Category Lead – ICT Procurement – London Fire Brigade

National Fire Chiefs Council Limited.; London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A significant public sector organization in London is seeking an experienced Category Lead – ICT Procurement. In this role, you will lead ICT procurement activities, manage critical supplier relationships, and provide expert commercial advice. This position requires strong leadership and resource management skills, alongside a passion for transforming procurement processes. Competitive salary between £54,332 and £70,549 per annum.

Benefits

Collaborative team environment

Autonomy in driving category strategies

Qualifications

• Experience in leading complex ICT procurements.
• Ability to provide expert commercial advice on high-value transactions.
• Strong resource management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead on complex ICT procurements and contract management activities.
• Provide expert commercial advice on multi-million-pound transactions.
• Manage supplier relationships across critical ICT contracts.

Job description

Overview

The LFB is currently in the middle of a multi-year transformation journey. The aims of this transformation are to provide the capabilities, capacity, and resiliency to enable LFB to provide the best possible service to London and Londoners.

As part of this, the Commercial and Procurement team is likewise transforming to introduce a robust end-to-end category management capability. We are seeking enthusiastic, passionate, and experienced Procurement Professionals to join our team for this exciting journey!

The Category Lead – ICT Procurement is a key member of the Procurement and Commercial Management team, reporting into the Head of Procurement – Technology, Collaboration & Complex Transactions. The role is responsible for leading the ICT Category team in procurement and commercial contract management activity that maximises value for money and minimises risk.

Responsibilities

• The Category Lead – ICT Procurement will lead on complex ICT procurements and contract management activities, developing strategies that ensure compliance, manage risk, and maximise value for money.
• You will provide expert commercial advice on high-value, multi-million-pound transactions, lead negotiations, and manage supplier relationships across critical ICT contracts.
• You will also be empowered to reshape and strengthen the ICT category to deliver the highest standards of performance and impact.
• Resource management will be a key aspect of the role, ensuring the right capacity and capability of up to four procurement professionals and specialists to meet the demands of a fast-paced market and an internal environment with conflicting priorities.
• You will be expected to manage competing demands through robust prioritisation and to foster timely decision making through proactive stakeholder engagement, supported by procurement data and management information analysis.
• A core part of the role will involve identifying, escalating and resolving risks and issues in order to meet functional performance targets.
• The successful candidate will deputise for the Head of Procurement – Technology, Collaboration & Complex Transactions in project boards and collaboration meetings, representing LFB in external forums when required.

What we offer

• The opportunity to play a lead role in reshaping ICT procurement within a nationally significant organisation.
• A collaborative and supportive team environment where your expertise will make a visible impact.
• Autonomy and responsibility to drive category strategies that directly support frontline operations and organisational transformation.

Salary: Salary range: £54,332 - £70,549 per annum