Head of Procurement

Procurement Strategy and Delivery Planning • Support Director of Operations in translating corporate and delivery requirements into sourcing strategies aligned with development timelines, operational requirements, approved budgets, and stakeholder expectations • Partner closely with Account Leads and other operational departments to understand requirements and ensure procurement activities support overall project delivery objectives • Lead planning of procurement activities required to establish Account projects, covering design, construction, fit out, technology, operations, staffing support services, curriculum providers, and specialist educational requirements • Contribute to development of scalable procurement approaches that can support multiple across different stages of design, build, launch, and operations • Act as primary procurement liaison between Account and Central Procurement, ensuring procurement activities align with enterprise policies, governance requirements, delegated authorities, and approved processes Procurement Execution and Supplier Management • Lead end-to-end procurement processes, incl. market engagement, procurement documentation, sourcing, due diligence, tendering, evaluation, negotiation, contract award, and supplier onboarding • Monitor supplier performance and contract compliance, identifying risks, issues, and opportunities for improvement and escalating significant matters through appropriate governance channels • Proactively manage contract management and administration, ensuring contractual obligations, deliverables, payments, and renewals/terminations are effectively managed and communicated throughout contract lifecycle • Manage strategic supplier relationships, promoting high standards of quality, service delivery, responsiveness, and value for money • Coordinate procurement dependencies across multiple workstreams to help maintain delivery schedules and operational readiness milestones Technology-Enabled Procurement Enhancement • Support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen procurement capability, processes, and stakeholder experience across portfolio • Contribute to development of procurement policies and procedures, reporting, dashboards, and management information to support leadership oversight and decision-making • Leverage market intelligence, supplier insights, and spend analysis to identify opportunities for operational improvement and enhanced value engineering • Promote use of digital procurement platforms, data analytics, and AI-enabled tools to improve procurement effectiveness and decision-making Qualifications • Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) or equivalent in Business Administration or a relevant discipline • Master’s degree in a relevant discipline preferred Experience • 10+ years of progressive work experience in procurement, of which a minimum 4 years were spent in a Senior Manager role or higher • Minimum of 5 years of experience working in procurement in the UAE • Demonstrated experience supporting operational readiness and launch of complex entities (e.g., schools, healthcare, large facilities, or multi-site operations) • Experience managing multi-stakeholder environments, incl. external and internal • CIPS certified or working towards certification Preferred • Experience working in or with government entities and public sector organizations preferred • Experience working in high-quality K-12 school environments preferred Show more Show less

Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) or equivalent in Business Administration or a relevant discipline; Master’s degree in a relevant discipline preferred. Experience: 10+ years of progressive work experience in procurement, with a minimum of 4 years in a Senior Manager role or higher; minimum 5 years of experience in procurement in the UAE; demonstrated experience supporting operational readiness and launch of complex entities (e.g., schools, healthcare, large facilities, or multi-site operations); experience managing multi-stakeholder environments; CIPS certified or working towards certification. Preferred: Experience in government/public sector and in high-quality K-12 school environments.

Procurement Strategy and Delivery Planning: Translate requirements into sourcing strategies aligned with development timelines, budgets, and stakeholder expectations; collaborate with Account Leads and operations to ensure procurement supports project delivery; plan procurement activities for accounts covering design, construction, fit-out, technology, operations, staffing, curriculum providers, and educational requirements; develop scalable procurement approaches for multiple stages; act as liaison between Account and Central Procurement ensuring alignment with policies and processes. Procurement Execution and Supplier Management: Lead end-to-end procurement processes including market engagement, documentation, sourcing, due diligence, tendering, evaluation, negotiation, contract award, and onboarding; monitor supplier performance and contract compliance; manage contract administration and lifecycle; manage strategic supplier relationships; coordinate dependencies across workstreams to maintain delivery schedules. Technology-Enabled Procurement Enhancement: Drive continuous improvement of procurement capability and processes; contribute to policies, reporting, dashboards; use market intelligence and spend analysis to identify improvements and value engineering; promote digital procurement platforms, data analytics, and AI-enabled tools to enhance decision-making.