Head of Procurement

Job Introduction

Job Description for Head of Procurement:

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At NNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career. 

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at NNL, anything is possible.

The Head of Procurement will operate at a strategic level, engaging senior business representatives to set strategy and lead a team of circa 20 procurement professionals to provide effective commercial advice, procurement delivery and contract management oversight. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain a strong understanding of all commercial and procurement activity taking place within the business areas and be able to advise and provide guidance on matters including customer and CAPEX projects and service arrangements across a diverse supplier base. As part of the Professional Services Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Head of Procurement will also be heavily involved in setting the strategy of the department and will take an active role in delivering continuous improvement and functional new ways of working.

The location for this role is flexible and can be based at Risley, Preston or Workington.

Main Responsibilities for Head of Procurement:

• The successful candidate will be expected to:
  • Develop and implement appropriate plans and strategies in support of business objectives.
  • Develop highly effective relationships with senior business unit stakeholders and negotiate and influence stakeholders to achieve best commercial outcomes.
  • Lead a Procurement function to be pro-active, outward-facing and viewed by stakeholders as an essential partner in decision-making. Increase the procurement / commercial capability and business acumen across the business, ensuring a relentless focus on achieving value for money.
  • Ensure procurement and contract management activities are undertaken in line with prevailing policies and all necessary regulatory requirements
  • Enable the effective and efficient delivery of procurement activities. Play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong Procurement function.
  • Provide hands-on targeted procurement or contract management support where required and oversee contractual dispute handling.
  • Work as a contributing member of the Professional Services SLT, helping to drive the direction and agenda of the function as a whole.
  • Provide outstanding leadership to Procurement staff, enabling effective delivery and supporting professional and personal development. Contribute to creating a great place to work, championing diversity and inclusive ways of working.

Essential Criteria  for Head of Procurement:

• Decisive: Able to evaluate complex commercial challenges and reach appropriate decisions in short timeframes based on evidence and prevailing procurement policy.
• Builds Relationships: Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to build relationships with senior stakeholders, engage, and challenge them to achieve best commercial outcomes.
• Coaching Manager: Significant experience of successfully leading others to deliver objectives in an ambiguous and changing environment.
• Strategy and Policy Development: Demonstrable experience in shaping and implementing commercial / procurement strategy and policy Contract and Supply Management: Proven ability to effectively ensure suppliers deliver the best quality services and support in complicated and regulated environments.
• Qualification: If not already MCIPS qualified, a willingness to work towards securing it, with additional commitment to securing Chartered status.
• Ability to obtain SC level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial and criminal record checks plus 5 years’ worth of UK residency).

Desirable Criteria  for Head of Procurement:

• Educated to degree level.
• CIPS qualified (or working towards).

Why join us?

NNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.

We also offer a range of employee benefits:

• Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.
• NNL offers attractive pension plans. If you contribute 5%, NNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), NNL will still contribute 10%.
• Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
• Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK
• Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
• Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
• Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
• Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly.
• Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
• Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance. 
• Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply).

About The Company

NNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole.

This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

National Nuclear Laboratory