Procurement Category Manager

Procurement Category Manager – Road Operations

Location: London / Basingstoke (Hybrid Working - 3 days per week in the office)

Contract Type: 6-Month Contract

Rate: £500-£600 per day (via Umbrella)

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Procurement Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing, supplier management, and commercial delivery across a critical Road Operations portfolio.

The successful candidate will support the delivery of procurement strategy, ensuring maximum value is achieved from third-party spend through cost optimisation, operational efficiencies, risk mitigation, supplier performance management, and commercial innovation. This role manages an annual third-party spend portfolio of approximately £25m-£40m, covering both OPEX and CAPEX expenditure.

You will take ownership of a significant procurement portfolio, driving commercial value, supplier excellence, and operational effectiveness across Road Operations and associated services.

Key Responsibilities

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• Lead end-to-end procurement activities, from opportunity identification and market engagement through to supplier selection, contract negotiation, and onboarding.
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• Develop and implement category strategies that align with business objectives and operational requirements.
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• Manage competitive tender processes, including RFPs, RFQs, and supplier evaluations.
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• Negotiate commercial agreements and contractual terms to deliver best value and mitigate risk.
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• Build and maintain effective supplier relationships, ensuring contractual commitments, service levels, and performance targets are achieved.
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• Identify cost optimisation, efficiency, and value creation opportunities across third-party spend.
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• Provide procurement expertise, commercial insight, and market intelligence to stakeholders across the business.
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• Support supplier governance, risk management, and compliance activities.
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• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and supplier management processes.
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• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure procurement strategies support wider business goals.
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Required Experience & Skills

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• Significant procurement experience with strong expertise in category management and strategic sourcing.
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• Experience within automotive, fleet, logistics, transportation, engineering, or service-led operational environments.
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• Proven track record of leading end-to-end sourcing projects and complex procurement initiatives.
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• Extensive experience managing competitive tender processes, supplier selection programmes, and contract negotiations.
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• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to challenge requirements, manage spend, and deliver measurable business value.
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• Demonstrable experience building trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.
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• Strong supplier relationship management and contract management capability.
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• Experience driving supplier performance, managing risk, and delivering continuous improvement.
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• Excellent negotiation, influencing, and communication skills.
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• Ability to work independently and deliver results within demanding timeframes.
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Desirable Experience

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• Knowledge of supplier governance frameworks and procurement best practice.
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• Experience managing operationally critical supply chains and service providers.
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