Procurement Category Lead - Outsourcing

WTW; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Pension scheme

Hybrid working

Life insurance

Job summary

WTW is expanding its Sourcing team and seeks a Category Manager to lead procurement for Outsourcing and Consulting spend. The role partners with global stakeholders and delivers value through category plans, supplier performance and compliance with WTW policies.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strategic thinking, strong negotiation skills, and experience in category management, including spend analysis and contract management, with proficiency in Ariba modules.

Qualifications

• Strong procurement experience in a multinational environment.
• Outsourcing and Professional Services category management experience.
• Solid knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices.
• Ability to build reporting and pipeline management.
• Strong knowledge of commercial law and procurement regulations.
• Proven negotiation and contract management skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with strong financial and commercial understanding.

Responsibilities

• Develop sourcing strategies for the Outsourcing category and create category plans.
• Lead RFPs, RFIs and negotiations with suppliers.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance, including QBRs and scorecards.
• Ensure compliance with WTW policies, ESG and regulatory standards.
• Engage with Operations, Finance, HR, IT and Legal to present plans and updates.

Skills

Procurement experience

Category management

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Sourcing principles

Financial acumen

Tools

Ariba Sourcing

Ariba Contracts

Job description

Description

WTW Procurement is expanding the Sourcing team to support Outsourcing and Consulting spend and is seeking an experienced Category Manager to lead and execute procurement activities. This role is responsible for driving value delivery, ensuring supplier performance, and supporting operational excellence across Outsourcing Category. You will work in close partnership with Material Outsourcing and Consulting Lead and collaborate with business stakeholders and Procurement colleagues in the UK, US, France and Mumbai. You will be a trusted advisor to partner on procurement related matters for the organisation.

Key responsibilities include developing strategies for your Category, understand the latest market trends and insights, managing supplier relationships, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring full compliance with WTW policies and relevant regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will bring strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, and excellent negotiation and stakeholder‑management skills. You will have demonstrable Category Management experience, including spend analysis, contract analysis, and the ability to build and execute category plans and pipelines. Proficiency with Ariba Sourcing and Contract modules is essential.

The Role

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Partner with business leaders to understand future demand, upcoming initiatives, and project pipelines.
• Facilitate cross‑functional alignment to ensure sourcing strategies reflect business needs.
• Translate business requirements into clear sourcing plans and category opportunities.
• Lead RFPs, RFIs and negotiations.
• Conduct internal and external benchmarking to identify value opportunities and commercial gaps.

Supplier Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers to ensure delivery, innovation, and performance.
• Lead Supplier Performance Management activities, including QBRs, scorecards, corrective actions, and risk mitigation (as required).
• Drive supplier consolidation, rationalisation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Contracting & Compliance

• Work closely with Legal, Finance and Compliance on contract drafting, renewals, and commercial risk mitigation.
• Negotiate and manage contracts in accordance with WTW Procurement policy and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure all procurement activities comply with ESG, risk management, and governance standards.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the trusted advisors and procurement partner, providing commercial insights and strategic guidance.
• Build strong cross‑functional relationships with Operations, Finance, HR, IT, and Legal teams.
• Present sourcing plans, savings updates, and supplier performance insights to senior management.
• Represent Procurement in regional governance forums or audits.

Financial & Operational Performance

• Own savings pipeline management for your Category.
• Deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, and value improvements.

Qualifications

What you’ll bring

Essential

• Strong procurement experience, ideally within Financial and Insurance sectors within a multinational environment.
• Outsourcing and Professional Service category management experience
• Good knowledge and proven application of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices
• Ability to building reporting and pipeline management
• Strong knowledge of commercial law and procurement regulations.
• Proven negotiation and contract management skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with strong financial and commercial understanding.

Preferred

• Knowledge of procurement systems (Ariba, Oracle, Power BI, MS Office etc.).
• Professional certification (CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent).
• Experience working in a matrix organisation.
• Creativity to seek, encourage and find non-traditional approaches to procurement challenges
• Change management and self-awareness skills to adopt targeted approaches to a dynamic set of stakeholders
• Strong cost management and value improvement orientation
• Familiarity with relevant legislative, regulatory requirements, and industry standards as well as understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal risk and ensure compliance

What we offer

Enjoy a benefits package designed to help you thrive, both professionally and personally. You'll receive 25 days of annual leave plus an extra WTW day to relax and recharge. Our comprehensive health and wellbeing offering includes private healthcare, life insurance, group income protection, and regular health assessments, all giving you peace of mind. Secure your future with our defined contribution pension scheme, featuring matched contributions up to 10% from the company.

We support your growth and balance with hybrid working options, access to an employee assistance programme, and a fully paid volunteer day to make a difference in your community. On top of these, you can opt into a variety of additional perks including an electric vehicle car scheme, share scheme, cycle-to-work programme, dental and optical cover, critical illness protection, and much more. Start making the most of your career and wellbeing with a range of benefits tailored for you.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email [e-mail]