Head of Procurement

Company Description

Version 1 has celebrated 30 years in business and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver technology and transformation solutions that drive customer success. Our deep expertise enables our customers to navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape. We foster strong partnerships with global technology leaders including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems, Snowflake, ensuring that our customers are provided with the highest quality solutions and services.

We’re an award-winning employer reflecting how our employees are at the very heart of what we do:

UK & Ireland's premier AWS, Microsoft & Oracle partner

3300+ strong, €350/£300m revenue business

10+ years as a Great Place to Work in Ireland & UK

Best Workplace for Women in the UK & Ireland by GPTW

Best Workplace for Wellbeing in the UK by GPTW

We’re a core values driven company, we hire people who share our values, and we reward those who display and foster them, it’s deeply embedded within our DNA. Invest in us and we’ll invest in you!.

Job Description

We are recruiting for a newly created Head of Procurement role, to establish and lead a best-in-class procurement function from the ground up within our growing IT Services and Consulting business. Reporting to the CFO, you will set policy, establish supplier relationships, and create the procurement operating model.

This role is accountable for setting procurement strategy, delivering measurable savings, ensuring compliance and governance across all external spend, and owning the full contract lifecycle. The role acts as the primary business-facing lead for supplier governance, risk management, and executive reporting.

The successful candidate will be experienced and highly motivated to build, develop and lead the Procurement team and function.

Job Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Operating Model

Define and implement the procurement strategy aligned to business growth plans

Establish procurement policies, governance frameworks, and controls

Design and embed the procurement operating model, including category management and sourcing approach

Build the procurement roadmap, including systems, processes, and capability development

Lead, develop and performance-manage the team

Report directly to CFO and hold a seat at relevant leadership discussions

Cost Optimisation & Value Delivery

Drive and coordinate the delivery of agreed annual cost saving targets

Identify value opportunities across all major spend categories (e.g., IT and software licensing, contractors and contingent workforce,, subcontractors, facilities, professional services)

Track and report savings delivery with robust methodologies

Drive total cost of ownership (TCO) optimisation across supplier base

Procurement Governance & P2P Ownership

Own the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay process and drive compliance across business units

Enforce compliance with procurement policy across all business units

Review and manage approval thresholds, controls, and audit mechanisms

Work closely with wider Finance team to ensure alignment between procurement and financial controls

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

Lead or support strategic sourcing initiatives for high-value and critical spend categories

Develop category strategies where appropriate

Run competitive tender processes (RFPs, RFQs) to drive value and reduce risk

Support business stakeholders in supplier selection decisions

Software Vendor and Licensing Management

Liaise with the internal Software Asset Management (SAM) team to ensure delivery of software licencing cost savings and delivery of value for money.

Contract Lifecyle Management

Own and manage contracts from inception through to renewal/termination

Ensure contract compliance, visibility, and standardisation of terms

Implement contract management practices including:

SLA/KPI tracking

Performance reviews

Renewal planning and negotiation

Maintain a centralised contract repository

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

Build and manage strategic supplier relationships, where relevant, at senior level

Drive structured supplier performance reviews and governance forums

Manage supplier risk, including financial, operational, and compliance risk

Risk & Compliance Management

Own and maintain the procurement risk register

Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, and data/privacy obligations

Work with Legal, Finance, and Risk teams to mitigate supplier-related risk

Implement third-party due diligence processes

Maintain awareness of Irish and EU procurement regulations and their application to Version 1's purchasing and public sector supply obligations

Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

Develop and report procurement KPIs to CFO / COO and executive leadership

Provide insights on spend, savings, supplier performance, and risk

Act as the main point of contact for senior stakeholders on procurement matters

Support strategic decision-making through data-driven analysis

Qualifications

8–10+ years’ procurement experience, with at least 3 years managing a function or significant category independently

MCIPS qualified (or working towards), or equivalent recognised procurement qualification; IIPMM membership an advantage for the Irish market

Experience in a Technology Consulting, Professional Services, Resale or high-growth environment

Proven experience building or transforming a procurement function

Strong track record of delivering cost savings and commercial value

Experience across indirect spend categories, particularly in:

Contractors / contingent workforce

Professional services / consulting

Technology and software licensing

Deep understanding of contract negotiation and supplier management

Working knowledge of Irish and EU procurement regulations; familiarity with public sector framework procurement (e.g. OGP, G-Cloud) an advantage

Strong knowledge of procurement governance, policies, and P2P processes

Competencies / Skills

Demonstrated experience in professional services spend categories: contractors, subcontractors, facilities, IT and advisory services

Has either built a procurement function from scratch or materially restructured one

Strong leadership in developing and inspiring a high-performing team

Ability to operate at executive level and align Procurement Policy to business goals

Strong negotiation and cost management capability

Build credibility with and engage and challenge senior stakeholders

Proactively identifies and mitigates supplier risks

Comfortable producing board-level reporting on savings, risk, and supplier performance

Brings structure to ambiguity without waiting to be asked

Additional Information

At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their wellbeing, professional growth, and financial stability.

Salary Range: €90,000-€110,000

Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits

Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme

Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance

Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Version 1 Pension with a 5% employee-matched contribution, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme

Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more.

24 days holiday allowance plus Public Holidays, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies

Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat

Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & quarterly Star Awards.

Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes.

And many more exciting benefits… drop us a note to find out more.

Version 1 is an equal opportunities employer

We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences, and we value the different perspectives people bring including those shaped by disability and neurodiversity.

We want every candidate to have a positive and accessible recruitment experience. If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact the recruiter at bhumika.singh@version1.com. We will consider all requests carefully, respectfully and confidentially.

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