Category Manager (IT) in Milton Keynes

Category Manager (IT)

Application Deadline: 4 February 2026

Department: Commercial

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Milton Keynes

Reporting To: Head of Service & Supplies

Description

A little bit about us:

East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much‑needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year.

However, the lack of good East‑West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly.

EWR is also one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.

At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple – to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences.

EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

Role Summary:

To lead the strategic and operational management of the IT and Digital procurement category across the organisation, ensuring effective sourcing, supplier management, and delivery of value for money. The role will ensure that all procurement activities fully comply with UK Public Procurement Regulations, Cabinet Office Commercial Policy, and the organisation’s internal governance framework, supporting the efficient and compliant delivery of the project.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with key stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view of business requirements, partnering with IT, Digital, Project Delivery and wider teams to forecast demand, plan procurement pipelines, and align sourcing strategies.
• Support the IT department (and wider business where appropriate) in articulating their commercial requirements.
• Develop category strategies, provide advice and guidance on market sectors and suppliers and manage stakeholder expectations.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration, aggregation, and framework utilisation (e.g. CCS, Crown Commercial Service frameworks).
• Advise stakeholders on the use of public sector frameworks or competitive procurement routes, balancing commercial outcomes with legal compliance.
• Develop procurement strategies to articulate the associated benefits and produce supporting arguments for the preferred option.
• Develop and implement of procurement specific ideas and innovation‑based business cases, working in collaboration with relevant customers and stakeholders, to address existing business problems that require external sourcing specific market expertise to solve.
• Lead the procurement process from business requirement to contract signature, on behalf of key customers and stakeholders, to create and extract value.
• Ensure transparency, fairness, and auditability throughout the sourcing lifecycle.
• Apply the relevant internal guidance and processes for procurement led opportunities above threshold to manage all risk, governance, legislative and regulatory requirements, validated by the relevant commercial assurance team.
• Negotiate procurement enabled savings and benefit opportunities, in collaboration with all relevant customers and stakeholders, with the commercial capability, tenacity and ambition to deliver value for money.
• Provide ongoing support to the business, ensuring continuity of services and commercial compliance through the lifecycle of the contract, ensuring that contract variations, extensions, and modifications are managed in compliance with public procurement requirements.
• Look for opportunities to identify customer and stakeholder common procurement requirements to maximise overall company‑wide commercial value, including opportunities to scale requirements, participate in aggregation exercises, or to adopt Network Rail or Department for Transport solutions.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Knowledge:

• In‑depth understanding of UK Public Procurement Regulations, including PCR 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and Find a Tender (FTS) processes.
• Familiarity with Crown Commercial Service frameworks, e.g., G-Cloud, Technology Services, and Technology Products frameworks.
• Strong understanding of IT procurement sub‑categories (hardware, software, cloud, cybersecurity, telecoms, IT services).
• Deep knowledge of procurement processes, including familiarity with relevant regulatory requirements with a demonstratable track record of savings/benefits realisation.
• Demonstrable knowledge of contract law and financial management.
• Understanding of infrastructure delivery environments and associated IT/technology needs.

Experience:

• Experience in category management, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management within the IT domain. Knowledge of contracting models such as Framework Agreements, DPS (Dynamic Purchasing Systems), and Call‑Off Contracts.
• Experience using e‑sourcing and contract management systems (e.g., Jaggaer, Delta, or similar platforms) for tendering and supplier communication.
• Demonstrable level of problem‑solving experience of complex sourcing specific challenges.

Skills:

• Demonstrable level of negotiation and dispute resolutions skills.
• Excellent communication, relationship management and presentation skills.
• Ability to form strong interpersonal relationships.
• Excellent organisational skills, and meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to identify and apply relevant policy and procedures for procurement processes. You will bring strong project management and stakeholder management skills to this role.

Desirable:

• MCIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) or working towards it.

We’re building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve. Your unique skills, experiences and perspectives matter. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we’d love to hear from you.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Competitive base salary
• Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform
• On‑the‑spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development programmes
• Great work‑life balance and flexible working opportunities
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies
• Exceptional IT tools

EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style.

Diversity and Inclusion:

To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.

We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.