Senior Procurement Category Manager - £85K

1st Executive Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

1st Executive Ltd is seeking a Senior Procurement Category Manager in London (Hybrid) for a 12-month fixed-term contract with a up to £85K plus package. You will own two indirect procurement categories and influence senior stakeholders to deliver measurable commercial value.

You'll lead complex negotiations, shape category strategies and ensure value delivery across Learning & Development, Information Services, Finance and Professional Services.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years' procurement experience.
• Experience managing indirect spend categories.
• Strong ability to influence senior stakeholders and negotiate complex contracts.
• Experience in Knowledge & Learning, Information Services, Finance or Professional Services.
• Excellent analytical skills and commercial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute category strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Lead high-value negotiations and contract renewals.
• Influence senior stakeholders across Finance and Knowledge functions.
• Drive supplier performance and manage risks.
• Develop and monitor value-based metrics and reporting.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Contract management

Job description

Senior Procurement Category Manager - £85K

Contact:

Contact email:

Job ref:

J692851_1794481112

Published:

2 days ago

Duration:

12 Months

Expiry date:

2026-12-12

Startdate:

ASAP

Senior Procurement Category Manager - 12 Month FTC

12-Month Fixed-Term Contract

Leading International Professional Services Organisation

Up to £85K + Package

Location: London (Hybrid)

Take ownership of two specialist procurement categories. Influence senior stakeholders. Deliver genuine commercial impact.

Are you an experienced Procurement Category Manager who thrives on complex negotiations, challenging established supplier relationships and unlocking value from high-value contracts?

We're partnering with a leading international professional services organisation to appoint a commercially astute Category Manager for a 12-month fixed-term contract.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of two strategically important indirect procurement categories - Learning & Developlment (L&D) and Professional Services - managing a diverse portfolio of specialist suppliers, business-critical services, high-value subscriptions and complex commercial agreements.

You'll have the autonomy to shape category strategies, influence senior stakeholders and deliver measurable commercial value in a sophisticated, intellectually challenging environment.

The Opportunity

Working within an established Procurement function, you'll act as the trusted commercial partner to the Knowledge, Learning & Development and Finance teams.

Knowledge & Learning: Research and information services, market intelligence, subscriptions, databases, knowledge platforms, professional training and learning & development.

Finance: Banking, insurance, audit, tax, financial systems, consultancy and specialist professional services.

These are commercially complex categories involving specialist supplier markets, multi-year contracts, intricate licensing arrangements and business-critical services.

Your challenge? Maximise value, challenge existing commercial models and build smarter, more effective supplier relationships.

What You'll Be Doing

Own the strategy: Develop and execute category strategies aligned with business priorities, delivering tangible commercial improvements.

Lead high-impact negotiations: Manage complex sourcing exercises, contract renewals and supplier negotiations across high-value agreements.

Unlock commercial value: Challenge pricing structures, optimise subscription and licence portfolios, identify savings and improve return on investment.

Influence senior stakeholders: Build trusted relationships across Finance, Knowledge, Learning & Development and other key business functions.

Drive supplier performance: Manage strategic supplier relationships, challenge underperformance and mitigate commercial and contractual risks.

Get ahead of the market: Build proactive sourcing and renewal pipelines, using supplier intelligence, benchmarking and analytics to strengthen negotiating positions.

Deliver measurable results: Improve visibility of spend, supplier performance and contract utilisation through data-driven insights and reporting.

What We’re Looking For

We're interested in commercially driven procurement professionals who combine strong category management expertise with the confidence to challenge, influence and deliver.

You'll ideally bring:

At least 5 years' procurement experience, with a strong track record in indirect category management.

Demonstrable success managing complex sourcing activity, supplier negotiations and high-value commercial contracts.

Experience across Knowledge & Learning, Information Services, Finance, Professional Services or related indirect spend categories.

Strong commercial understanding of subscriptions, licensing arrangements, contract renewals and professional services agreements.

The ability to engage, influence and challenge senior stakeholders in a professional, collaborative environment.

Strong analytical skills, commercial judgement and a proactive approach to identifying value.

Importantly, you don't need experience across both category areas.

We're equally interested in Category Managers from broader indirect procurement backgrounds, particularly those who have worked within Legal, Financial Services, Consultancy, Accountancy or other complex professional services environments.

If you can demonstrate strong transferable procurement expertise, commercial creativity and the appetite to develop specialist category knowledge, we'd welcome a conversation.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

Autonomy. Complexity. Influence. Commercial Impact.

This isn't a role focused simply on running tenders or administering contracts.

You'll have the opportunity to:

Take genuine ownership of two strategically important spend categories.

Work closely with senior professionals in a highly respected international organisation.

Lead commercially challenging negotiations across specialist supplier markets.

Shape procurement strategy and challenge traditional approaches to supplier engagement.

Make a visible contribution to procurement performance, commercial value and business outcomes.

Interested?

If you're an experienced Category Manager looking for a new challenge where your commercial expertise, stakeholder influence and strategic thinking will make a genuine difference, we'd like to hear from you.

***Applicants must be UK based, and hold current and valid UK Right to Work***