Freelance Procurement Manager - Construction - Mission Critical

Rate: Up to £550 per day

Contract Length: Initial 6 months (with potential extensions)

Location: UK or EU (flexible; travel across Europe required)

About the Role

A leading specialist consultancy is seeking a Procurement Manager – Construction to support complex, mission-critical construction and infrastructure projects across Europe. The successful candidate will provide hands-on procurement leadership across multiple clients and regions, working closely with project delivery teams and appointed consultants.

This is a delivery-focused, programme-led role requiring a proactive and autonomous procurement professional. You will lead tendering, negotiations, contract management, and procurement governance to ensure strong alignment between procurement activities and construction sequencing, risk management, and programme certainty.

Position Overview

The Procurement Manager is responsible for the end-to-end procurement lifecycle across several concurrent construction projects. Operating as an embedded procurement lead, you will act as a trusted advisor to project managers, designers, commercial teams, and consultants throughout the delivery process.

The role demands initiative, ownership, and the ability to drive procurement actions independently while maintaining clear communication with stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Sourcing

• Develop and execute procurement strategies aligned with project programmes and technical requirements.
• Define packaging strategies, procurement routes, and appointment approaches.
• Procure consultancy services (design, PM/CM, commissioning) and construction contractor/subcontractor works.
• Prepare and manage PQQs, RFQs, RFPs, and tender packages.
• Evaluate submissions and prepare structured recommendations.
• Assess market capacity, lead times, and supply chain constraints.
• Manage procurement across multiple projects, regions, and client teams.

Client, Project Team & Consultant Leadership

• Act as the procurement lead for project teams and their consultants.
• Lead and chair procurement meetings: tender briefings, clarifications, evaluations, and appointment reviews.
• Drive decisions, actions, and follow-ups with minimal instruction.
• Provide clear commercial and procurement advice to PMs, designers, and cost consultants.
• Present risks, assumptions, and dependencies in a structured, concise manner.

Contract & Supplier Management

• Lead negotiations with consultants, contractors, and suppliers.
• Draft, review, and manage consultancy appointments and supplier/subcontractor contracts.
• Apply working knowledge of one or more standard forms of contract:
• FIDIC (incl. Yellow Book)
• NEC
• JCT
• VOB/B
• Advise on contractual interfaces and procurement routes.
• Monitor supplier and consultant performance against contractual deliverables.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure procurement activities comply with project policies and governance frameworks.
• Identify procurement risks affecting programme, cost, or quality and drive mitigation actions.
• Support continuous improvement of procurement processes and best practice.

Programme & Delivery Alignment

• Work closely with delivery teams to align procurement with construction sequencing and critical path items.
• Understand long-lead items and their impact on programme.
• Ensure timely appointment of suppliers to protect delivery milestones.
• Escalate procurement constraints early to avoid downstream impacts.

Reporting & Systems

• Maintain accurate procurement documentation and audit trails.
• Prepare reports detailing procurement status, consultant/supplier performance, risks, and programme alignment.

Requirements & Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Supply Chain, Business, or similar.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CIPS, CPM, PMP) are advantageous.

Experience

• 5–7+ years’ procurement experience within construction, engineering, or infrastructure.
• Proven capability procuring consultancy services and construction works for complex or mission-critical projects.
• Strong experience leading procurement processes and participating in multi-stakeholder meetings.
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent projects and regions is highly desirable.

Legal & Contractual Requirements

• Must be based in the UK or EU with the legal right to work and provide services.
• Engagement is on an independent B2B contract basis.
• Responsible for own taxes and statutory obligations.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Strong understanding of construction procurement routes and project lifecycles.
• Working knowledge of FIDIC, NEC, JCT, or VOB/B.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, specifications, BOQs, and construction programmes.
• Proficiency in ERP/procurement systems and Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to independently manage complex multi-project procurement workloads.

Behavioural & Professional Attributes

• Highly proactive with strong ownership and accountability.
• Excellent time management and ability to prioritise in multi-client environments.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in documentation.
• Confident communicator with senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative, solutions-focused, and comfortable within multidisciplinary teams.

Language & Mobility

• Fluency in English required; additional languages beneficial.
• Willingness to travel across Europe.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely procurement aligned with programme milestones
• Quality of stakeholder engagement and leadership
• Effective risk identification and mitigation
• Supplier/consultant performance against contractual requirements
• Feedback and satisfaction from project teams and consultants