Category Manager - Indirect

Arriva Group; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

CrossCountry in Birmingham is seeking a Category Manager – Indirect to lead a small procurement team and own end-to-end procurement, including market engagement, tendering, contract awards and supplier relationships.

You will drive value, governance and compliant processes across the business, deliver regulated procurements under the Procurement Act 2023, and collaborate with stakeholders and Legal to protect CrossCountry’s commercial interests.

Qualifications

• Experience compiling robust tender and commercial documentation.
• Experience running tenders and leading complex procurement activities.
• Strong negotiation skills delivering successful commercial outcomes.
• Experience procuring direct and indirect goods—ideally IT, rail or transport.
• Advanced Excel and spend data analysis skills.
• CIPS membership or working towards it.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate a small team reporting to Head of Procurement & Property.
• Implement and improve procurement processes for compliant operations.
• Shape procurement strategies delivering value for money and innovation.
• Build a forward-looking procurement pipeline to meet business needs.
• Manage major procurement projects—regulated and non-regulated—with tender docs and evaluation frameworks.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify best-fit solutions.
• Foster supplier relationships and SRM across the organisation.
• Work with Legal to ensure contractual terms protect commercial interests.
• Drive supplier performance and address non-conformances promptly.
• Support process improvements to strengthen resilience of the supply chain.
• Identify and track cost savings and added value.
• Benchmark supplier performance and negotiate changes for ongoing value.
• Present strategies and pricing insights to senior leadership.
• Utilise P2P systems and promote best practice.

Skills

Tender docs

Negotiation

Stakeholder mgmt

Supply markets

Excel proficiency

Tools

Purchase-to-Pay systems

Contract management software

Job description

Category Manager – Indirect

Closing date: 16th November 2025

Location: Birmingham / Hybrid

Salary: Circa £58K Are you ready to make a real impact in a business that connects communities across the country? We’re looking for a forward-thinking and commercially savvy Category Manager – Indirect to lead a small team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of procurement at CrossCountry.

This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of the full end-to-end procurement journey—from market engagement and tender management to contract award and supplier relationship development. You’ll help drive value, quality and governance across our organisation, delivering regulated procurements under the Procurement Act 2023 as well as non-regulated activity.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and motivate a small team while reporting directly into the Head of Procurement & Property.
• Implement and continuously improve procurement processes to ensure smooth, compliant operations across the business.
• Shape procurement strategies that deliver value for money, including opportunities such as supplier consolidation and innovation.
• Build and maintain an aligned, forward‑looking procurement pipeline to meet business needs.
• Manage major procurement projects—both regulated and non-regulated—producing high‑quality tender documents, evaluation frameworks and reports.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their needs and help identify best‑fit solutions.
• Foster strong relationships with existing and potential suppliers through structured supplier relationship management.
• Partner with legal and procurement colleagues to ensure adherence to contractual terms and protect CrossCountry’s commercial interests.
• Drive supplier performance, resolve service issues, and ensure non‑conformances are addressed promptly.
• Support process improvements that strengthen resilience and efficiency across the supply chain.
• Identify, deliver and track cost savings, commercial opportunities and added value.
• Benchmark supplier performance and negotiate contract changes to ensure continuous value delivery.
• Present strategies, pricing recommendations and insights to senior leadership.
• Leverage data analysis, demand profiling and market insights to inform pricing and supplier strategies.
• Be an expert user of Purchase-to-Pay systems and help promote best practice across the organisation.
• Maintain deep knowledge of supply markets, trends and key suppliers.
• Work collaboratively with Group Procurement and AUKT Central Procurement on cross‑group initiatives.
• Utilise Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks where appropriate.
• Carry out any additional duties as required by the Head of Procurement & Property.

Sustainable Procurement

Help drive a more responsible, ethical and sustainable supply chain by:

• Supporting the development and communication of a Sustainable Procurement Policy that improves value, conserves resources and reduces environmental impact.
• Championing local procurement and opportunities for SMEs wherever possible.
• Ensuring fair pricing, contract terms and full adherence to ethical, human rights and labour standards, aligned with Arriva’s Responsible Procurement Policy and Code of Conduct.

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Proven experience compiling robust tender and commercial documentation.
• Experience running tenders and leading complex procurement activities.
• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of delivering successful commercial outcomes.
• Experience procuring direct and indirect goods and services—ideally within IT, rail or transport environments.
• Strong understanding of technical services supply markets.
• Excellent stakeholder relationship skills, with the ability to influence and support decision‑making.
• Strong analytical and spend analysis skills, including advanced Excel capability.
• Membership of CIPS (or working towards it).

We Value Diversity

We recognise the importance of the diverse experiences, talents and cultures our people bring. Inclusion is at the heart of our talent strategy, and a diverse workforce is essential to unlocking potential and driving our success.