Head of Procurement

Role overview

This position sits within Barts Health NHS Trust in Ilford, England. The post holder will help the organisation and their team deliver the Trust’s day-to-day values: being kind, showing respect, and working collaboratively with local communities.

What this role will do

The Head of Procurement will play a key part in rolling out and delivering the Trust’s procurement strategy across the organisation. This includes taking ownership of strategic and operational procurement for defined spending categories and delivering a portfolio of high-value and/or strategically important contracts.

The role will also support the Chief Procurement Officer, including stepping in when needed, to strengthen the connection between business units, corporate support teams, and procurement. The aim is to improve working practices, encourage innovation in procurement, and ensure contract compliance while driving savings and cost avoidance.

Through sourcing activity, the post holder will deliver elements of the strategic procurement plan and contribute to regional and national procurement hub workstreams. This will involve meeting annual savings targets, complying with all applicable legislation, identifying opportunities for further review, and creating additional value for the Trust.

The successful candidate will work independently to maintain and progress NHS Procurement & Commercial Standards accreditation by leading a major area of strategic delivery.

They will also lead complex, strategic, and high-value procurement exercises, manage spend categories to ensure resources are used effectively, and hold responsibility for business-as-usual delivery within the Procurement Shared Service.

In addition, the role carries accountability for assigned strategic areas under the Continuous Commercial Assessment Framework, as well as responsibility for recruitment, retention, and workforce development to support sustainable service delivery.

The Head of Procurement will manage and develop staff within the Procurement Department, making sure individual development plans are aligned to training needs analysis and professional requirements.

A major part of the role is using strong persuasion and influencing skills to work with stakeholders at all levels across the organisation and secure engagement in procurement activity.

What the Trust is looking for

The ideal candidate will bring excellent communication, negotiation, and analytical ability, along with the confidence to influence senior stakeholders. They should demonstrate strong commercial judgement, a proactive approach to solving problems, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a busy and changing environment.

They must also be committed to collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, and work in a way that reflects the Trust’s WeCare values.

About Barts Health NHS Trust

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK and one of the country’s leading healthcare providers. The organisation is continuing its improvement journey and is focused on becoming an outstanding provider with a world-class clinical reputation.

Having moved out of special measures, the Trust is now building on that progress to improve services for patients. Its vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals recognised for excellence and innovation, while delivering safe, compassionate care to patients in east London and beyond.

The Trust aims to provide excellent patient safety and consistently high standards of harm-free care, while ensuring patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. It also aims to be an excellent place to work, where the WeCare values and behaviours are visible in everyday practice and support teamwork across the organisation.

Barts Health is committed to inclusion and creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong. The organisation values diversity and actively supports an inclusive working environment.

The Trust especially welcomes applications from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, as they are underrepresented at this band within Barts Health.

Contact for informal enquiries

For further details or an informal discussion, contact Daniel Montague, Chief of Procurement, at daniel.montague@nhs.net.