Head of Procurement – Food Manufacturing

Working on behalf of our client, a successful and growing food manufacturing business, Mach Recruitment are seeking an experienced Head of Procurement to lead and develop the procurement function across the business.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Supply Chain Director, you will be responsible for developing and delivering the procurement strategy, ensuring the effective sourcing and purchasing of ingredients, packaging, and site services while delivering optimal cost, quality, service, and supply performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the procurement function, establishing robust sourcing and purchasing strategies across key spend categories.
• Own the strategic sourcing and procurement of ingredients, packaging, and site services.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring agreed specifications, commercial terms, quality standards, and service levels are consistently achieved.
• Lead supplier negotiations to deliver cost savings, improved terms, innovation, and supply security.
• Identify and manage supply chain risks, developing appropriate mitigation and contingency strategies.
• Lead procurement representation on site-based projects, including NPD, capital projects, product changes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support and contribute to wider group procurement strategies and purchasing initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with Technical, Commercial, Finance, Production, NPD, and Supply Chain teams to align procurement activity with wider business objectives.
• Monitor commodity markets, supplier performance, market trends, and emerging innovations to identify commercial opportunities and potential risks.
• Provide accurate and timely price-change indicators and market intelligence to the Commercial and Finance teams.
• Analyse procurement and supplier data to identify trends, drive performance, and support strategic decision-making.
• Develop procurement processes, reporting, KPIs, and supplier performance measures to improve visibility and accountability.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve purchasing efficiency, reduce costs, and add value throughout the supply chain.