Head Of Group Procurement

Role Introduction:

Applegreen is seeking to recruit a Head of Group Procurement, a newly created senior role reporting to the CFO, to establish, develop, and lead a corporate procurement function around sound strategy, strong data analysis, and procurement best practices.

The Head of Group Procurement will lead the strategic sourcing, supplier management, and cost optimisation efforts across the forecourt retail network. This role is critical to ensuring a reliable, efficient, and value-driven supply chain for all goods and services and overheads across all regions.

Key Responsibilities:

Procurement Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a group-wide procurement strategy aligned with commercial goals across all categories, including fuel, foodservice, convenience retail, facilities, and overheads.
• Monitor market trends and risks affecting supplier pricing, availability, and delivery – especially for FMCG and indirect goods.
• Drive sustainability initiatives through responsible sourcing and supplier partnerships.

Category Management

• Lead group procurement activities across core categories: fuel supply, food & beverage, store consumables, POS hardware, indirect goods (e.g. maintenance, utilities, etc.) overheads (e.g., office supplies, IT equipment, facilities management), and capital equipment.
• Partner with merchandising and regional operations teams to support promotional campaigns, NPD (new product development).

Supplier Management

• Build and manage strong supplier relationships to ensure performance, reliability, and innovation.
• Lead negotiations to secure optimal commercial terms, volume rebates, and service levels.
• Monitor compliance and conduct regular supplier reviews, including audits.

Operational Excellence

• Improve procurement processes and controls to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
• Ensure all procurement practices comply with company policy and regulatory requirements (e.g., fuel handling standards, food safety, environmental impact).

Leadership

• Manage and grow a high-performing procurement team across different categories and locations.
• Embed a culture of accountability, commercial excellence, and cross-functional collaboration.

Financial Management

• Control the procurement budget, delivering year-on-year savings and cost avoidance.
• Analyse purchasing data and provide regular reports to senior management on procurement KPIs and supplier performance.

Personal Characteristics

The ideal candidate will have an energetic and engaging personality with executive presence (gravitas). She/he must be self-motivated, and solutions oriented, possessing “high EQ” as well as strong intellect – a quick thinker and fast learner. Without question, the successful candidate must possess the highest level of integrity, loyalty to the team and trustworthiness.

• Seasoned Business Professional with track record of success
• Strong team player who can build relationships at all levels of the organization
• Excellent communication skills - written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal
• Forward thinker who can construct and communicate his or her vision
• Expert knowledge of contract negotiation & management
• Data & fact driven
• Comprehensive facilitation and presentation skills
• Good analytical skills (including process analysis and interpretation skills)
• Strong financial acumen

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Retail Management, or related field
• CIPS qualification or equivalent professional accreditation is desirable.

Experience & Skills:

• 8+ years of procurement experience in a multi-site retail, convenience, or FMCG environment.
• Strong understanding of forecourt operations, retail supply chains, and franchise/vendor models.
• Experience procuring chilled and ambient food, store equipment, and outsourced services.
• Excellent negotiation, commercial, and vendor management skills.
• Strong data literacy and experience with ERP/procurement systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, SUN).
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic thinking & commercial acumen
• Category management expertise
• Leadership & people development
• Communication & influence
• Operational discipline