Christie's Head of Business Procurement
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Executive
- Department
- Finance, Accounting & Revenue Management
- Posted
- Sep 30, 2026
About Christie's
Founded in London in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s is a leading international auction house whose heritage spans fine art, decorative arts, jewellery and exceptional collectibles. Through auctions, private sales and digital platforms, it connects collectors with remarkable objects and the expertise that brings their histories to life. As an employer, Christie’s offers career paths across specialist departments, client services, marketing, technology and operations within a global, culturally rich environment. Its work calls for intellectual curiosity, discretion and meticulous attention to detail, appealing to professionals who value scholarship, commercial acumen and the exacting standards of the international art and luxury markets.
Christie's seeks Head of Business Procurement in London to lead enterprise commercial strategy and supplier governance as a trusted business advisor.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead enterprise-level business engagement and operate as a trusted advisor to executive and business leadership teams
- Constructively challenge demand, investment cases and major commitments before approval, embedding evidence-based commercial decision-making across functions
- Set the commercial direction for non-technology spend categories aligned to enterprise priorities and establish clear value realization and savings objectives
- Prioritize enterprise value, risk and supplier opportunities across major business spend areas and strengthen business cases through market insight and value challenge
- Govern the commercial assessment of major programmes, initiatives and supplier proposals, ensuring implications are visible in strategic planning forums
- Establish supplier governance principles and frameworks that improve value, resilience, innovation and accountability across business-owned relationships
- Lead complex negotiations and personally intervene where material value, risk or precedent requires commercial restructuring
- Drive measurable value, savings and cost avoidance from major investments, suppliers and commercial decisions while identifying and managing commercial and delivery risks
- Build commercial capability within business functions and embed Procurement as a strategic advisor through operating model adoption and practical disciplines
- Establish frameworks, tools and reporting needed for business-owned governance of strategic supplier relationships and ensure contract discipline across functions
Qualifications
- Significant experience leading enterprise procurement or commercial functions in a complex global organisation
- Track record of leading material sourcing, value creation and operating model change
- Strong value strategy and business case development capability
- Experience influencing senior executives and governing significant investments
- Extensive experience enabling business-owned supplier ecosystems through frameworks, governance and commercial escalation
- Strong negotiation, commercial structuring and stakeholder management skills
- Deep understanding of risk management, governance and regulatory environments
- Experience leading change in complex, relationship-led environments
Skills
Experience
Demonstrable senior procurement experience in business-facing leadership roles, with proven success leading cross-functional value strategies in global organisations. Must show track record of enabling value through business-owned strategic supplier partnerships and working with senior executives to shape investment and business decisions. Experience leading procurement as a strategic business partner rather than an operational function is essential.
Education
Not specified; advanced degree in business administration, procurement, supply chain management or related field is typically expected for this seniority level, though not explicitly required.
Workplace
This position is based in London, England, UK.
Benefits
27 days annual leave plus 1 day birthday leave; Christie's Christmas office closure (approximately 25 December to 2 January, in addition to annual leave); 1 additional week's annual leave at 5-year employment anniversaries; volunteering day; donation matching up to £500 per annum; flexible fitness fund of £400 per year; discretionary performance bonus; pension scheme with matching up to 10% of basic salary; private health insurance (no employee contribution); dental insurance; income protection insurance after 12 months; life insurance from first day; employee assistance programme; eyecare vouchers; cycle to work scheme; retailer and entertainment discounts; 16 weeks full pay maternity leave; four-day week for eight weeks at full pay on return from maternity leave; dependent back-up childcare or eldercare (10 sessions/days per year).
Culture
Christie’s workplace culture centres on specialist expertise, intellectual curiosity and a shared appreciation for art and exceptional objects, with discretion and attentive client service shaping its professional environment. Its international auction business brings together specialists and colleagues across disciplines, combining a distinguished heritage with an evolving approach to digital engagement and the global art market.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Christie's, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Head of Procurement Strategy», «Chief Procurement Officer», «Senior Procurement Director», «Procurement Leadership Executive», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.