Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape category strategy and drive commercial outcomes across various services.
- Company: Well-established organisation transforming its procurement function.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, car allowance, bonus, and career progression.
- Why this job: Lead strategic projects and influence key stakeholders in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Strong procurement experience and ability to build relationships with C-suite.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with supportive leadership and real ownership opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 80000 £ per year.
This opportunity is with a well-established organisation which is transforming and growing. We are looking for a Senior Category Manager to join our growing Indirect Procurement team. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape category strategy, influence senior stakeholders, and drive meaningful commercial outcomes across Corporate Services, Professional Services, Marketing, Travel, Fleet, and wider indirect spend. You will play a key role in developing and managing category plans, improving supplier performance, and delivering cost savings that support efficient business operations. Working closely with functions across the organisation, you will help build a best-in-class procurement capability within a newly developed global procurement structure.
Description
- Develop and deliver category strategies across Corporate & Professional Services and wider indirect spend.
- Manage end-to-end procurements across a large spend and help set up the key processes to enable success.
- Partner with stakeholders across the business to understand requirements and improve sourcing activity.
- Lead cost-saving, cost-avoidance, and value-creation initiatives.
- Manage supplier negotiations, tendering, and contract renewals.
- Build strong supplier relationships and drive performance through effective SRM.
- Monitor the market to ensure competitiveness and identify innovation opportunities.
- Ensure full compliance with internal policies and relevant regulations.
- Support the Head of Indirect Procurement in shaping and delivering the long-term procurement agenda.
Profile
- Strong procurement experience within a complex, global or multi-site organisation.
- Proven expertise across indirect categories, ideally Corporate Services or Professional Services.
- Experience leading category strategies and delivering commercial results.
- Ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders up to C-suite level.
- Strong commercial and contractual understanding.
- Data-driven mindset with the ability to analyse, challenge, and recommend.
- Confident negotiator with excellent communication skills.
- Proactive, curious, and comfortable driving change.
Desirable
- Experience in greenfield or newly developing procurement environments.
- People management experience.
- Manufacturing or regulated industry background (e.g., pharma, corporate environment, consultancy etc).
- CIPS or equivalent professional certification.
Job Offer
- Competitive salary ranging from GBP70,000 - GBP80,000 + Car Allowance + Bonus.
- Permanent role based in Cheshire.
- Opportunity to shape and influence a newly built procurement function.
- Exposure to strategic global projects.
- A role with real ownership, autonomy, and progression potential.
- Inclusive culture and supportive leadership team.
If you are ready to advance your career as a Senior Category Manager - Professional Services in Cheshire, apply today.
Senior Category Manager - Professional Services in England employer: Michael Page Procurement & Supply Chain
Contact Detail:
Michael Page Procurement & Supply Chain Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Category Manager - Professional Services in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We can’t stress enough how important it is to build relationships that could lead to job opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its procurement strategies. Understand their challenges and think about how you can add value as a Senior Category Manager. We want you to walk in confident and ready to impress!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your achievements! When discussing your experience, focus on specific results you've delivered in previous roles. We love seeing data-driven success stories that highlight your ability to drive cost savings and improve supplier performance.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re always looking for talented individuals who can help shape our procurement function, so make sure you get your name in the mix!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Category Manager - Professional Services in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior Category Manager role. Highlight your procurement experience, especially in Corporate and Professional Services, and showcase any successful category strategies you've led.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've influenced stakeholders and driven cost-saving initiatives in previous positions.
Showcase Your Data Skills: Since we value a data-driven mindset, include examples of how you've used data to analyse performance and make recommendations. This will show us you can challenge the status quo and drive change.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and get you on our radar quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Michael Page Procurement & Supply Chain
✨Know Your Categories Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into the categories you'll be managing. Understand the current market trends, key suppliers, and potential challenges in Corporate and Professional Services. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you're ready to hit the ground running.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully partnered with stakeholders at various levels, especially C-suite. Highlight specific instances where your relationship-building skills led to successful outcomes. This will illustrate your ability to influence and drive change within the organisation.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Cost-Saving Initiatives
Think of concrete examples where you've led cost-saving or value-creation initiatives. Be prepared to discuss the strategies you employed, the results achieved, and how you measured success. This will showcase your commercial acumen and data-driven mindset.
✨Demonstrate Your Negotiation Prowess
Brush up on your negotiation techniques and be ready to discuss your approach to supplier negotiations and contract renewals. Share specific examples where your negotiation skills resulted in favourable terms or improved supplier performance. This will highlight your confidence and effectiveness as a negotiator.