Chief Procurement Officer jobs
Maintaining the efficiency of the procurement efforts of the employer’s key operations will be the responsibility of the chief procurement officer. She or he will need to keep in constant touch with the suppliers to ensure they are aware of future needs and also to keep costs as low as possible. Because procurement is so closely tied to profitability, the chief procurement officer will also need to be constantly surveying the market to find out whether savings could be made by switching suppliers, or indeed to decide whether a close client relationship is worth paying extra for if it brings efficiencies in other ways.
The procurement officer will need to have a keen sense of the market in which his or her employer operates, in order to gauge good costs and spot trends that could lead to prices rising or falling. Good intelligence will allow better planning to take place at board level, and the longer in advance they are made aware of such changes, the better will be their decisions.
The job will probably also involve a good deal of negotiation with suppliers to drive down prices, but a sensitivity towards their own requirements will be required; in some markets, suppliers themselves have a lot of bargaining power.
Good chief procurement officers can make a huge difference to the company’s expenditure, and therefore particularly skilled and experienced operatives can be remunerated extremely well.
The skills required
For such a senior procurement role, the entry requirements will be strict. Typically, experience of working in a procurement environment should be several years, but ten or fifteen would not be an unusual request. Management skills will be required, as the chief procurement officer will be overseeing a whole team, especially in larger companies. And finally, experience in the type of goods being supplied to the employer will be hugely advantageous to potential candidates.
An ability to work independently of senior management and make critical decisions without constantly referring them to the board will be highly valued. Chief procurement officers will be judged on their experience and results, and as long as they are delivering and maximising profits, their personal stock will be forever on the up.
Chief Procurement Officer Jobs in Buckinghamshire
One of the London Home Counties, Buckinghamshire also shares a border with Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. It's a popular choice for those seeking Chief Procurement Officer vacancies and offers a wealth of opportunities - for those who wish to live and work in the area, or commute to the capital.
During the industrial revolution, the region was known for its lace making and it's said that Queen Victoria used the delicate material for her pillows. After the arrival of the railway, furniture and paper production both took off in Buckinghamshire and heavy industry like the manufacture of train carriages was also big business.
Indeed, the 19th century was extremely lucrative for Buckinghamshire, and evidence of this can still be seen today in the many beautiful Victorian buildings that are spread across the county.
These days, Buckinghamshire's economy is mainly based in the service sector and studies have shown that it's one of the best places to live in the UK, with one of the highest life expectancies and some of the best school results in the country.
The region is still used for a lot of agricultural production, while furniture manufacture and pharmaceuticals are also major sources of employment.
What's more, the world-famous Pinewood Studios are located in Buckinghamshire. This studio has been the location of filming for a variety of big-name productions, including several James Bond films, the Superman franchise, Batman Returns and scenes from Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
Cast UK were founded by specialists in the logistics, supply chain and procurement trade, and our consultants are also drawn from these backgrounds, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for.
If you’re looking for a job in procurement, whether you’re relocating for personal reasons or are simply looking for more job fulfilment, there could well be an employer who’s looking for the skills you have, so please get in touch with Cast UK. At any given time, we have jobs all over the UK, so wherever you live, or plan to live, we are well placed to find work that suits your skills. Employers often approach us to find managerial and executive candidates, so if you’re in logistics, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Chief Procurement Officer for your business or find you a job as a Chief Procurement Officer then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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