About this role
Job summary
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of procurement and supply chain services across Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group. We have created this new role to lead the development of a single Group procurement service, bringing together three established Trust teams into one high-performing, collaborative function.
Our Group was established in May 2025, bringing together three Trusts under a shared strategic leadership model. Together, we serve approximately 1.2 million people and employ more than 16,000 colleagues across one of England's largest and most geographically dispersed acute healthcare systems.
The role reflects our ambition to build a modern, commercially focused and insight-led function that supports excellent patient care, strengthens financial sustainability and delivers greater value through collaboration, standardisation and scale. This opportunity is about far more than procurement. The successful candidate will lead the sensitive integration of three established teams into a single Group service, creating a shared identity, consistent standards and a more strategic approach to procurement and supply chain management. This will require strong people leadership, a clear vision and the ability to unite colleagues behind a common purpose while retaining the local relationships and operational responsiveness.
Please contact Andrew Pyman, Executive Director, Procurement & Commercial Management on 07800 522268 or [email protected].
Main duties of the job
This is a genuinely Group-wide appointment. The Group Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Finance Officers of all three Trusts are fully aligned behind this ambition and strongly committed to making the new service a success. The postholder will have the visibility, sponsorship and executive support needed to strengthen commercial capability, improve value, enhance supplier partnerships and contribute to major strategic programmes, including corporate service integration, digital transformation and significant capital investment.
We have talented teams, strong foundations and committed leadership. What we now need is an exceptional leader who can set a clear direction and establish procurement and supply chain services as a trusted strategic partner across the Group.
For the right individual, this is an opportunity to build something lasting and create meaningful impact across three hospitals serving 1.2 million people. I hope you will be inspired by the scale of the opportunity and the challenge ahead. We look forward to hearing from you.
About us
The newly formed Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is placing people and culture at the heart of its transformation.
By working as one system, the Group is strengthening workforce development, improving staff experience, and creating consistent, supportive leadership across all three hospitals. This unified approach enables better training, enhanced well-being support, and a stronger culture rooted in compassion, flexibility, and continuous learning.
Focusing on people also supports national priorities--ensuring the workforce is skilled, adaptable, and ready for future models of care--and strengthens NWUHG's overall performance by improving quality, resilience, and sustainability.
Together, this creates a Groupwide commitment to making NWUHG a great place to work, with clear benefits for staff including:
Flexible working hours
Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
Discounted gym memberships
Generous pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
Support in career development
Flexible staff bank
Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRIORITIES FOR THE POSTHOLDERDevelop and implement a Group procurement and commercial strategy aligned with clinical, financial and corporate priorities. Create a consistent operating model for category management, sourcing, purchasing, contract management, supplier relationship management and commercial assurance. Lead sustainable savings and value improvement programmes without compromising quality, safety or patient outcomes. Improve visibility and control of third-party expenditure through high-quality data, governance and digital processes. Embed social value, sustainability, resilience, innovation and responsible procurement into commercial decision-making.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Master's degree or equivalent level of knowledge and capability acquired through senior professional experience
- Full membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS), or equivalent senior procurement and commercial professional standing.
Desirable
- Senior leadership or management qualification, or equivalent experience.
- Relevant programme or project management qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial senior leadership experience in a large, complex and multi-stakeholder procurement or commercial environment
- Successful track record of leading strategic procurement, category management, sourcing, purchasing, contract management and supplier relationship management.
- Experience of developing and implementing procurement and commercial strategies.
Desirable
- Senior procurement leadership experience within the NHS or a comparable regulated public service environment.
- Experience of working across a group, shared service, integrated care system or multi-organisation partnership.
Skills
Essential
- Expert knowledge of UK public procurement, commercial and contract management principles relevant to healthcare and the wider public sector.
- Advanced commercial judgement, financial acumen and understanding of whole-life value.
- Ability to translate complex legislation, data and commercial issues into clear advice and practical action.
- Ability to establish governance, performance and assurance frameworks across multiple organisations and sites.
Desirable
- Experience of responsible procurement, social value, sustainability and supply chain resilience.
- Experience of data-led category management, e-procurement or purchase-to-pay improvement.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Address
Centrum
Norwich
NR4 7UG
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)