Head of Procurement, Scotland Operation

Livingston James is delighted to be retained by Forth Ports to appoint a Head of Procurement, Scotland Operation, a strategically important leadership role supporting one of the UK's most significant ports and logistics businesses.

Forth Ports owns and operates a diverse network of ports and marine services, supporting critical supply chains, infrastructure projects and international trade across Scotland and beyond. As the organisation continues to evolve and invest across its operations, it is seeking to appoint a Head of Procurement to lead and develop procurement activity across the Scotland Operation.

Reporting to the Financial Controller for the Scotland Operation, the successful candidate will have responsibility for leading the regional procurement function across seven port locations and associated operations. The role will drive commercial value through strategic sourcing, supplier performance management, contract management, governance and continuous improvement, while ensuring procurement activity aligns with wider business objectives and sustainability commitments.

Working closely with operational leaders, finance teams, corporate functions and procurement colleagues across the wider Group, this individual will build strong stakeholder relationships and ensure procurement is embedded within key business decisions, projects and investment activities. The position combines both strategic and operational responsibilities, requiring someone who can balance long-term planning with the pace and complexity of a dynamic operational environment.

The role also provides the opportunity to lead and develop an established procurement team while driving greater consistency, governance and procurement capability across the region. A key focus will be identifying opportunities to maximise value, leverage spend, improve supplier performance and support procurement transformation initiatives.

We are seeking an accomplished procurement professional with significant experience operating within complex, multi-site environments. The successful candidate will bring strong commercial and analytical skills, a proven track record in strategic sourcing and supplier management, excellent stakeholder engagement capabilities, and the resilience to operate effectively within a fast-paced and changing business environment, as well as a recognised CIPS qualification.

The leading consultant for this process is Sophie Randles. For more information, please contact Tara Tannock in the first instance: taratannock@livingstonjames.com