection, just in case
• A generous and highly achievable bonus scheme – paid annually based on individual and company performance against targets
• Opportunity to progress within your career both in-role and within the company
• FREE access to the Headspace App, a 24/7 Employee Assistance Helpline and Trained Physical & Mental Health First Aiders (On-Site)
• A variety of Employee Funded Benefits available to you via our Online Benefits Portal
• Plus, several additional purchase options available for you and your loved ones

Why Just?

At Just you’ll have the opportunity to develop your career, whilst making a difference to the lives of those around you. You’ll be part of a company with a strong and distinctive culture - we’re ambitious, curious and collaborative – and every decision we make centres around being Just and delivering the best outcomes for our customers.

We’re committed to building a more sustainable business, and we’re working hard to make progress against our Net Zero targets. We're reducing our reliance on fossil fuels in our offices, switching to more sustainable sources of energy and we're investing more of our money in green and social assets.

Valuing diversity of thought and fostering a sense of belonging is critical to our business success, driving innovation and balanced decision making. Our work on DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) aims to deliver a brilliant employee experience underpinned by a sense of belonging, where our people feel proud to work at Just. We remain committed to our publicly disclosed HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter and Race at Work Charter targets and support a wide range of employee network and events, championing issues including intergenerational working, social mobility and neurodiversity.

Be Bold. Be Brilliant. Be Just.