Menu
Charity interim Head of Procurement
This leading global environmental charity was established over 60 years ago. It is a house-hold name associated with the protection of the planet and has a presence in over 100 countries on five continents and has the support of five million people.
Early in 2023, it engaged Practicus to source an Interim Head of Procurement while it sought a permanent placement for the same role. With the current Head of Procurement leaving the organisation, it needed an interim to be in place within a very short timeframe so that it could provide continuity to its business-as-usual operations and minimise disruption.
Our approach began with taking a thorough briefing from the hiring manager. Spending time with them, our aim was to get behind the brief and gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges and requirements of the role, as well as understand the characteristics of a good candidate. It was vital the candidate had experience of leading procurement operations with high spend levels in a charity environment as it had identified the need for policy and process improvements that would establish a well-defined procurement strategy and contract management process. The right experience and knowledge were also crucial for building a skilled procurement team and upskilling its existing teams for an improved supplier and contract management process.
Once a detailed brief was taken, we immediately began our search process by contacting seasoned procurement professionals within our candidate network whilst at the same time reaching out to passive candidates via social media. With a role at this seniority, we ensured our approach was sensitive and considered, only contacting candidates that fully matched the requirements.
Our shortlisting process involved vetting candidates thoroughly. We spent a minimum of two hours with each candidate to understand their motivations, experience, qualifications, passions and values as well as availability for the contract. Working with numerous clients within the charity sector, we also understood the importance of ensuring the right cultural fit for the role; someone who shared this organisation’s values and understood its mission. Whilst vetting candidates, we provided each one with a detailed overview of the organisation and its values to ensure cultural alignment.
The contract was measured by the quality of the candidates presented and our ability to meet the UK’s requirements within the two-week timeframe. As a result of our search, we were able to provide a shortlist of CVs within one week where one candidate was offered the role within two weeks of Practicus receiving the request.
Find out more about our interim management work in the charity sector
