Procurement Category Manager - Operational Services

-; Cirencester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in Cirencester is looking for a Procurement Partner to lead strategic initiatives in procurement. This role involves managing various indirect spend categories, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement, and optimizing cost savings. The ideal candidate will have strong negotiation skills and a proven track record in supplier management. Benefits include a competitive salary, hybrid work environment, and substantial parental leave.

Benefits

Discretionary annual bonus

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Private medical insurance

10% non-contributory pension

Qualifications

• Strong expertise in indirect procurement and category management.
• Proven track record in managing supplier relationships.
• Experience in risk management in procurement is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and implement procurement strategies across various categories.
• Identify cost savings opportunities and optimize return on investment.
• Negotiate contracts and manage supplier selections.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Cost optimisation

Communication

Supplier relationship management

Education

CIPS qualification or equivalent

Job description

Are you ready to chart your own career path? At SJP we need talented individuals like yourself to support our evolving culture. If you're seeking an employer that is passionate about excellence, innovation and autonomy, SJP could be the place for you.

At a glance:

• Location: Cirencester Office
• Workplace Type: Hybrid
• Employment Type: Permanent
• Seniority: Mid-Senior Level

The role:

Are you passionate about driving cost savings, building strong stakeholder relationships, and shaping procurement strategies? We're looking for a dynamic professional to become a trusted adviser within SJP, spearheading our Operational Services procurement initiatives to unlock maximum value. As our key Procurement Partner, you will lead Strategic Initiatives, collaborate with the Category Lead to design and implement procurement strategies across various spend areas, including Travel & Events, Marketing, Subscriptions, Facilities, Print, Recruitment, and HR Services.

What you'll be doing:

• Strategy Implementation - working for the Category Lead ensure that the strategy set for the category is implemented and maintained across SJP.
• Cost Optimisation and savings - identify and deliver opportunities for cost savings and increased ROI. Support the implementation of a cost-control approach across the category and use benchmarking to regularly test price competitiveness.
• Stakeholder Engagement - Collaborate across SJP directorates to implement the category strategy and identify opportunities for improvement (cost / value / supplier performance / service provision) with the business.
• Sourcing and negotiation - responsible for sourcing events including RFIs, RFPs, benchmarking, contract negotiation and the choice of suppliers for the category. Apply negotiation strategies to help with the selection of suppliers.
• Risk Management - escalate risks to the strategy or suppliers to the Category lead.
• Reporting & Analytics - Feed into KPI reporting to monitor the effectiveness of procurement activities.

Who we're looking for:

You’ll thrive in this role if you’re a forward-thinking procurement professional with a passion for understanding market trends, innovative technologies, and best practices in indirect procurement. With hands‑on experience in procurement and category management within indirect spend categories, you’ll have a successful track record in negotiating contracts and managing supplier relationships. Including:

• Proven expertise in managing categories such as Facilities, Marketing & Travel.
• Strong skills in developing RFPs, evaluating suppliers, and negotiating contracts.
• Knowledge of cost models and the ability to articulate supplier evaluations clearly to stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills for influencing decision‑makers and fostering collaboration.
• CIPS qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience with risk management in procurement is advantageous.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a proactive mindset.

What's in it for you?

We reward youfor the work you do, whether that’s through our discretionary annual bonus scheme that reflects both personal and company performance, competitive annual leave allowance (28 daysplus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days), or online rewards platform with a variety of discounts.

We also have benefits to support whatever stage of life you are in, including:

• Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay)
• Private medical insurance (optional taxable benefit)
• 10% non-contributory pension (increasing with length of service)

Reasonable Adjustments

We’re an equal‑opportunities employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all. If you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage please let us know by emailing us at [e-mail]. Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career‑break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box.

What's next?

If you're excited about this role and believe you have the skills and experience we’re looking for, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit an application by clicking 'apply' below and our team will be in touch. As a business regulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.