LEADING SPECIALISTS ACROSS PROCUREMENT, SUPPLY CHAIN, COMMERCIAL & QS

1st Executive is recognised as the UK & Europe’s largest niche recruiter in Procurement, Supply Chain and Commercial Contract and Strategy Management, with a world-class reputation built through more than 22 years of search-led delivery.

From these strong roots, we have expanded our capability across the US and into a broader suite of specialist disciplines including:

• Commercial Strategy & Delivery

• Programme & Risk Management

• Complex Contract Management (CCM)

• Quantity Surveying (QS)

• Sustainability

Driven by our success in delivering interim and permanent recruitment solutions to major global corporations and government organisations, we have also developed a Management Consultancy practice to support large-scale programmes and transformation initiatives.

Across all our specialist areas, we hold the deepest network of upper-quartile talent — both active and passive — whose careers we have supported and shaped for many years. Our community includes highly trusted associates, elite interim specialists, and an exclusive pool of internationally mobile senior consultants.

Our remit spans talent from rising graduates through to Heads of Function, Directors, and C-suite leaders, with day rates from £/€/$200–2,000 and salaries from £/€/$30k–400k.

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Unrivalled Track Record Across Global Brands & the Public Sector

We are trusted recruitment partners for top-tier international brands, major Defence organisations, highly regulated Government bodies, and global FTSE / Fortune organisations.

Our clients rely on us as strategic partners for transformation, change management, capability uplift and large-scale programmes.

We provide:

• Permanent recruitment

• Interim & contractor solutions

• Executive search

• Multi-country hiring programmes

• Managed service SOW delivery

• Management consultancy solutions

Many of the opportunities we deliver are never advertised, giving our talent community exclusive access to high-impact roles.

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Case Studies: Proven Delivery Across Complex, High-Value Programmes

Major UK Defence Organisation – Management Consultancy Solution

We delivered a full commercial leadership team to support a multi-£Bn change and transformation programme within a highly regulated MOD environment.
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Global Procurement Transformation – 28 Hires in 12 Months

Supporting a global client across eight European countries, we delivered 28 Procurement hires across multiple levels and categories within one year.
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Lean Procurement Function – Senior Interim Team + Permanent Backfill

We deployed 11 senior interim Procurement professionals to lead a transformation programme and subsequently filled the permanent leadership roles.
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Procurement Capability Growth – 10 Critical Hires Delivered

We led a recruitment programme to upskill and expand a full Procurement function, delivering 10 strategically important roles.
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1st Executive: The Leading Specialist Recruiter Across Procurement, Supply Chain, Risk & Commercial

With the deepest networks, broadest capability, and the strongest relationships in the market, we connect exceptional talent with organisations that shape the future of Procurement, Supply Chain, Risk and Commercial operations.