Procurement Manager

Informa Festivals marks an exciting new chapter in B2B events, bringing some of the world's most influential creative, technology and business festivals together. We’re combining prestigious events like Cannes Lions, Black Hat, Money20/20, GDC, and London Tech Week with cutting‑edge marketing intelligence platforms and advisory services to deliver unmissable experiences and insights. Our festival‑led approach reimagines traditional B2B events, creating powerful, immersive experiences that drive innovation and industry advancement.

This role is based in our 5 Howick Place office. Join our dynamic procurement team as a Procurement Manager, where you'll play a pivotal role in driving commercial excellence and strategic sourcing initiatives. This position offers the opportunity to establish yourself as the go-to procurement expert within your division while delivering measurable value through optimized commercial terms and innovative procurement strategies.

What You’ll Do:

• Strategic Leadership & Relationship Management
  • Serve as the primary procurement contact for your division vertical, building trust and credibility with key stakeholders.
  • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal teams and external suppliers.
  • Act as the main point of contact for stakeholders and budget holders, providing expert guidance throughout the procurement process.
• Commercial Excellence & Value Delivery
  • Implement and deliver comprehensive category sourcing plans that align with business objectives.
  • Negotiate favorable commercial terms and drive measurable savings across your contract portfolio.
  • Provide valuable market intelligence, including trends analysis, cost structures, and key cost drivers.
  • Drive continuous cost efficiencies from existing contracts while identifying new opportunities for value creation.
• Process Optimization & Knowledge Sharing
  • Establish and enforce robust procurement processes and controls across the organization.
  • Deliver regular training sessions to staff, promoting procurement best practices and early engagement.
  • Collaborate with the wider procurement team to rationalize emerging demand categories into broader Festivals and Informa strategies.
  • Champion procurement engagement from the early stages of the business planning process.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of proven procurement experience with demonstrable results.
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to manage strategic relationships at senior levels.
• Comprehensive category knowledge across multiple procurement areas.
• Exceptional negotiation skills with a track record of securing favorable commercial outcomes.
• Deep understanding of vendor management, supplier relationships, and various commercial models.
• MCIPS qualification or equivalent professional certification.

Additional Qualifications:

• French language skills would be advantageous.
• Excellent prioritization and communication abilities in fast‑paced, multi‑tasking environments.
• Strategic thinking with strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.

Additional Information:

We believe that great things happen when people connect face‑to‑face. That’s why we work in‑person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not spending time together in one of our offices or other workplaces – like at an Informa event – you get the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely. We work hard to make sure Life at Informa is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone.

Our benefits include:

• Great community: a welcoming culture with in‑person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks.
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too.
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on‑demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning.
• Time out: 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after two years, plus a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year.
• A flexible range of personal benefits to choose from, plus company funded private medical cover.
• A ShareMatch scheme that allows you to become an Informa shareholder with free matching shares.
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, a healthy living subsidy, access to health apps and more.
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programmes.
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world.

We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. If it sounds like a match and you have most – although not all – of the skills and experience listed, we welcome your application.

If you would like to request reasonable adjustments or accommodations to assist your participation in the hiring process and, or in the advertised position, please inform the appropriate Talent Acquisition Partner for the role once they have been in touch. Your request will be reviewed and considered in confidence.

At Informa, you'll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer. This means we base decisions on relevant qualifications and merit and do not discriminate on the basis of key characteristics and statuses, including all of those protected by law.