Category Specialist - Technology

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Pension

Bonus potential

27 days leave + bank holidays

Tax Saver Tickets

Fitness centre

Subsidised cafeteria

Job summary

Primark is seeking a procurement professional to shape and execute the Technology category strategy across software, cloud and infrastructure. You will analyse spend, negotiate with suppliers, and drive value while partnering with internal teams and offshore delivery partners.

The role is hybrid, with 1-2 days working from home, and offers benefits including healthcare and pension, plus a potential bonus. Join a dynamic team delivering sustainable procurement outcomes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in Procurement with knowledge of sourcing and category management.
• Experience in technology procurement including software, cloud, hardware, and services.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to drive value-driven outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder management within a matrixed organisation.
• Analytical mindset using spend and market data to inform decisions.
• Proactive, organised and able to lead procurement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the Technology category strategy across software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure and services.
• Analyse spend, supplier performance, contracts and market trends to identify savings opportunities.
• Lead and support supplier negotiations and contract renewals.
• Build relationships with business stakeholders, suppliers and offshore delivery partners.
• Drive supplier governance, performance management and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Leverage data and digital tools to improve procurement efficiency and governance compliance.

Skills

Procurement experience

Sourcing

Category management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

Project management

Communication

Change management

Job description

Because we strive to put people first. Culture, our way.

What’s a career at Primark all about? The positive impact you’re making, the experiences you’re having and the people you’re with. You’re our inspiration. Embrace what sets you apart, own your career and develop in ways you never expected. Leave your mark. And do it your way.

What You’ll Get

This role is a hybrid opportunity, offering 1-2 days Working from home.

People are at the heart of what we do here, so it’s essential we provide you with the right environment to perform at your very best.

Let’s talk lifestyle: Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria.

Job Description

What You’ll Do

We want you to feel challenged and inspired. Here, you’ll develop your skills across a range of responsibilities:

• Support the development and execution of the Technology category strategy across software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, telecommunications, hardware, and professional services.
• Analyse spend, supplier performance, contracts, market trends, and business requirements to identify opportunities for cost savings, value creation, and risk mitigation.
• Lead and support sourcing activities, supplier negotiations, and contract renewals, delivering commercially advantageous outcomes aligned with business objectives.
• Build strong relationships with business stakeholders, suppliers, and offshore delivery partners to ensure successful procurement planning and project execution.
• Drive supplier governance, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service quality, innovation, resilience, and sustainability.
• Leverage data, analytics, and digital tools to improve procurement efficiency, increase spend visibility, support decision-making, and ensure compliance with governance standards.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

Here at Primark, we want everyone to feel valued – so please bring your authentic self to work, of course with some other key experience and abilities for this role in particular:

• 5+ years’ experience in Procurement, with strong knowledge of procurement processes, sourcing, supplier management, and category management principles.
• Technology procurement expertise, including software/SaaS, cloud, hardware, telecommunications, managed services, and technology professional services.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills, with experience evaluating pricing and licensing models, managing contracts, and delivering value-driven outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing abilities, building trusted relationships across internal teams, suppliers, and external partners in a matrixed environment.
• Analytical and strategic mindset, using spend, supplier, contract, and market data to identify opportunities, manage risk, and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Highly organised, proactive, and results-focused, with strong communication, project management, problem-solving, and change-driving capabilities, alongside a keen interest in technology market trends and category development.

Additional Information

About Primark

At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business a over 80,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 17 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we're Caring and always strive to put people first. We're also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together.

If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist.

All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss.

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