May Procurement Recruitment Market Update: A More Selective Market, But Demand Remains

By GROUP CPO

One of the most common questions I’m being asked by procurement leaders and candidates is:

“What is happening in the procurement recruitment market?”

Looking at activity across May, the answer is that the market is still moving, but hiring behaviour has changed.

It is not the candidate short market we experienced over the last few years. Organisations are being more deliberate, approvals are taking longer, and expectations around capability continue to increase.

May Market Snapshot

There are over 7000 procurement roles advertised nationally.

Sydney and Melbourne continue to represent the largest markets, (at a combined 50%) driven by corporate headquarters, financial services, infrastructure, healthcare, technology and transformation activity. 40% of the vacancies are across public sector. The public sector is heavily focussed on systems governance, and compliance roles.

Executive Hiring Remains Selective

An interesting trend we continue to see is the difference between broader procurement hiring and executive appointments.

While there continues to be consistent activity across: • Category Managers • Strategic Sourcing Specialists • Supplier Relationship Managers • Procurement Business Partners

Senior executive opportunities remain more limited with approximately 800 Procurement leadership roles across the country.

This reflects what we are hearing in conversations with executives: organisations are still investing in procurement capability, but leadership appointments are being considered carefully.

When executive roles do come to market, expectations are higher.

Organisations are looking for leaders who can demonstrate: • Transformation experience • Executive stakeholder influence • Digital and AI readiness • Supplier risk management • Commercial outcomes beyond savings

The Skills in Highest Demand

The strongest demand continues to be for procurement professionals who can operate beyond traditional sourcing.

Areas seeing continued interest include:

Technology ProcurementDriven by ongoing digital transformation, cybersecurity, AI adoption and enterprise technology investment.

Supplier Risk & ResilienceOrganisations continue to focus on supply continuity, geopolitical risk and supplier visibility.

Transformation & Operating Model ExperienceBusinesses want procurement leaders who can improve how the function operates, not just manage categories.

What This Means for Candidates

The market is more competitive.

Strong procurement professionals are still securing opportunities, but the ability to articulate impact is becoming increasingly important.

The candidates standing out are not just talking about what they managed.

They are talking about their impact and what changed because they were there.

Examples: • Commercial impact delivered • Risk reduced • Stakeholders influenced • Processes transformed • Supplier value created

What This Means for Employers

The best procurement talent remains difficult to access.

While there may be more applicants in the market, there is still a shortage of people who combine technical procurement expertise with strategic leadership capability.

The market has not stopped.

It has become more selective.

The organisations that continue investing in the right procurement capability now will be best positioned as market conditions shift.