Role search
Get a Procurement Lead who can own purchase order contract compliance.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: A Procurement Lead settles into the tactical execution of your supply chain. You have a gap where operational needs often bypass established buying channels.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Procurement Lead
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
A Procurement Lead settles into the tactical execution of your supply chain. You have a gap where operational needs often bypass established buying channels. This hire fixes the process for specific categories by ensuring every purchase order matches an approved contract. They do not just process paperwork. They audit what you buy, compare those items to market benchmarks, and ensure the price you pay matches the quality you receive.
The role requires grit in reconciling the tension between speed and cost. Production teams need materials on a deadline, which often leads to expensive, unplanned spot buys. This hire negotiates better terms for these categories while holding the line on payment terms. They ensure your ERP system shows accurate spend data, removing the guesswork from your next quarterly review.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify sourcing experience by reviewing actual bid packages. A strong candidate outlines the bid requirements, the list of invited suppliers, and the specific cost-of-ownership criteria used for the final selection. They explain how they weighted price against logistics risks in their last event and how they avoided common traps like hidden surcharges.
- We test their ability to manage existing supply bases through measurable performance metrics. We look for individuals who built functional scorecards that clearly signaled when a supplier started missing delivery windows. They must explain the specific contract language they invoked to address underperformance, such as penalty clauses for late delivery.
- We audit their hands-on ERP configuration skills. The hire must explain how they set up P2P workflows that prevent unauthorized requisitions. We ask them to describe the process for segregating duties to ensure the person requesting a part is not the same person approving the final invoice. We verify they can handle the system to pull data that isolates spend on non-contracted vendors so you can take corrective action.
- We evaluate how they translate raw spend data into actionable insights for the department head. They must show how they strip away extraneous details to present a clean summary of current risks, savings targets, and outstanding contract expirations to senior management. We check their ability to create an accurate monthly dashboard that shows current versus historical spend for specific commodity groups, ensuring finance gets the detail they require for auditing.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We source candidates from established procurement departments in manufacturing, logistics, and service-heavy sectors. These individuals are comfortable managing high-volume parts lists and frequent operational pivots. They know how to speak the language of plant supervisors and understand that a missed delivery results in idle labor hours. They have spent years in environments where procurement must align with tight production schedules, making them effective at prioritizing urgent needs over administrative delays.
We also recruit from organizations that maintain rigorous internal audit and compliance standards. These individuals bring a disciplined approach to P2P controls and supplier onboarding. They move toward these roles because they prefer the concrete, measurable nature of tactical procurement over the broader scope of executive strategy.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring a manager who tries to rebuild every internal process from scratch instead of fixing the current purchasing gaps. This leads to friction with existing departments and stalls simple ordering tasks that require immediate attention.
- Selecting someone who relies on generic vendor lists rather than performing original research on your specific categories. This often leaves the company with subpar pricing for specialized parts that do not fit into commodity-based supplier categories.
- Ignoring the candidate's actual experience with your specific ERP system modules. A candidate might know the theory of procurement but fail to execute the required clicks to enforce a P2P approval chain, which renders your internal controls useless during an audit.
The search
How the Procurement Lead search runs
- We start by confirming their expertise with your industry-specific spend categories. We identify candidates who have already managed the same commodities you need to source, ensuring they understand the market volatility and unique constraints of those materials. We check that they can interpret the specific physical or service requirements provided by your operations team.
- We then validate their technical competence within your software environment. We ask them to walk through a recent sourcing event, focusing on how they structured the bid in their previous ERP to match their specific organizational controls and approval thresholds. We check that they can configure the system to trigger alerts when spend exceeds pre-defined limits.
- Finally, we assess their communication style with your operations and finance teams. We confirm they can explain complex procurement risks without filler, focusing only on how those risks impact the balance sheet and the production schedule. They demonstrate the ability to present findings that help leadership decide whether to renew a contract or start a new sourcing project.
Questions
Is this a strategic role?
This is a tactical execution role. It focuses on daily purchasing, P2P compliance, and specific sourcing events.
How do you charge for this?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Does the hire manage the whole supply chain?
No. The scope is limited to procurement, P2P controls, and sourcing. It does not include broad logistics, warehousing, or internal operations management.
How quickly can they start?
The timeline depends on your interview process. We only present candidates who have passed our specific technical checks.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
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The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.