Executive, Managerial | Ref: 300904
Head of Procurement
Salary crica £85,000 to £90,000
Full time | Permanent | Closing date 14/09/2026
Are you an experienced procurement leader looking to shape the future of public services and infrastructure across Tyne and Wear?
We are seeking an exceptional Head of Procurement to lead the development and delivery of Nexus’ procurement. Responsible for approximately £150m of annual procurement activity, you will drive commercial excellence, innovation, value for money and governance across the organisation.
Working closely with senior leaders and key stakeholders, you will lead procurement transformation, embed the requirements of the Procurement Action 2023, strengthen commercial capability and ensure procurement delivers sustainable, customer-focused outcomes.
You will champion social value, sustainability and responsible sourcing while building strategic relationships with suppliers, industry partners and procurement networks.
Typical Day
You must lead by example and ensure your team consistently upholds our company values. You’ll foster a culture of respect, accountability, and collaboration by guiding daily operations with integrity, supporting team development, and recognising behaviours that reflect our principles.
Our Team
You will join a dedicated professional procurement team supporting a diverse range of procurements across Nexus. The team are embedding a Category Management strategy, and you will lead the team to develop robust Category Strategies and build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business to ensure that procurement activity is both compliant and delivers positive outcomes for Nexus.
About Us
We care for our communities, deliver with trust and accountability, and adapt with innovation. Every journey is designed to be sustainable, inclusive, and customer-focused because when we move forward together, we create a cleaner environment, a stronger economy, and a better future for all.
What we offer
Our selection process includes a structured interview. Interviews will take place week commencing 28 September 2026.
If you believe this is the role for you, please upload your CV and a covering letter explaining how you meet the essential criteria that are found in the Person Specification before 9am on Monday 14 September 2026.
Please note: All communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered online with North East Jobs, this will include your invitation to any online assessment you are required to undertake and also your invite to interview if you are short-listed. Please ensure you check your email inbox after the closing date for notifications from North East Jobs as you will not be notified by any other means. Please also remember to check your junk email items as the notification may appear here.
We are seeking an exceptional Head of Procurement to lead the development and delivery of Nexus’ procurement. Responsible for approximately £150m of annual procurement activity, you will drive commercial excellence, innovation, value for money and governance across the organisation.
Working closely with senior leaders and key stakeholders, you will lead procurement transformation, embed the requirements of the Procurement Action 2023, strengthen commercial capability and ensure procurement delivers sustainable, customer-focused outcomes.
You will champion social value, sustainability and responsible sourcing while building strategic relationships with suppliers, industry partners and procurement networks.
Typical Day
- Check progress against procurement savings targets and strategic objectives.
- Review any commercial, contractual, or supplier risks requiring escalation.
- Meet with senior leaders to discuss upcoming projects, procurement requirements, and corporate priorities.
- Provide commercial and procurement advice on business cases, investment decisions, and major programmes.
- Oversee major procurement exercises across goods, services, and works.
- Ensure compliance with the Procurement Act 2023, public sector procurement regulations, Nexus policies, and standing orders.
- Meet with strategic suppliers to discuss performance, innovation opportunities, sustainability objectives, and future requirements.
- Lead or support negotiations on pricing, contract terms, service levels, and risk allocation.
- Review workloads, development needs, procurement projects, and professional training requirements.
- Review contract terms and conditions alongside Legal colleagues.
- Approve procurement recommendations, governance papers, and award reports.
- Review procurement processes to drive efficiency, value for money, and compliance.
- Review progress against the procurement and contracting strategy.
- Plan future procurements and category strategies.
- Have a relevant professional qualification at Level 5 (e.g. CIPS or APM).
- Extensive public sector procurement experience, with a detailed knowledge of PA23 and public procurement governance and regulation.
- Significant experience developing and implementing procurement strategies that align with corporate priorities and robust category management and strategic sourcing strategies.
- Strong Commercial acumen with a proven track record of realising cost reduction and savings targets without compromising delivery and grant recovery.
- Experience of leading procurement change programmes and embedding best practice across an organisation.
- Experience of providing strategic procurement and commercial advice to senior leaders.
- Exceptional stakeholder management, influencing, and communication skills gaining buy-in and building customer focused and constructive partnerships across the organisation.
- Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, creating customer ethos, continuous improvement and commercial excellence.
- Managing the production of data and analysis, and reports, to inform decisions and evidence action plans.
You must lead by example and ensure your team consistently upholds our company values. You’ll foster a culture of respect, accountability, and collaboration by guiding daily operations with integrity, supporting team development, and recognising behaviours that reflect our principles.
Our Team
You will join a dedicated professional procurement team supporting a diverse range of procurements across Nexus. The team are embedding a Category Management strategy, and you will lead the team to develop robust Category Strategies and build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business to ensure that procurement activity is both compliant and delivers positive outcomes for Nexus.
About Us
We care for our communities, deliver with trust and accountability, and adapt with innovation. Every journey is designed to be sustainable, inclusive, and customer-focused because when we move forward together, we create a cleaner environment, a stronger economy, and a better future for all.
What we offer
- This is a Monday to Friday job
- You’ll work a 36-hour week
- You’ll be part of a generous pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme)
- 28 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays and time off for volunteering too
- Enjoy travelling for free in Tyne and Wear with our enhanced travel benefits for you and your family
- Free or discounted travel with Grand Central, LNER, Lumo, Northern Rail and TransPennine Express
- You will have the opportunity to contribute to a health cash plan that will contribute (and dependants if you have them) towards dental costs, optical, and lots more
- Access to our reward app with over 1000 plus high street discounts on groceries, holidays and days out
- We like to grow our own colleagues (not literally of course!), so when you’re ready for the next step in your career, we can help develop you
Our selection process includes a structured interview. Interviews will take place week commencing 28 September 2026.
If you believe this is the role for you, please upload your CV and a covering letter explaining how you meet the essential criteria that are found in the Person Specification before 9am on Monday 14 September 2026.
Please note: All communication regarding your application for this post will be sent to the email address that you have registered online with North East Jobs, this will include your invitation to any online assessment you are required to undertake and also your invite to interview if you are short-listed. Please ensure you check your email inbox after the closing date for notifications from North East Jobs as you will not be notified by any other means. Please also remember to check your junk email items as the notification may appear here.
Accessibility and support
Nexus is committed to having a diverse and inclusive culture and will put the diversity and inclusion of all our customers and colleagues at the top of its corporate agenda.
By working together and attracting, developing and retaining a diverse mix of employees, we believe we can create a more diverse and inclusive environment, which attracts candidates from all backgrounds and achieves our objective of promoting and celebrating diversity.
- We support and promote Women In Transport
- We have achieved a Gold Award for the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme
- We have achieved the Better Health at Work Maintaining Excellence Award
- We have an accredited Disability Confident Employer
- We are a Committed Member of Inclusive Employers
