Category Manager - Indirect

XC Trains Limited; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva in Birmingham seeks a Category Manager - Indirect to lead a small procurement team and own end-to-end procurement, including market engagement, tender management and supplier relationships. You will drive value-for-money strategies, underpin governance, and support regulatory compliance under the Procurement Act 2023.

The role requires strong negotiation, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision making to deliver cost savings and improved supplier performance in a hybrid working

Qualifications

• 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 commercial outcomes.
• Experience procuring direct and indirect goods and services – ideally IT, rail or transport.
• Advanced Excel and spend analysis capabilities.
• Membership of CIPS (or working towards it).

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate a small team reporting to the Head of Procurement & Property.
• Implement and continuously improve procurement processes to ensure compliant operations.
• Shape procurement strategies that deliver value for money, including supplier consolidation and innovation.
• Build and maintain an aligned procurement pipeline to meet business needs.
• Manage major procurement projects – regulated and non-regulated – with high-quality tender documents and reports.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand needs and identify best-fit solutions.
• Foster strong supplier relationships and ensure adherence to contractual terms with legal teams.
• Drive supplier performance, address non-conformances, and promote continuous improvement.

Skills

Tender management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Advanced Excel

Spend analysis

Strategic procurement

Supplier relationship management

Leadership

Education

CIPS membership (or working towards)

Tools

Purchase-to-Pay systems

Job description

Category Manager - Indirect Closing date: 4th October 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.

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.

Thank you for your interest in working on our team! Our expansion is opening up exciting prospects! As our team grows, we’re on the lookout for the brightest talent to join us. Our ongoing success hinges on this! After reviewing our available positions, we encourage you to apply to those that resonate with your skills. We’re grateful for your consideration to become a part of our dynamic team!