Director Strategy and Execution

Synthomer is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,500 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 28 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.

At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, Germany, China, Malaysia and Ohio, USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits. Since 2021, we have been proud holders of the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.

The Opportunity

This is a highly visible leadership role within the Group Procurement Leadership Team (GPLT), partnering directly with the Vice President Group Procurement and senior executives across the business. You will be responsible for driving the execution of a substantial value creation programme, ensuring robust governance, delivering strategic insights to executive stakeholders, and having overall responsibility of the global Procurement PMO. This role combines strategy, programme leadership, transformation delivery, business performance management, and executive engagement. The position offers a unique opportunity to influence enterprise-wide procurement performance across a global spend portfolio of approximately £1.7bn and a function spanning more than 30 sites worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Business Partnership

• Serve as a key member of the Group Procurement Leadership Team, helping shape and execute the procurement strategy.
• Partner closely with the VP Group Procurement and senior business leaders to align priorities and deliver strategic objectives.
• Act as a trusted advisor to procurement leadership and divisional stakeholders.

Value Creation & Performance Delivery

• Lead and govern the global procurement value creation programme across all spend categories.
• Drive delivery through over 60 initiative owners, ensuring accountability, progress tracking, and achievement of targeted benefits.
• Oversee value tracking methodologies and ensure alignment with Finance leadership.
• Monitor performance against key procurement KPIs and drive corrective actions where required.

Programme Management & Transformation

• Lead the Group Procurement PMO and governance framework across all major initiatives.
• Manage cross-functional programmes, ensuring alignment, risk mitigation, milestone achievement, and successful execution.
• Support the implementation of strategic procurement transformation initiatives, operating model improvements, and digital solutions.
• Contribute to the development of the Procurement 5-Year Strategy and Transformation Roadmap.

Executive Reporting & Governance

• Develop executive-level reporting, dashboards, presentations, and performance narratives for Divisional Leadership Teams and the Executive Committee.
• Own the Group Procurement Risk Register, ensuring risks, controls, and action plans are actively managed.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, strategic reviews, talent reviews, town halls, and executive updates.

Financial & Operational Management

• Manage the annual Group Procurement budget process and ongoing budget performance.
• Support major enterprise projects, representing Group Procurement and coordinating functional input as required.

About You

You are a strategic and results-driven leader who thrives in complex global environments and has a proven ability to deliver transformation through influence, collaboration, and disciplined execution.

Experience

• Degree qualified
• Procurement leadership or category management experience.
• Significant experience in programme management, PMO leadership, business transformation, strategy execution, or operational excellence
• Track record of influencing senior executives and leading complex global initiatives.
• Experience working within large, matrixed, multi-stakeholder organisations.
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Experience

• MBA, CIPS, PMP or equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience implementing procurement technology, Source-to-Pay (S2P), Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), or digital transformation initiatives.
• Advanced Excel, Power BI, and data visualisation skills.

What You'll Bring

• Strong leadership through influence.
• Exceptional organisational and programme management capability.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear business insights and actions.
• A bias for action and a relentless focus on delivery.
• Strategic thinking combined with pragmatic execution.
• Resilience and the ability to perform effectively under pressure.

Why Join Synthomer?

This is an opportunity to operate at the centre of a globally significant procurement transformation agenda. You'll work closely with executive leaders, drive measurable business value, and help shape the future direction of a function that manages approximately £1.7 billion of annual spend across more than 30 manufacturing and operational sites globally.

If you're passionate about strategy execution, transformation, and delivering results in a global organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape the future of procurement at Synthomer.

🌍 Global Benefits Overview

• 💰 Competitive, market-aligned compensation

• 🎯 Discretionary global bonus scheme

• 📈 Discretionary Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – for senior positions

• 🚗 Company car or car allowance – varies by region and role

• 🩺 Healthcare – tailored to regional locations

• 👶 Parental leave and family support – maternity, paternity, adoption (aligned with regional policies)

• 🏡 Working options – flexibility where it matters, based on role and business needs

• 📚 Learning & development opportunities – training, online platforms, buddy/mentorship programs, Internal Synthomer University with L&D offers

• 💙 Wellbeing support – employee assistance program (EAP), mental health resources, wellbeing initiatives

• 🌱 Retirement / pension contributions – plans vary by country

• 🤝 Culture of Inclusion – where everyone can thrive

• 🏆 Performance culture, global reward & recognition programmes