Category Lead - Aircraft Heavy Maintenance, MRO

We are part of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world’s leading airline groups and owner of some of the biggest brands in the sky. IAG Transform provides creative and innovative solutions to drive sustainable transformation by delivering procurement and airline services, as well as group-wide systems across IAG. Each operating company benefits from the Transform centralised model, driving efficiencies, automation, and economies of scale.

Purpose of the role

Your responsibilities

• Category Strategy & Execution
  • Develop and implement a unified procurement strategy across group companies for Wide Body aircraft Base Maintenance.
  • Execute the procurement strategy by running RFP, preparing and negotiating contracts, and contributing to business case preparation.
  • Align sourcing initiatives with business objectives, cost efficiency, procurement best practices, and transformation goals.
  • Lead third-party MRO performance, including cost control of both fixed price and over and above, and overall turn‑around time to deliver the aircraft maintenance checks on budget and on time.
  • Manage risks and work with OpCos to address operational challenges.
  • Drive supplier benchmarking and comparative analysis across OpCos to identify inefficiencies and harmonisation opportunities.
  • Negotiate group‑wide agreements to maximise leverage and rebates.
• Commercial & Contractual Excellence
  • Own high‑value sourcing initiatives including RFP design, supplier selection, negotiation, and contract finalisation.
  • Collaborate with legal and finance teams to ensure robust contractual compliance and risk mitigation.
  • Champion specification simplification and standardisation across business units.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Governance
  • Act as a strategic partner to senior stakeholders, influencing decisions and enabling value creation through procurement.
  • Maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers, serving as the primary point of contact for category‑related decisions.
  • Establish governance frameworks for external spend and supplier performance monitoring.
  • Use spend intelligence and analytics to identify rate leakage, contractor dependency, and opportunities for role‑based optimisation.
  • Promote a shift from named contractor selection to skill‑based resource planning (where applicable).

Your skills, experience and qualifications

• Minimum 5–10 years in strategic category procurement or aircraft maintenance services.
• Proven success in delivering savings and value through sourcing initiatives, especially in aircraft maintenance services.
• Strong understanding of aircraft base maintenance services, understanding of aircraft line maintenance services is a plus.
• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively under tight deadlines and finite resources.
• Willingness to travel across OpCos and MRO as needed.

What we offer

The chance to enjoy a challenging career in an exciting, fast‑moving environment in a dynamic industry. The opportunity to work in a multi‑cultural environment with great offices in many locations. We support our people in maintaining work/life balance, as well as providing the many benefits one would expect from a global organisation, including health insurance, pension and performance bonuses.

We are an equal opportunities employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.