Head of Buying & Strategic Procurement

Overview

Are you a strategic, commercially astute, innovative leader who is a solution-focused thinker with a passion for procurement? Do you have the expertise to lead a proactive, modern procurement team and drive value for money through robust buying and procurement practices? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Commissioning and Procurement Hub as the Head of Buying & Strategic Procurement.

Our Commissioning and Procurement Hub is now established within the Council and is responsible for shaping the marketplace, driving efficiencies, enabling innovation and developing and delivering our procurement strategy to ensure compliance with PA23 and maximise the value of the Buckinghamshire public pound. The co-location of Commissioning and Procurement expertise within the hub has embedded a centre of excellence, operating as a Community of Practice, to maximise our collective resource and realise commercial opportunities.  

This is a unique opportunity for the right individual to lead a modern procurement function within an established and stable Local Authority. Buckinghamshire Council was formed as a single unitary in 2020, serving a population of over 550,000 residents and with a gross budget of over £1.2 billion.

Salary: Up to 85,000 per annum.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a modern, ambitious unitary authority, bringing together the strengths, expertise and local knowledge of the county’s former five councils to create positive change for residents, communities and businesses. Since becoming a single council, we have focused on delivering better services, stronger local representation and improved outcomes for the people of Buckinghamshire.

As a well-established authority that successfully completed Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) several years ago, we offer the stability, clarity and long-term strategic focus that many councils are currently working towards. This strong foundation enables us to concentrate on the future—driving innovation, delivering high-quality services and making a real difference to our communities—while providing a supportive and forward-thinking environment for our employees.

With a clear vision for Buckinghamshire’s future, we are committed to serving residents better, championing the county’s interests both locally and nationally, and creating opportunities for our people, partners and communities to thrive.

About the role

As the Head of Buying & Strategic Procurement, you will be responsible for developing and leading the council’s strategic procurement service. You will shape our commercial strategy across a broad range of categories and services, ensuring that buying and procurement practices maximise value for money and grasp opportunities to improve these.

Leading a team of up to fifteen staff, including three direct reports, you’ll be providing specialist professional advice within a local authority environment, working with external providers and ensuring we are compliant as an organisation. Your role will involve ensuring effective use of the council’s third-party expenditure, identifying and achieving savings, and delivering excellent value for money through innovative buying and procurement practices.

Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Shaping our commercial strategy across a diverse range of categories and services, negotiating contracts and agreements with suppliers to achieve cost savings and improving quality
• Managing supplier relationships, monitoring vendor performance, shaping the marketplace, championing innovation and driving improvement.
• Embedding best practice in contract management, governance and commercial assurance to manage and mitigate risk and capitalise on opportunities.
• Developing and implementing procurement strategies, policies, procedures, and best practices; that drive efficiency and maximise value for money through the way the Council buys and procures goods and services.
• Leading and supporting the Strategic Procurement team, providing guidance and training to ensure efficient and compliant processes through the team and the wider Community of Practice.
• Monitoring market trends to identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.
• Building strategic relationships as well as providing advice and support to Councillors, Corporate Directors, Service Directors, and senior management teams within the council
• Creating a culture focused on continuous improvement, commercial excellence and customer service

Any-Desk:
As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will be a dynamic and driven individual joining the service at a critical and exciting period.  We are seeking an experienced procurement and buying leader who combines commercial expertise with strategic vision, exceptional knowledge of procurement legislation and the ability to lead a team to deliver for a large organisation.

You will have:

• Significant senior leadership experience within procurement, buying, commercial management or strategic sourcing; preferably within local government.
• A track record of leading high-performing procurement and buying teams.
• Expert knowledge of procurement best practices and public procurement regulations including PA23.
• Experience of delivering complex, high-value procurements and commercial negotiations
• The credibility to influence senior stakeholders and challenge constructively
• Experience of driving innovation, digitalisation and continuous improvement
• Proven leadership ability with experience in developing a multi-disciplinary team.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical abilities and a deep understanding of the commercial and contractual elements of commissioning goods, works, and services.
• Exceptional collaboration skills to engage with Buckinghamshire colleagues to deliver quality outcomes for our clients, providing high value multi-discipline solutions.

As we look to expand our service offering and drive continuous improvement, you will have an opportunity to contribute and shape our future.

Other information

For more information on the role please reach out to Matthew Everitt at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on Tuesday 28th July 2026. 

Interviews: TBC

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:
• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/