Category Manager – IT & Digital in Leiston

Location: London, Manchester, Suffolk

Contract: Permanent, 12 months Fixed term

Closing date: Oct 2026

What’s in It for You

• Salary: Competitive depending on experience
• Bonus: 5% annual incentive
• Pension: Up to 7.5% employee / 15% employer contribution
• Leave: 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Hybrid Working: Typically, 2–3 days in the office per week, with flexibility based on business needs

Overview

The ‘Category Manager – IT & Digital’ is responsible for identifying and leading commercial delivery against agreed procurement strategies, predominantly across the IT and Digital portfolio. Strong experience in developing and implementing technology procurement and category strategies and leading on complex commercial negotiations. Ability to influence and challenge through effective stakeholder engagement with SZC digital leaders. Managing strategic supplier relationships and ensuring robust governance throughout the contract lifecycle, whilst also providing guidance and direction to Procurement colleagues working within the IT & Digital Commercial Team.

Your Impact

Our Commercial IT & Digital team plays a key role in enabling delivery and construction to support one of the UK's largest and most exciting infrastructure projects. The Category Manager is a key role in shaping successful delivery of commercially robust contracts, acting at the commercial conduit for IT & Digital category(s) assigned to them and will be required to work collaboratively with stakeholders at all levels and across SZC. Ensuring that the requirements are met through successful commercial delivery in line with Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model, nuclear licence and financing requirements.

Accountabilities

• Leading and developing procurement professionals through effective line management, coaching, succession planning, recruitment, onboarding and performance development.
• Supporting major business and transformation programmes through commercial leadership, stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration to achieve business objectives.
• Developing, implementing and delivering against long term category strategies which have been agreed with the business whilst ensuring delivery against SZC values and strategy.
• Leading on delivery of complex tender activities, from inception through to contract execution, implementation, and supplier performance throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Consistently delivering against key Procurement metrics, such as cost savings, SLAs and reporting requirements as required. Act as cost consciousness of the business, effectively owning end-to-end management of commercial risk.
• Leading complex, high-value commercial engagements, and negotiations, including framework agreements, MSAs, statements of work and multi-party contractual arrangements.
• Providing commercial leadership across key strategic IT suppliers, managing senior stakeholder relationships, and acting as the primary escalation point for commercial matters.
• Navigating and leading governance activities, including approvals, papers, delegated authority requirements, and Digital assurance processes. Enable delivery of contracts in accordance with SZC governance requirements to meet SZC Project and business objectives.

Organisation Chart

Reporting to Commercial Lead – IT & Digital. Line Management of 3 Assistant Commercial Managers.

Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated effective commercial leadership of end-to-end ownership of contracts from strategy development throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Track record in developing and leading category management across the IT and Digital portfolio, helping shape direction of procurement and supplier management within SZC.
• Proven ability in building effective stakeholder management, ability to influence, negotiate and communicate complex ideas confidently.
• Experienced in digesting and interpreting complex contractual information, with clear knowledge of best practice contract methodologies.
• Excellent commercial skills and ability to make sound decisions on both matters of financial value and service quality.
• Understanding of contract performance measurement, commercial risk management and change.

Qualifications & Experience

• The post holder should ideally hold graduate / post graduate qualification(s) related to Supply Chain or MCIPS accreditation is preferable.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in commercial role with line management responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage cross-functional relationships and understand and manage a complex portfolio of responsibilities.
• Successful in delivering category management best practice and future category strategies across the IT and Digital portfolio in support of broader business objectives.
• Experience in working with commercial systems – tools covering activities like eSourcing (Jaggaer) Purchase to Pay (SAP 4 HANA, Oracle) and Contract Management (CEMAR, Unifier).

Why Join Us

• A major infrastructure project with national impact?
• Hybrid working with flexibility built in?
• Competitive salary, bonus and benefits?
• Clear progression and development opportunities?
• Supportive, collaborative team environment?

Behavioural Competences

• Humility: Recognise the value brought from different cultures and experiences. Be open to other’s points of view and ideas, be willing to debate and to compromise.
• Positivity: Positively challenge poor quality and performance. Identify solutions at the lowest possible level. Encourage others to bring new ideas forward.
• Respect: Value the rules and environment in which we operate. Give and receive feedback with respect. Embrace and engage with new people and ideas.
• Solidarity: One team, working closely together and helping each other. Empowered teams always looking forward. Shared responsibility for delivery the project outcomes.
• Clarity: Communicate clearly and consistently. Promote collaboration and team alignment. Clearer and faster decision making. Drive simplification at all levels.