Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure

Babcock International; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Matched contribution pension scheme

Digital GP & health checks

Employee share scheme

Flexible working

Job summary

Babcock International is recruiting for a Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure. This senior role shapes procurement strategies across major construction and infrastructure programmes, influencing high-value sourcing decisions and supplier partnerships.

You will operate at group level, collaborating with senior stakeholders and driving sustainability across the supply chain. Hybrid working is available across flexible UK locations.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified or equivalent experience.
• Professional accreditation such as CIPS, RICS, CIOB or similar (desirable).
• Experience in construction and infrastructure categories.

Responsibilities

• Develop end-to-end category strategies for construction, infrastructure, and civil engineering.
• Lead complex procurement activities including tendering, negotiation and contract awards.
• Build and manage strategic supplier relationships and performance frameworks.
• Advise stakeholders on commercial models, sourcing approaches and contract best practices.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, risk reduction and sustainable value creation.

Skills

Procurement strategy

Sourcing & tendering

Supplier relationship management

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree qualified or equivalent

Tools

NEC/JCT contracts

Job description

Job Title: Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure

Location: Flexible UK Locations + Hybrid Working Arrangements

Compensation: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF73966

Shape the future of strategic procurement in construction and infrastructure

At Babcock, we're working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure at any of our main UK locations.

The role

As a Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure, you'll play a critical role in shaping and delivering procurement strategies across major construction, civil engineering, and infrastructure programmes. Acting as a subject matter expert, you will influence high-value sourcing decisions, optimise supply chain performance, and build strong supplier partnerships that deliver long‑term value.

This is a career‑defining opportunity to operate at group level, working across diverse and complex projects that support national infrastructure and defence programmes.

Day‑to‑day, you'll collaborate with senior stakeholders, contribute to strategic decision‑making, and drive innovation and sustainability across the supply chain.

• Developing and delivering end‑to‑end category strategies for construction, infrastructure and civil engineering
• Leading complex procurement activities including tendering, negotiation, and contract award
• Building and managing strategic supplier relationships and performance frameworks
• Advising stakeholders on commercial models, sourcing approaches, and contract best practice
• Identifying opportunities for cost optimisation, risk reduction, and sustainable value creation

This role is full time, 37.5 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with days onsite and days working from home.

Essential experience of the Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure

• Extensive experience in sourcing and procurement, with a strong track record in complex environments
• Proven expertise within construction and infrastructure categories, including civil engineering
• Demonstrable experience managing framework agreements and supplier performance at scale
• Strong knowledge of commercial contracts, including NEC and JCT forms
• Experience working within matrix organisations, managing multiple senior stakeholders

Qualifications for the Group Category Lead Construction and Infrastructure

• Degree qualified or equivalent experience
• Professional accreditation such as CIPS, RICS, CIOB or similar (desirable)

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Standard (BPSS) and Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10‑days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows the majority of employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement
• Be Kind Day' enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Flexible working - we give people more options to better integrate their work and personal life, whilst ensuring that business needs are met
• A dynamic working environment

Babcock

We're Babcock - a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 26,000 people working together to make a difference.

Here, you'll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we're building a future that lasts - not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work‑life balance.

We call that lifetime engineering.

Join us and see how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [e-mail] with the subject header Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone's free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 11/09/2026