management
Posted 2 weeks agoGlobal Head of Indirect Procurement, IT and R&D
Uk Watford, United KingdomHybrid
Requirements
- You will act as a thought partner and commercial strategist, working closely with senior stakeholders to define not only the scale of value that can be unlocked, but the roadmap, priorities, and strategic choices required to realise it.
- Your success will depend on your ability to bring clarity, challenge, and perspective—helping leaders think differently about supplier relationships, commercial models, and the role procurement can play in enabling future enterprise capability.
- experience in procurement, technology, or related commercial leadership roles Demonstrated
- experience leading global or matrixed teams and influencing senior stakeholders Preferred
- experience across IT and/or R&D procurement, including software, cloud, digital, infrastructure, data, or clinical services Strong understanding of modern technology ecosystems (e.g.
- SaaS, cloud, AI/ML, digital platforms)
- Experience working with both large technology providers and emerging AI-focused organisations Proven ability to act as a strategic business partner, shaping decisions and influencing outcomes Highly intellectually curious, able to navigate ambiguity and challenge thinking constructively Strong commercial judgement with the ability to balance speed, cost, risk, and innovation Track record of leading transformation, including operating model evolution and capability building Travel - Approximately 20–30%
Benefits
- Inclusion and Belonging : Committed to Welcoming, Celebrating and Thriving on Inclusion and Belonging, Learn more about our Employee Inclusion Groups on our website ( www.smith-nephew.com ) Your Future : Generous annual bonus and pension Schemes, Save As You Earn share options, and a car allowance.
- Work/Life Balance : Flexible Vacation and Time Off, Paid Holidays and Paid Volunteering Hours, so we can give back to our communities! Your Wellbeing : Private Health and Dental plans, Healthcare Cash Plans, Income Protection, Life Assurance and much more.
- Extra Perks : Discounts on Gyms and fitness clubs, Salary Sacrifice Bicycle and Car Schemes and many other Employee discounts.
Additional details
- At Smith+Nephew we design and manufacture technology that takes the limits off living.
- Join Smith+Nephew’s Global Indirect Procurement organisation as the Global Head, Category Lead for IT & R&D, where you will play a critical role in enabling the company’s digital, data, and innovation agenda.
- This is a highly strategic leadership role—not a traditional sourcing position.
- You will serve as a trusted partner to IT and R&D leadership, helping shape procurement strategies that directly support enterprise transformation, technology modernisation, and innovation at scale.
- You will lead a global portfolio spanning IT, Digital, Software, Infrastructure, R&D, and Clinical services, owning the development and execution of category strategies that unlock value across cost, capability, risk, and innovation.
- You will also lead and develop a high-performing global team and position Procurement as a strategic enabler of Smith+Nephew’s RISE ambition.
- Strategic Business Partnering & Enterprise Alignment Serve as a trusted advisor and proactive thought partner to CIO and R&D leadership, co-developing strategies and influencing the direction of major technology and innovation initiatives Translate business strategy into actionable procurement strategies, supplier models, and investment approaches, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities Bring an informed perspective on current challenges while shaping forward-looking roadmaps, identifying where
- innovation, capability, speed, cost, risk) before structuring commercial approaches Build multi-year value pipelines aligned with Finance and business leadership, embedding savings, cash, and broader value outcomes into business plans Leverage deep market intelligence, supplier insight, and technology trends to enable innovation and competitive advantage Position category strategies as growth and capability enablers, not simply cost management tools Supplier & Ecosystem Leadership Own executive-level
- We believe in creating the greatest good for society.
- Our Strongest investments are in our people and patients we serve.