Procurement Manager

DB Cargo UK Limited; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

25 days holiday

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Employee benefits

EAP

CIPS support

Hybrid working

Collaborative culture

Rail industry impact

Job summary

DB Cargo UK Limited is seeking an experienced Procurement Manager to own direct procurement categories that support maintenance, engineering and operations. You will develop category strategies to secure supply, optimise costs and enhance operational performance, while collaborating with Engineering, Maintenance and Supply Chain teams to manage supplier relationships and drive value.

The role emphasizes cost reduction, supplier performance improvements and risk management within a complex rail

Qualifications

• Three years' experience in direct procurement, category management or strategic sourcing.
• Experience managing suppliers in engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, rail, transport, automotive or industrial environments.
• Proven ability to deliver cost reduction, value improvement and supply continuity initiatives.
• Strong commercial, negotiation and contract management skills.
• Experience influencing multiple operational stakeholders.
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent; CIPS qualification (full or in progress).

Responsibilities

• Manage direct procurement categories supporting engineering, maintenance and operations.
• Develop category and sourcing strategies based on spend analysis and market intelligence.
• Lead negotiations, tenders and sourcing projects.
• Build and manage strategic supplier relationships to improve quality and delivery.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks to protect operations.
• Support inventory optimization balancing stock and working capital.
• Monitor supplier performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Resolve supply issues, shortages and non-conformances with suppliers.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve end-to-end procurement.
• Produce procurement performance reporting against KPIs.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Contract management

Supplier relationship management

Education

Degree-level qualification or equivalent

CIPS qualification (fully or in progress)

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Job Title: Procurement Manager

Location: Toton, Nottinghamshire

Salary: Salary of 50,000 per annum

Job Type: Full Time, Permanent

Keeping Britain's Rail Freight Moving.

At DB Cargo UK, we move millions of tonnes of freight every year, supporting vital supply chains across the UK. Safe, reliable operations depend on having the right parts, materials and services available at the right time and at the right cost.

We're looking for an experienced Procurement Manager to join our Procurement team and take ownership of a portfolio of direct procurement categories that support our maintenance, engineering and operational activities.

This role is ideal for a procurement professional who has experience sourcing parts, components, equipment or engineering services within a complex operational environment and who understands the critical link between procurement performance and business operations.

About the Role:

As Procurement Manager, you will be responsible for developing and delivering category strategies that ensure security of supply, optimise cost and support operational performance across the business.

Working closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain and Operational stakeholders, you will manage supplier relationships, lead sourcing activities and help ensure that materials and services are available to support fleet maintenance and operational delivery.

You will play a key role in managing supply risk, improving supplier performance and identifying opportunities to drive value across your categories while maintaining high levels of service and availability.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Managing direct procurement categories that support engineering, maintenance and operational activities.
• Developing category and sourcing strategies based on spend analysis, supplier performance and market intelligence.
• Leading commercial negotiations, tender exercises and sourcing projects.
• Building and managing strategic supplier relationships to improve quality, delivery performance and overall value.
• Identifying and mitigating supply chain risks to protect operational performance and service delivery.
• Supporting inventory optimisation activities to balance stock availability, working capital and customer requirements.
• Managing supplier performance through structured reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Supporting resolution of supply issues, shortages, non-conformances, warranty claims and supplier corrective actions.
• Working collaboratively with internal stakeholders and external supply chain partners to improve end-to-end procurement and supply chain performance.
• Producing procurement performance information and reporting against agreed objectives and KPIs.

What We're Looking For:

Essential:

• At least three years' experience within a direct procurement, category management or strategic sourcing role.
• Experience managing suppliers within an engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, rail, transport, automotive or industrial environment.
• Demonstrable success in delivering cost reduction, value improvement and supply continuity initiatives.
• Strong commercial, negotiation and contract management skills.
• Experience influencing and working collaboratively with multiple operational stakeholders.
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience.
• Fully CIPS qualified or actively working towards qualification.

Desirable:

• Experience procuring engineering materials, maintenance components, technical equipment or specialist services.
• Experience working within rail, rolling stock, logistics, manufacturing or heavy industry.
• Knowledge of inventory management and MRP-driven supply environments.
• Experience using SAP or similar ERP systems.
• Management qualification.

What Matters to Me:

At DB Cargo UK, we recognise that our people are key to our success. That's why we offer a range of benefits designed to support your career, wellbeing and future.

• Competitive salary and annual bonus.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Generous pension scheme.
• Life assurance.
• Employee benefits and discount platform.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Professional development support including CIPS.
• Hybrid working opportunities where appropriate.
• A collaborative and inclusive working environment.
• The opportunity to play a key role in supporting Britain's leading rail freight operator.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of strategically important direct procurement categories that support the maintenance, reliability and performance of our rail freight operations.

You'll have the autonomy to influence category strategies, build meaningful supplier partnerships and work closely with Engineering, Supply Chain and Operational teams to deliver commercial value and operational resilience.

The role offers exposure to a broad range of stakeholders across the business and the chance to make a tangible impact on the performance of one of the UK's leading rail freight operators.

If you're an experienced procurement professional with a strong commercial mindset, a passion for supplier management and a track record of delivering results in a technical or operational environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Candidates with experience of: Direct Procurement Manager, Category Manager, Strategic Sourcing Manager, Engineering Procurement Manager, Technical Procurement Manager, Supply Chain Procurement Manager, Procurement Category Lead, Senior Procurement Specialist, may also be considered for this role.