Category Manager - Hr Services & Indirects

Business Area/Function: Central Function - Central Procurement TeamReports To: Category HUB Leader - Indirects & Professional ServicesLocation: Hybrid - London (national travel required)

Role Purpose

Category Managers play a critical role in maximising procurement value across Company UK&I through a structured, collaborative, and category-led approach. This position sits within the UK BU Central Procurement Team and focuses on the Indirects & Professional Services HUB, with primary accountability for HR Services and oversight across a broad indirect spend portfolio.

The role delivers a unified, centralised procurement service across a diverse and nationally dispersed organisation, driving efficiency, compliance, innovation, and measurable value for the business.

Category Scope

HR Services: Recruitment, training, travel, meetings & events, employee rewards and benefits
Fleet Management: Leasing, rental, fuel, telematics, vehicle services
General Goods & Services: Office supplies, postal and distribution services, support functions
IT & Telecoms: Technology solutions and telecommunications
Professional & Financial Services: Consultancy, insurance, banking and related services

Key Accountabilities

Category & Strategic Management

Lead strategic management of the HR Services category through spend analysis, demand forecasting, supplier market analysis and category strategy development
Develop and deploy procurement strategies in collaboration with business operations and procurement stakeholders, activating all cost reduction and value levers
Define and implement action plans to reduce external spend and mitigate market cost pressures across BUs
Adapt category strategies in response to market trends, budget changes, and technological developments
Deliver large-scale procurement programmes (e.g. P2P system renewal, telecoms renegotiation, LMS appointment, printer transformation)

Supplier & Commercial Management

Manage supplier relationships to ensure alignment with quality, functionality, cost and performance standards
Lead end-to-end RFP/RFQ processes, contract renewals and extensions
Steer supplier performance, manage rebates (including retrospective recovery), set annual rebate targets and promote utilisation across the group
Protect the company's commercial and legal interests within contractual engagements
Provide pre-tender commercial input and cost benchmarking to support accurate net cost pricing and margin improvement

Value Creation & Reporting

Drive value chain optimisation and transparent, measurable cost savings
Monitor category spend, trends, risks and supplier performance
Maintain and publish accurate reporting demonstrating contribution to efficiency plans and profit improvement

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

Partner closely with HR leadership, operational teams, divisional stakeholders and the wider procurement function
Engage with Group, affiliate and sister-company stakeholders domestically and internationally
Support bid activity, mobilisation and demobilisation requirements
Promote category-led framework agreements and procurement compliance across the business

Risk, Sustainability & Compliance

Support regular risk reviews, identifying and managing procurement-related opportunities and threats
Ensure compliance with UK&I procurement strategy, policies and processes
Champion sustainability, CSR, DE&I and IT commitments within category strategies

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

Support team development through collaboration, coaching and leading by example
Ensure procurement processes are embedded and aligned with Group standards

Role Dimensions

Direct Reports: None
Procurement Portfolio: c. £110m+ indirect spend
Scope: Multi-BU projects (lead and support roles)

Guidant, Carbon60, Lorien & SRG - The Impellam Group Portfolio are acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.

Impellam

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