Job Description

ISP Divisional Procurement Lead - Europe
 

Purpose of Role

Lead procurement across an ISP division while owning the Professional Services category strategy. The role combines regional procurement leadership, stakeholder partnership and operational support with global category management responsibility for consultancy, legal, marketing, technology and systems integration partners, recruitment and other professional services. The role drives value, governance, supplier performance, risk management and stakeholder satisfaction while ensuring divisional requirements are effectively represented in wider procurement strategies.

ISP Divisional Procurement Lead Key Responsibilities

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• Own and develop Professional Services category strategies while supporting divisional procurement priorities across a wider portfolio of indirect and technology spend.
• Partner with divisional leadership teams, school operators and functional leaders to understand business requirements and translate them into sourcing strategies.Develop and execute category plans that deliver savings, cost avoidance, supplier innovation, demand management and risk reduction.
• Act as the senior procurement point of contact for the division, providing advice and support on local procurement queries, escalations and sourcing activities.
• Lead complex sourcing, tendering, negotiation and contracting activities for high-value and strategic professional services engagements.
• Establish supplier segmentation, governance and performance management processes for key service providers.
• Drive compliance with procurement policies, delegated authorities and contracting standards.
• Challenge demand, specifications and ways of working to ensure external spend is necessary, appropriately scoped and commercially optimised.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting and spend planning through detailed category and supplier insights.
• Work with Legal, Finance, HR, IT and Marketing teams to manage commercial and contractual risk.
• Identify opportunities to aggregate demand across regions and leverage global scale while balancing local business needs.
• Develop market intelligence on professional services sectors and advise stakeholders on emerging risks, trends and opportunities.
• Monitor supplier diversity, ESG and ethical sourcing considerations where relevant.
• Support procurement capability development across the division and coach stakeholders on best practice sourcing and supplier management.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic procurement business partner, balancing stakeholder priorities with commercial, risk and governance outcomes.
• Extensive procurement experience with strong indirect procurement knowledge, including Professional Services and related corporate spend categories.
• Demonstrable experience managing spend across multiple professional services categories such as consultancy, legal, marketing, recruitment, technology services and systems integration is desirable.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills with the ability to work successfully across multiple countries, cultures and seniority levels.
• Experience balancing strategic category leadership with hands-on operational procurement support.
• Strong commercial, contractual and negotiation capabilities with a track record of delivering measurable value.
• Experience leading complex sourcing projects and competitive tender processes.
• Ability to analyse spend, identify opportunities and translate data into actionable procurement strategies.
• Knowledge of supplier relationship management, performance management and risk management methodologies.
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills.
• Able to operate independently in a fast-paced, geographically dispersed environment.
• Strong financial acumen and understanding of total cost of ownership and value creation principles.
• Experience working within matrix organisations and influencing without direct authority.
• CIPS qualification or equivalent procurement qualification desirable.
• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience desirable.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding

and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.