Category Manager – Professional Services & HR Procurement

BOOTS; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Boots Retirement Savings Plan

Discretionary annual bonus

Generous employee discounts

Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption

Flexible benefits scheme

Employee assistance via TELUS Health

Job summary

Boots is seeking a Category Manager for Professional Services & HR Procurement to own a diverse portfolio from consultancy to HR services. Based on-site in Nottingham, you will shape category strategy, drive value and ensure strong supplier governance while engaging with senior stakeholders up to CxO level.

You will work with a cross-functional team to deliver procurement strategies that align with Boots' objectives, supporting a £450m spend and influencing decisions across Boots UK, ROI and No7

Qualifications

• Strong category management and strategy development experience across professional services or complex indirect services.
• Commercial acumen balancing value, service quality, innovation and risk.
• Proven negotiation experience optimizing outcomes for the business.
• Contracting expertise for local/regional supplier arrangements.
• Project management to shape and deliver initiatives on time and in full.
• Excellent stakeholder management with senior leaders and cross‑functional partners.
• Strong communication to explain direction and commercial outcomes clearly.
• Data analytics capability to turn information into negotiation insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead category strategies across Professional Services and HR Procurement.
• Engage stakeholders up to CxO/Executive level to test requirements and balance value, service, risk, and compliance.
• Use market insight and spend analysis to shape category strategies for Boots, Opticians and No7 Beauty Company.
• Drive procurement-led change across consultancy, managed services and other categories.
• Project manage category workstreams ensuring on-time delivery within governance.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, InfoSec and Data Protection to support robust decisions.
• Lead supplier selection, negotiations and contracting for local/regional arrangements.
• Track savings and KPIs, using data to inform decisions and demonstrate impact.
• Support key supplier relationships and develop strategic partnerships.

Skills

Category management

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Contracting

Project management

Data analytics

Procurement governance

Job description

Contract: 12 month FTC

Recruitment Partner: Vyoma Gandhi

What you’\'ll be doing

As Category Manager - Professional Services & HR Procurement, you\'ll take ownership of an assigned portfolio covering areas such as consultancy, managed service/BPO, audit, temporary labour, R&D, data, learning and development, HR operations and reward. Based on-site in Nottingham, you\'ll report into the Category Director for Professional Services and work across Boots UK & Republic of Ireland, Opticians and No7 Beauty Company to shape category strategy, improve value and support strong supplier governance.

This is a high-impact role within a Professional Services Procurement team responsible for around £450m spend. You\'ll work alongside two other Category Managers and a cross‑functional team of Procurement Associates, partnering with senior stakeholders up to CxO and Executive level to turn business needs into practical, commercial sourcing strategies.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, develop and take personal responsibility for category strategies across your assigned Professional Services and HR Procurement portfolio.
• Work with stakeholders up to CxO and Executive level to test business requirements, challenge current approaches and balance value, service, risk and compliance.
• Use external market insight, spend analysis and supplier knowledge to shape strategies that support Boots, Opticians and No7 Beauty Company.
• Drive procurement‑led change and sourcing activity across categories such as consultancy, managed services/BPO, temporary labour, R&D, data, learning and development, HR operations and reward.
• Project manage category workstreams and initiatives, ensuring objectives are delivered on time and within agreed governance.
• Collaborate with teams including Finance Business Partners, Legal, InfoSec and Data Protection to support robust commercial decisions.
• Lead supplier selection, negotiations and contracting for local and regional arrangements.
• Track and report on savings, ROI and other procurement KPIs, using data to inform decision‑making and demonstrate impact.
• Support key supplier relationships, developing strategic partnerships that create mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Monitor supplier risk and compliance, identifying mitigation plans in line with the business\'s risk appetite.

What you\'ll need to have (our must-haves)

• Strong category management and strategy development experience, ideally across professional services, HR procurement, marketing-related categories or other complex indirect services.
• Commercial acumen, with the ability to balance value, service quality, innovation and risk.
• Proven negotiation experience, including exploring options and reaching outcomes that work for all parties while maximising return for the business.
• Contracting expertise, including negotiating commercial terms for local or regional supplier arrangements.
• Project management skills, with the ability to shape, lead and deliver initiatives on time and in full.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the confidence to work with senior leaders and navigate complex business areas.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain direction, plans, commercial outcomes and issues clearly to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Data analytics capability, including the ability to analyse complex information and turn it into insight for negotiations, category plans and decision-making.

It would be great if you also have

• Experience structuring large-scale, complex managed service tendering and negotiations.
• Experience negotiating a consultancy roster or preferred supplier list, and shaping a consultancy strategy that drives value and consistency.
• A strong understanding of supplier risk, governance and performance management in complex service environments.
• An inquisitive mindset, with the confidence to challenge the status quo and look beyond BAU renewals or incremental savings.
• Experience working in a large, matrixed organisation where procurement partners closely with Finance, Legal, InfoSec, Data Protection and senior business stakeholders.

Where your brilliance can take you

At Boots, you\'ll have the opportunity to influence how a well-known, trusted brand buys and manages professional services across a broad and visible portfolio. This role offers senior stakeholder exposure, ownership of meaningful category strategy and the chance to build your experience across complex procurement‑led change.

You\'ll be supported by a collaborative team and leaders who value curiosity, constructive challenge and progress. Bring your commercial expertise, your voice and your drive to make an impact, and you\'ll be trusted to help shape what comes next for Professional Services & HR Procurement at Boots.

Rewards designed for you

• Boots Retirement Savings Plan
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Generous employee discounts
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
• Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
• Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.

There\'s lots more in our benefits and discounts, MyBoosts - there to give you that little lift in your everyday. Find out more at http://boots.jobs/rewards. Exclusions may apply; eligible roles only. Please note that any salary estimates provided on third‑party sites are not endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.

A bit about us

At Boots, we\'re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, creating a place where everyone feels welcome, supported and free to be themselves. We believe that when our people feel valued and included, they thrive, so we\'re committed to creating a brilliant Boots for our people so they can make a difference for our customers and colleagues every time.

What\'s next?

If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you be at your best.

Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case‑by‑case basis.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be brilliant with Boots.