Category Manager (IT Procurement)

MS Amlin; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading specialty insurance firm is seeking a Category Manager for IT Procurement to drive category strategies and manage supplier relationships. This role involves negotiating contracts, delivering savings targets, and collaborating with senior stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have experience in procurement, particularly in IT, along with strong negotiation and strategic thinking skills. The company offers a competitive salary and a flexible hybrid working environment.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Performance-related discretionary bonus

Flexible hybrid working model

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering long-term value within a procurement environment.
• Ideally a Degree in procurement, business, or a related field.
• Experience in IT Category.
• MCIPS certifications are beneficial but not mandatory.
• Ability to lead on sourcing strategy.
• Stong knowledge of navigating market dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Leverage understanding of market factors to drive category strategies.
• Lead category initiatives like RFx and vendor selections.
• Deliver defined savings targets and cost transformation programs.
• Oversee contract governance process in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Provide insights from data-driven analysis.

Skills

Procurement expertise

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Influencing skills

Education

Degree in procurement or related field

Job description

Role: Category Manager (IT Procurement)
Location: London
Contract Type: Permanent
Work Pattern: Full Time and Hybrid

About The Job

As a specialty insurance firm, sourcing the right suppliers and managing our supply chain ecosystem is fundamental to everything we do. We’re looking for an experienced, motivated and organised individual to join our evolving team. The Category Manager will work closely with various departments and senior stakeholders to align business objectives to sourcing and contracting outcomes, balancing performance, value and risk in our IT Category. This role is responsible for delivering category strategies, sourcing and contracting for one of the organisation’s highest value and complex categories. This target driven role involves collaborating with senior internal stakeholders and external suppliers to understand the end to end opportunities within the category and the impact their commercial decisions have for the organisation and its customers. You will highlight opportunities to improve the future position through negotiation and cost levers as well as value beyond the pound. You’ll be able to challenge cost drivers through effective expenditure management but will also be able to effectively utilise data to develop commercial proposals that look beyond the obvious cost opportunities. This role acts as a key contact for senior stakeholders to advise on their route to supply, cost drivers and opportunities. A Category Manager will act as an expert reference point for MS Amlin’s cost management discipline as well as providing commercial and external market insights.

What you’ll spend your time doing

• Leverage a good understanding of the factors, dynamics, and challenges across the market to structure, establish, and drive category strategies.
• Lead associated category initiatives (such as RFx), including understanding and communicating industry trends, selecting vendors and driving associated negotiations at the most senior level both internally and externally and implementing optimal contracts.
• Mitigate risks associated with the current market and trends, managing it in partnership with risk subject matter experts (SME teams).
• Deliver defined savings targets and cost transformation programs across all spend categories under management, improving alliance opportunities across the wider organisation with a diligent approach towards TCO. Work closely and proactively with the business to identify new savings opportunities and efficiencies across managed spend.
• Drive standardised and centralised reporting (e.g. pricing, volumes, spend, savings, contracts, quarterly business reviews, etc.), support relevant category initiatives and coordinate with key partners to drive leveraged contracting across the organisation.
• Oversee the contract governance process in collaboration with business stakeholders.
• Establish a plan for procurement activities, considering new business requirements, business strategy, emerging risks, and expiring contracts with suppliers.
• Foster collaboration across the Procurement Function to enhance the overall stakeholder experience.
• Produce timely and relevant reporting and management information across business-as-usual services, transitions and project related activities with strategic suppliers.
• Provide insights and recommendations to senior management based on data-driven analysis.
• Liaise with the finance department to manage procurement budgets, track spending, and find opportunities to reduce cost.

What you’ll need

• Proven track record of delivering long-term value within a procurement environment.
• Ideally a Degree in procurement, business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience.
• Experience in IT Category
• MCIPS certifications are beneficial but not mandatory.
• Capability to identify and sustain value gained through negotiation and sourcing.
• Ability to build, maintain and influence partner relationships across the business to ensure clear alignment between procurement and wider business planning.
• Ability to lead on sourcing strategy, category plans and day to day activities to ensure they are seen as a trusted advisor to our business stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking abilities and the capacity to align category strategy with business needs.
• Strong knowledge of navigating market dynamics effectively.
• Proficiency in commercial skills and negotiation tactics.
• Effective stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in influencing without direct authority.
• Competence in managing upward relationships.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm, decisiveness, strategic thinking, and proactiveness.
• An understanding of the insurance lifecycle would be a genuine plus.

We are stronger together because of our common interests and rich differences. You may be the strength we didn’t know we needed. Believe in yourself, and click apply today!

What Can You Expect From Us

As well as a competitive base salary and performance related discretionary bonus, here is a link to our employee benefits – Benefits of working at MS Amlin | MS Amlin.

Hybrid Working

At MS Amlin we operate a hybrid working model to empower our people with flexibility to blend where they work. We value collaboration and believe that we work better together, our teams typically do 3 days a week in the office.

About MS Amlin

MS Amlin is a leading (re)insurer and part of the global MS&AD Group, with operations across Lloyd’s of London, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. With over 120 years of experience, we support businesses facing complex and demanding risks, providing continuity in an uncertain world. Our expertise covers Property, Casualty, Marine, Crisis Management, Natural Resources and Reinsurance, backed by strong underwriting capabilities and deep sector knowledge. At the core of our claims service is TRUST - Transparency, Responsiveness, Understanding, Solution-driven thinking, and Technical expertise. This defines how we manage claims and build lasting relationships.

DE&I at MS Amlin

We will build a workplace where all talent is welcomed, and everyone has the opportunity to influence how the business works. We have dedicated employee resource groups that support our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) goals. MS Amlin is proud to be one of the founding partners of Lloyd’s Inclusive Futures programme which aims to get more Black and ethnically diverse people into the insurance industry - supporting them all the way from the classroom to the boardroom. Visit this link (Inclusive Futures Impact Report) to find out more about the programme and its aims and achievements so far.