Procurement Manager

WSP in the UK & Ireland; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Procurement Manager to lead sourcing strategies and collaborate with cross‑functional teams in the UK Direct Procurement group. You will drive value by delivering category plans, managing supplier relationships and ensuring compliant, sustainable procurement across major spend areas.

The role reports to the UK Senior Procurement Manager and requires strategic stakeholder engagement, competitive negotiation and a track record of achieving financial targets within professional

Qualifications

• MCIPS or equivalent qualification is highly desirable.
• Direct procurement experience within the engineering or professional services sector is highly desirable.
• Substantial procurement experience with a strong track record of delivering measurable value through category management.
• Experience supporting bid submissions that require subconsultant or specialist supply‑chain solutions.
• A collaborative leadership style with high levels of self‑motivation and accountability.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Sound judgement and structured problem‑solving abilities with evidence‑based decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to drive commercial, operational and sustainable value from the supply chain.
• Credibility to engage with and influence senior stakeholders across functions.
• Ability to develop practical, innovative solutions to complex business challenges.
• Commercial acumen to identify, prioritise and deliver optimisation opportunities.
• Strong analytical capability to turn data into actionable insights.
• Resilience and determination to deliver the best commercial outcome.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Direct Procurement team confidently and professionally across the business and with external partners.
• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of procurement activity across the business portfolios, delivering agreed priorities to plan.
• Lead the design, development and delivery of category strategies for key areas of spend.
• Develop and execute strategic category management plans aligned with business objectives and ISO 20400 sustainable procurement principles.
• Monitor market trends, regulatory developments and risks to inform sourcing strategies.
• Build stakeholder relationships to ensure procurement engagement early and strategically in all major procurements.
• Promote safe, sustainable and responsible supply‑chain practices throughout the lifecycle.
• Provide timely forecasts of expected savings against budget.
• Apply supplier relationship management to improve performance and drive innovation with strategic suppliers.
• Report annualised savings with auditable benefits tracking.
• Lead contract and performance management of strategic suppliers.
• Work with stakeholders to define service requirements and KPIs.

Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Education

MCIPS or equivalent qualification

Job description

Job Description

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

A Little More About The Role…

Over the last 12 months the UK Direct Procurement Team have developed and delivered value to WSP at pace, and we now have an exciting opportunity for a Procurement Manager to join the UK Direct Procurement team. Reporting to the UK Senior Procurement Manager, this is a new role that will be responsible for leading sourcing strategies for some of our largest spend areas in WSP.

The purpose of the role is to add value and contribute to operating margin. Stakeholders will span all levels of staff within the WSP business and external suppliers.

Developing relationships and working collaboratively with cross functional teams such as, Project teams, Bid teams, Commercial, Pricing teams and Finance to identify appropriate subconsultancy supply chains to support the business deliver excellence for our Clients at the same time as supporting the achievement of our financial targets and business strategy. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a successful, growing global business and to have high impact in the UK Direct Procurement team and the business.

What You Will Do

• Represent the Direct Procurement team confidently and professionally across the business and with external partners.
• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of procurement activity across the business portfolios, delivering agreed priorities to plan.
• Lead the design, development and delivery of category strategies for key areas of spend.
• Develop and execute strategic category management plans aligned with business objectives, the Procurement Act 2023 where appropriate, internal governance requirements and ISO 20400 sustainable procurement principles.
• Monitor market trends, emerging technologies and regulatory developments to identify risks and opportunities and inform sourcing strategies.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships to ensure Procurement is engaged early and strategically in all significant procurement activity.
• Promote safe, sustainable and responsible supply‑chain practices throughout the procurement lifecycle.
• Provide timely and accurate forecasts of expected savings against budget.
• Apply proportionate supplier relationship management to improve performance against service‑level agreements, drive continuous improvement and, for strategic suppliers, pursue innovation and growth opportunities.
• Report annualised savings against budget, supported by clear, consistent and auditable benefits tracking.
• Lead the contract and performance management of strategic and critical suppliers.
• Work with internal stakeholders to define clear service requirements and establish meaningful contractual KPIs.

What We Will Be Looking For You To Demonstrate…

• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS), or an equivalent relevant degree or professional qualification, is highly desirable.
• Direct procurement experience within the engineering or professional services sector is highly desirable.
• Substantial procurement experience, with a strong track record of delivering measurable value through category management.
• Experience supporting bid submissions that require subconsultant or specialist supply‑chain solutions.
• A collaborative leadership style, with high levels of self‑motivation, accountability and curiosity.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Sound judgement, structured problem‑solving skills and the ability to make evidence‑based decisions.
• Demonstrable experience of driving commercial, operational and sustainable value from the supply chain.
• The credibility and confidence to engage with and influence senior stakeholders.
• A proven ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders across different functions and levels of seniority.
• The ability to develop practical, innovative and creative solutions to complex business challenges.
• The commercial acumen to identify, prioritise and deliver optimisation opportunities.
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to turn data and management information into actionable insight.
• Resilience and determination to overcome challenges and deliver the best overall commercial outcome.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close‑knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.