Senior Category Manager - IT

WM Trains Limited; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free rail travel

Defined benefit pension

Discount portal

Cycle to work

Job summary

WM Trains Limited in Birmingham is seeking a Senior Category Manager – IT to lead category strategy, influence business-wide decisions, and deliver meaningful commercial outcomes. You will drive governance, manage complex tendering under PA23 regulations, and strengthen stakeholder engagement.

Based onsite 3 days per week at Head Office - Birmingham. Reporting to Andrew Williams, you will oversee IT procurement, develop frameworks, and ensure alignment with policies and processes to secure best

Qualifications

• Experienced in Category Management, ideally with public sector experience.

Responsibilities

• Be the procurement expert for the assigned IT category.
• Lead procurement strategies with full stakeholder engagement, developing frameworks where needed and ensuring alignment with policies and processes.
• Develop fit-for-purpose contractual agreements, manage supplier performance, and uphold compliance with UK laws and industry standards.
• Maintain procurement governance, approve POs where applicable, and support sustainability commitments.
• Lead stakeholder engagement, work with DFTO on key approvals, and contribute to group sourcing strategies to secure best value.

Skills

Category Management

Public Sector

Analytical Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder Engagement

IT Knowledge

Job description

Senior Category Manager - IT

Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Head Office - Birmingham

Reporting To: Andrew Williams

Compensation: £60,000 - £65,000 / year

Description

Join our growing team as a Senior Category Manager – IT!

This is an exciting opportunity to lead category strategy across IT, influence business-wide decisions, and deliver real impact.

You’ll support and develop colleagues through change, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and lead complex tendering activity under PA23 regulations to secure significant commercial and operational outcomes for WM Trains.

As a trusted procurement leader, you’ll drive high standards of governance and play a pivotal role in delivering the organisation's strategic contracting objectives.

Based onsite 3 days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Be the procurement expert for the assigned category of IT.
• Lead procurement strategies with full stakeholder engagement, developing frameworks where needed and ensuring alignment with policies and processes.
• Develop fit‑for‑purpose contractual agreements, manage supplier performance, and uphold compliance with UK laws and industry standards.
• Maintain procurement governance, approve POs where applicable, and support sustainability commitments.
• Lead stakeholder engagement, work with DFTO on key approvals, and contribute to group sourcing strategies to secure best value.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Experienced in Category Management, ideally with public sector experience.
• Advanced analytical ability and confidence with spend data.
• Effective negotiation and commercial skills, able to run full procurement cycles independently and maintain high‑quality documentation.
• Excellent communicator who works well with diverse stakeholders, adapts to change, thinks creatively, and operates flexibly.
• IT Category knowledge would be essential.

To ensure continuity and an effective delivery of service, successful candidates will be required to commit to a minimum 14-month period in role after achieving competence. This also includes existing colleagues who move by internal promotions and transfers. This time allows our future colleagues to support personal career development by allowing time to build strong knowledge and expertise.

Benefits

• Salary of up to £65,000 dependent on experience.
• A defined benefit pension from day 1 – one of the best in the UK.
• Free travel on all London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
• 75% off all other train operating companies for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
• 8 Friends and Family Day passes to gift per annum on our network.
• A 24/7 Virtual GP service for you and your household.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)- A confidential employee benefit that supports you with personal or work-related issues affecting your home life, work life, health, or wellbeing
• Our cycle to work scheme with Evans Cycles.
• A retail discount portal- offering savings, discounts and cashback at over 800 retailers and restaurants.