Welcome from Richard Taylor, Executive Director

As Executive Commercial Director, I’m delighted that you’re exploring these opportunities at such an exciting point in YPO’s journey. Having joined the organisation around 18 months ago from a private sector background, I’ve experienced first hand the unique balance YPO offers, combining commercial pace and ambition with a clear and meaningful public purpose. I have found it a very rewarding transition and every day I am reminded of the difference we can make across the public sector.

As a 100% publicly owned organisation, owned by 13 local authorities, we are proud that our commercial success is reinvested directly into frontline public services. Our ability to operate at scale and with agility, while remaining grounded in public value and social impact is what makes YPO a distinctive and fulfilling place to work.

Following our 50th anniversary in 2024, we are firmly focused on the future with lots of plans in the pipeline. The procurement landscape is evolving rapidly, and in tandem with increasing expectations from customers, suppliers, and stakeholders we are driving forward with our own vision for transformation, strengthening our services, enhancing our capability and continuing to evolve how we engage with our customers.

Against this backdrop, the potential for growth is significant, which is why I am so excited to be recruiting two brand new senior roles that will be critical in shaping how we connect with and serve our customers both now and in the future.

As Head of Ecommerce, you will lead the development and delivery of our ecommerce strategy, ensuring our platforms provide a seamless, accessible, and customer‑centric experience. This is a newly created role which will be fundamental to our ability to drive digital growth, using data and insight to inform decisions, and working across the organisation to align our ecommerce capability with wider commercial priorities. This is a highly visible role, with considerable impact and strategic importance, central to how we enhance customer experience and deliver on our digital ambition.

As Head of Marketing, you will be responsible for shaping and delivering a clear, insight‑led marketing strategy that strengthens our brand and increases engagement across our markets. This newly defined role will involve leading on the way we communicate our value, ensuring a consistent and compelling presence across multiple channels, while supporting growth and reinforcing YPO’s position within a competitive and evolving landscape.

Both roles require strategic, forward thinking leaders who can operate at pace, inspire teams, and collaborate effectively across a complex organisation. Whether your experience has been shaped in the public or private sector, what matters most is your ability to bring clarity, creativity, and commercial awareness, and to translate that into further growth and successful economic outcomes.

These roles are not typical public sector appointments. They offer the pace, innovation, and commercial challenge of a competitive market environment, alongside the purpose and social value that come from serving the public good. You will join an organisation with strong values, clear ambition, and a genuine commitment to its people and the communities we serve.

If you are ready to play a key role in shaping YPO’s next chapter, we look forward to receiving your application. After an initial discussion with our recruitment partners at The Resourcing Solution, I would be pleased to speak with those who wish to learn more.

Please have a look at our YPO LinkedIn page to see what we have been up to recently.

Richard Taylor,
Executive Commercial Director

We aim to be an employer of choice that attracts and retains the right people for our roles. Our people matter and have access to wellbeing initiatives. They are engaged and cared for. They have the right benefits and are supported to be the best that they can be.

We have over 25 trained mental health first aiders and were crowned Employer of the Year at the prestigious InsideOut Awards, which celebrate excellence in workplace wellbeing and mental health.

This reflects efforts made throughout the organisation to create and maintain a culture and environment that is attractive to candidates and where current employees can thrive and develop their skills.

Holistic staff wellbeing, encompassing physical, mental, financial, and social aspects, is prioritised as we cultivate a culture of inclusion and belonging. In 2024, 36 wellbeing workshops and events were delivered to YPO employees.

YPO’s pioneering success with apprenticeships highlights our organisation’s people-first approach. 2024 saw even more success for our apprenticeship framework, which has helped 2,560 people throughout the UK on their career path since its launch in 2018.

Closer to home, YPO has taken on 114 apprentices since 2012, with eight in ten of them going on to secure permanent work at YPO.