Finding the right procurement professional is not the same as filling a generic commercial role. You need people who can design the route to market, deliver compliant competitions, manage suppliers with confidence and hold the line on value. Our service is bespoke and delivered around your procurement and contract management needs. We combine deep procurement expertise with modern search techniques to build shortlists that are tight, diverse and ready to interview.
We work across central and local government, housing, health, education, utilities, charities and regulated private markets. That mix gives you access to candidates who understand the Procurement Act 2023, social value delivery, carbon and sustainability reporting, category strategy and contract performance. If you need permanent leaders, immediate interim cover or a specialist for a difficult category, we will shape the search to suit the risk, timeline and budget.
What makes us different
Most recruitment firms sell reach. We add judgement. Your shortlist is screened by people who have written specifications, run evaluations, negotiated call offs and recovered underperforming contracts. That practical filter catches the difference between someone who talks a good game and someone who has delivered when it mattered. It also means we can brief you honestly on the trade offs in the market, the pay you will need to clear and the support a new hire will require in the first 90 days.
You will see our process, timelines and fees up front. We agree the capability profile and assessment method together so there are no surprises when you compare candidates. You get market data that is specific to your location and category portfolio, not a generic salary survey.
Roles we recruit
Heads of Procurement and Commercial, Procurement Managers, Category Managers, Senior Buyers, Contract Managers, Supplier Relationship Managers, Commercial Managers, Procurement Analysts, Social Value and Sustainability leads, P2P and eSourcing specialists, carbon and supply chain due diligence roles, and programme level commercial leadership. For technology, construction, FM, professional services, clinical and non-clinical health, social care, highways, housing maintenance, ICT and digital, fleet and energy, we can show recent delivery.
A search that is built around your risk and timeline
Every campaign starts with a short discovery session. We clarify the context, the critical outcomes for the first year, the culture your new colleague will join and the non-negotiables. We then recommend the right model: retained executive search for senior or scarce skills, rapid contingent search for mid level posts, or immediate interim cover while we run a permanent campaign. For public buyers, we work through your preferred route to market and respect your governance and audit trail.
You will receive a clear plan, a named lead, a schedule for longlist and shortlist, and regular check ins. If the market does not respond, we will adjust quickly, show you what candidates are saying and fix the blockers.
Technical assessment that de-risks your hire
We create a simple, fair and predictive assessment. Candidates answer practical tasks that mirror the work: an options appraisal note, a short evaluation scoring exercise, a contract performance recovery plan, or a stakeholder briefing that explains a route to market choice. You can add a data task for analysts, a negotiation simulation for commercial managers or a social value delivery challenge. We provide marking guidance and sit on the panel if you want an external view. The goal is a confident decision that stands up to internal scrutiny.
Transparent fees and a sensible guarantee
We offer three commercial models with a single point of accountability throughout the search. Fees are open and linked to delivery. Replacement guarantees are clear and prompt. Interim day rates are benchmarked weekly across category and geography, with IR35 and compliance support to make onboarding smooth.
Choosing the right hiring route
Use the table to decide what fits your situation. We will help you balance speed, risk and cost.
| Hiring route | Use when | Typical timeline | Strengths | Considerations |
| Permanent hire, contingent search | Role is common in the market, time to hire is tight but manageable | Shortlist in 10 to 15 working days | Fast market reach, strong pipeline, good value | Fewer headhunt options for rare skills, works best with decisive panels |
| Permanent hire, retained executive search | Senior leadership or scarce category expertise, confidentiality needed | Longlist in 3 to 4 weeks, shortlist in 5 to 6 | Deep mapping, proactive headhunting, rigorous assessment and candidate care | Higher fee, longer runway, needs clear stakeholder alignment |
| Interim contractor or fixed term | You have an immediate gap or specific delivery milestone | Profiles in 24 to 72 hours | Speed, targeted outcomes, flexible capacity, knowledge transfer | Day rate budget required, plan for handover or conversion |
Our process, step by step
Role and outcome design
 We capture the value you need this person to create, not a list of tasks. The role profile is written in plain English and separates what is essential from what can be trained. We define success at 30, 60 and 90 days so candidates know what they are signing up to.
Inclusive search and outreach
 We reach beyond obvious networks. That includes returners, candidates from adjacent sectors with portable skills and talent outside the usual postcodes. Job copy is screened for biased language and we offer reasonable adjustments at every stage.
Market mapping and shortlisting
 You will see a preview of the market: pay ranges, commute patterns, competing employers and candidate availability. Shortlists are tightly matched and each profile includes evidence aligned to your priorities.
Assessment and moderation
 Tasks are practical, time bounded and relevant. We brief candidates well and treat them with respect. You receive scores, commentary and a summary that makes panel moderation fast and fair.
Offer and onboarding
 We manage expectations on pay, notice and flexibility early. Offers move quickly with clean paperwork and start dates that work for both sides. For interims we handle checks, umbrellas and statements of work.
Aftercare and retention
 The first three months decide the next three years. We agree a light support plan: check ins at weeks 2, 6 and 12, feedback both ways, and a simple scorecard on early outcomes. If a course correction is needed, we address it early.
Public and third sector ready
Your hire needs to operate inside governance as well as deliver outcomes. We screen for experience of compliant routes, transparency obligations, conflicts management, contract change controls, exclusion decisions, SME engagement, social value verification and value for money. For authorities hiring through frameworks such as CCS, ESPO or YPO, we align to your call off process. For charities and housing providers we match to trustee or board expectations and the realities of grant and regulated funding.
Private and regulated markets
If you operate in utilities, transport, energy, manufacturing, life sciences or consumer, we can provide candidates who understand regulatory obligations, supply risk, ESG reporting, modern slavery due diligence and the commercial drivers that matter to your P&L. We track specialists in should cost modelling, supplier collaboration, design to value and data driven category strategies that hold in volatile markets.
Speed when it counts
Unplanned exits happen. Milestones do not move. Our interim bench covers category management, SRM, complex negotiations, turnaround of challenged contracts and programme level commercial leadership. Profiles can be with you inside 48 hours, with start dates inside one week where checks allow. Every interim is selected for outcomes and handover discipline, not just experience.
A focus on social value and sustainability skills
Social value and carbon reduction are not a side task. We assess candidates on how they translate pledges into contract schedules, how they verify delivery and how they change the mix when budgets squeeze. Sustainability is built into decision making, not a bolt on. That skill set is scarce, so we develop pipelines and run targeted campaigns for these roles.
Data and P2P capability that improves control
Strong procurement needs clean data and reliable systems. We recruit analysts and P2P specialists who can fix the basics, build dashboards, improve compliance and support better decision making. Expect practical experience with eSourcing, contract repositories, supplier onboarding and reporting that finance trusts.
Case snapshots
A metropolitan council needed an Interim Head of Commercial to stabilise a portfolio of FM and highways contracts while a permanent search ran. We placed an interim leader within a week. A permanent appointment followed in eight weeks through a retained search. Savings and service stability targets for the first two quarters were met.
A housing association required a Category Manager to lead energy and decarbonisation spend. The market was hot and the brief complex. We redesigned the role to focus on outcomes and created a two task assessment. A candidate from the utilities sector transferred successfully, bringing strong supplier collaboration skills and credible carbon experience.
An NHS trust needed a Contracts Manager to recover a digital service contract. We ran a rapid contingent search and a practical performance recovery exercise. The successful candidate had delivered similar recoveries and was onboard within a month. Ticket backlogs and SLA breaches reduced in the first quarter.
Pricing options
Contingent search is a success based fee with a clear replacement guarantee. Retained executive search splits the fee across three stages and funds deeper mapping and assessment. Interim engagement uses day rates with compliant contracts and weekly timesheeting. All models are transparent, and we confirm everything before we start.
For candidates
You will receive honest briefs, sensible timelines and feedback you can use. We will not push you into roles that do not fit. If you are moving from the private sector into public services or the other way round, we will help you translate your story. We welcome flexible working requests and will surface inclusive employers.
Start your search
Tell us what you need, the outcome you must protect and the date you cannot miss. We will recommend a route and move. Everything we deliver is bespoke and delivered around your procurement and contract management needs.