About this role
Overview
Chief Procurement Officer (CPO)
Location: US Remote (North East US)
Travel: Regular travel required Procurement can be one of the biggest drivers of value in a business. It can also be one of the most underused. That's where this role comes in.We're supporting a global industrial and manufacturing group on the appointment of a Chief Procurement Officer to lead a major business transformation in the Technical Ceramics Business Unit. Reporting to the BU Finance Lead, you'll build and lead a global procurement function, bringing together fragmented procurement activity, creating a clear operating model, and turning approximately £300m of indirect spend into measurable commercial value. This isn't a role for someone looking to maintain the status quo. It's for a senior procurement leader who enjoys building, transforming and influencing, and has the scars and stories from doing it before.
## The Role
As the BU Chief Procurement Officer, you'll lead the transformation of procurement from a largely decentralised structure into a professional, globally aligned function. You'll create the strategy, build the team, embed governance, and establish procurement as a trusted business partner across the organisation. You'll oversee a global team whilst partnering with divisional procurement leaders to raise capability, improve consistency and unlock greater value across both indirect and direct procurement activities. You'll also play a leading role in driving the adoption of AI, automation and analytics across procurement activities, using technology where it genuinely improves decision making, productivity and commercial outcomes.
Responsibilities
What You'll Do
- Develop and deliver a global procurement strategy across the BU indirect spend portfolio.
- Lead the design and implementation of a new global procurement operating model.
- Build and lead a high-performing global procurement organisation, including category management and centre of excellence capabilities.
- Deliver sustainable savings, cost avoidance, productivity improvements and wider business value.
- Partner with divisional procurement leaders to professionalise and improve direct procurement capability across the business.
- Build strong executive and stakeholder relationships, influencing at board and senior leadership level.
- Lead procurement technology, AI and digital transformation initiatives that create measurable business impact.
- Strengthen supplier risk management, resilience and governance across global operations.
- Create clear reporting, analytics and insights around spend, savings, supplier performance and procurement effectiveness.
- Recruit, develop and inspire a global procurement leadership team.
Qualifications
## About You
We're looking for someone who has built, transformed and led procurement functions at scale, not just inherited them.You'll likely bring:
- Significant senior leadership experience within global procurement environments.
- A proven track record of transforming decentralised procurement into a centralised or centre-led model.
- Deep expertise across indirect procurement and category management.
- Experience delivering substantial, sustainable savings alongside broader commercial value creation.
- Strong understanding of procurement technology, analytics, AI and automation.
- The credibility to challenge senior stakeholders constructively and influence without relying on hierarchy.
- Experience delivering capability across multiple geographies and business units.
- A data-driven, commercially astute and pragmatic leadership style.
- The resilience and adaptability needed to lead large-scale organisational change.
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience. Professional procurement qualifications are welcomed.
What You'll Get
- Opportunity to shape and lead a global procurement transformation from the ground up.
- Executive-level visibility and influence.
- Remit across a substantial international spend portfolio.
- Regular international travel and engagement with global stakeholders.
- Competitive executive remuneration package, including long-term incentives and benefits.
## Interested to Learn More?
If you're a strategic procurement leader who enjoys building functions, driving change and delivering tangible business outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.Apply today.