Category Manager - Professional Services

Phoenix Group; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm is seeking a Category Manager for Professional Services in Birmingham, London, or Edinburgh. The role involves managing sourcing strategies for consultancy and legal services to enhance profitability, along with supplier negotiation and risk management. Ideal candidates will have a degree in Business Administration, experience in procurement, and a strong track record in supplier management. This position offers flexible working conditions, competitive salary, and various benefits.

Benefits

16% bonus

Private medical cover

38 days annual leave

Excellent pension

Income protection

3x volunteering days

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement, strategic sourcing or supply chain management.
• Current knowledge of the Professional Services and Temp Staffing supply market.
• Track record of developing and implementing successful procurement strategies.

Responsibilities

• Manage the sourcing of Professional Services for consultancy and legal.
• Lead the sourcing process and manage supplier performance.
• Develop category strategies aligned with business goals.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with sourcing activities.

Skills

Proven track record in procurement

Supplier relationship management

Strategic thinking

Cost savings expertise

Collaboration across functions

Education

Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field

Membership of CIPS or relevant accreditation

Job description

Category Manager - Professional Services

Birmingham, London or Edinburgh (Hybrid)

Job Description

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Birmingham, London or Edinburgh

Flexible working: All of our roles are open to part‑time, job‑share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about Phoenix Flex here.

Closing Date: 18th November

Salary and benefits: £60,000 - £87,800 plus 16% bonus up to 32%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more

The role holder will play a critical role in managing the sourcing of all Professional Services for example, Consultancy and Legal Services products and services, developing robust sourcing strategies to increase profitability ensuring a competitive market position. They will be responsible for supplier negotiation; category analysis, supplier and commercial management and cross functional team leadership aiming to meet or exceed financial targets.

Key Accountabilities

• Category Strategy Development: Develop and implement strategic procurement plans aligned with category objectives and organisational goals.
• Supplier selection and management: identify, assess and commercially manage end to end relationships with Tier 1, Tier 2 and other material suppliers to ensure the delivery of high-quality services and products at competitive pricing.
• Sourcing and Negotiation: Lead the sourcing process for a significant sourcing exercise – negotiate contracts and manage supplier performance to achieve cost savings and mitigate risks.
• Cost optimisation: Implement cost optimisation strategies including, but not limited to, demand management, volume consolidation, and process efficiencies to drive savings and improve profitability.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate risks associated with sourcing activities, including managing regulatory contractual change, ESG standards, supplier risks, contract risks and ensure business continuity.
• Business Partnering: Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including Finance, Legal, Risk, and Business Unit Executives to understand their needs and requirements and provide strategic guidance and support.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives with the Centre of Excellence team ensuring that procurement and third‑party management best practices across Consultancy and Legal services (as an example) plus Temporary staffing is adopted to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Commercial Partnerships.
• Performance Measurement: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics and monitor the performance of the team, track savings and identify areas for improvement.

What are we looking for?

• Masters or Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain Management or a related field.
• Membership of CIPS (ideally MCIPS level) or another relevant accreditation.
• Proven track record and demonstrable experience in procurement, strategic sourcing or supply chain management with a focus on the financial services industry.
• Current knowledge of the Professional Services and Temp Staffing supply market.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful procurement strategies, driving cost savings and managing supplier relationships.

We're on the lookout for an experienced individual to join our Professional Services & Temporary Staffing Procurement team at category manager level — a team at the heart of our function and business.

This is more than a role. It’s an opportunity to be part of an organisation with people at its core, that’s reshaping how we engage with strategic suppliers, drive commercial value, and empower teams to work smarter through self‑service principles and agile procurement models.

If you thrive in environments that value:

• Growth mindset and continuous learning
• Strategic thinking and supplier relationship management
• Collaboration across functions to deliver real impact
• Innovation in procurement processes and digital tooling

... and you're a workforce management procurement specialist, then we’d love to hear from you.

We want to hire the whole version of you.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear you. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best. We’re reviewing applications as they come in, so apply early to avoid missing out.

Find out more about #LifeAtPhoenix

Guide for Candidates: thephoenixgroup.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates

• Locations 20 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7AN, GB 10 Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2JB, GB 30 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh, EH1 2DH, GB (Hybrid)