Category Lead/Manager - Fleet & Indirect Procurement

Category Lead/Manager – Fleet & Indirect Procurement

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Location: Flexible / Hybrid (Finsbury Park, London)

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Reporting to: Head of Procurement

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About the Role:

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WPS is seeking an experienced Category Manager – Fleet & Indirect Procurement to take ownership of one of our most critical spend categories while supporting wider indirect procurement activities across the business.

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This is a highly autonomous role, with approximately 60% of your time focused on fleet procurement and fleet management activities and the remaining 40% dedicated to broader indirect procurement categories such as IT, HR Services, Professional Services, Office Supplies, PPE and other overhead spend.

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We are looking for a procurement professional who can operate independently, build strong stakeholder relationships, and bring proven experience managing a large operational vehicle fleet.

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Key Responsibilities:

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Fleet Procurement (Primary Focus)

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• Lead the procurement and category management of a fleet of approximately 2,000 operational vehicles.
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• Develop fleet strategies that deliver cost savings, operational efficiency and compliance.
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• Manage vehicle procurement, specification, fit-out and supplier selection.
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• Evaluate and recommend funding options including leasing, purchasing and financing.
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• Build robust business cases for fleet investment and replacement programmes.
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• Manage key fleet spend areas including:
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• Vans and operational vehicles
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• Telematics
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• Fuel and EV solutions
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• Company cars
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• Salary sacrifice schemes
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• Vehicle maintenance and repair contracts
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• Monitor supplier performance and drive continuous improvement.
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Indirect Procurement:

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• Develop and implement category strategies across indirect spend areas.
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• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, cost avoidance and value creation.
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• Manage categories including:
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• IT Services
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• Recruitment
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• HR Services
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• Professional Services
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• Office Supplies & Stationery
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• PPE
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• Utilities
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• Travel and associated overhead spend
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• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies with business objectives.
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Stakeholder & Supplier Management:

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• Build strong relationships across the business and with external suppliers.
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• Influence decision-making at all levels of the organisation.
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• Support operational teams with supplier management and procurement best practice.
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• Lead commercial negotiations and contract discussions.
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About You:

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We're looking for someone who can hit the ground running and confidently manage a large fleet category whilst balancing wider indirect procurement responsibilities.

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Essential Experience7:

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• Proven experience in Fleet Procurement or Fleet Category Management.
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• Experience managing operational fleet vehicles and vans.
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• Previous responsibility for a fleet of approximately 2,000 vehicles or similar scale.
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• Strong indirect procurement/category management experience.
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• Experience delivering cost savings, rebates and commercial value.
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• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
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Skills & Knowledge:

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• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills.
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• Strong analytical and commercial acumen.
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• Experience using procurement and reporting tools.
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• Knowledge of compliance, governance and risk management.
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• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
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• Understanding of sustainable procurement and fleet strategies.
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Qualifications:

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• Degree level education or equivalent experience preferred.
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• CIPS qualification or working towards CIPS would be advantageous.
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Why Join WPS?

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• Opportunity to lead a significant fleet spend portfolio of approximately £18m annually.
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• Influence procurement strategy across a broader indirect spend portfolio of approximately £60m annually.
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• Work closely with senior business leaders.
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• Be part of a collaborative procurement team driving meaningful business value.
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If you are an experienced fleet procurement professional looking for a broad category management role with genuine strategic impact, we'd love to hear from you.