Procurement Lead

The Role

We are looking for a detail-oriented Procurement Lead to support our global Procure-to-Pay (P2P) framework. This is a leadership role based in our Ipswich office, responsible for developing and executing procurement strategies within established guidelines, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and contractual obligations. You will oversee contract management systems, streamline procurement operations, and build out a robust third-party Supplier Risk Management (SRM) framework, while acting as a key liaison between suppliers and internal teams to maintain governance and mitigate risk.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the full procurement lifecycle across all procurement spend.
• Develop and implement procurement policies, processes, and governance aligned with legal and compliance standards.
• Ensure procurement policies and guidelines are followed.
• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for global procurement operations, providing guidance, best practices, and process expertise across the organization.
• Drive supplier performance and risk management, including building out SRM frameworks.
• Negotiate and manage strategic supplier agreements to optimise cost and service delivery.
• Collaborate with finance, legal, compliance, and operational teams to ensure alignment.

About You

We are looking for an experienced procurement leader with strong commercial acumen and the ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on.

Skills & Experience

• Previous experience in financial services is essential, with exposure to the reinsurance sector considered a strong advantage
• Proven track record in end-to-end procurement and contract management.
• Hands-on experience managing processes and implementing procurement systems.
• Familiarity with Workday (ERP) is a plus.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Excel, including the ability to use formulas, pivot tables, data analysis tools, and complex spreadsheet modelling.
• Strong understanding of supplier risk management and experience building SRM frameworks.
• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Ability to work flexibly across Ipswich and London, with occasional travel as required.
• Ability to set direction and deliver results.
• Ensures compliance and accuracy in all procurement activities.
• Works effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable in a dynamic, evolving reinsurance environment.
• High ethical standards and ownership of responsibilities.

About Willis Re

We combine specialist broking with analytics, modelling and research to help insurers optimize risk transfer, strengthen balance sheets and achieve sustainable growth. Our approach is relationship-driven, transparent and outcome-focused.

At the heart of Willis Re is a focus on delivering the most cutting-edge analytical solutions to enable more informed, better decision-making for risk selection, portfolio optimization, and capital management.

The launch of Willis Re brings a strategic advantage of being unhindered by legacy, an ability to leverage data, statistical models and advanced technologies with the best knowledge and expertise to deliver more efficient and effective reinsurance outcomes. This places Willis Re in a unique position to build a truly analytically driven business, focused on creating solutions for the reinsurance industry that are future led and forward thinking.

Willis Re will also leverage recognized technical expertise from WTW’s Insurance Consulting & Technology business including their advanced modelling and analytical capabilities. Alongside this will be WTW’s Research Network, an award-winning business supporting and influencing science to improve the understanding and quantification of risk.