Senior Procurement Category Manager (6-month secondment) - Machining Category

This 6-month interim position has been created to provide cover while key team members are seconded onto a major business project. It offers a unique chance to experience the Machining category first‑hand, demonstrate leadership in a complex commercial environment, and gain visibility across the Procurement and Operations leadership teams. Strong performance in this role will position the successful candidate well for future resourcing and career development opportunities within Machining and Procurement more broadly.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead major commercial negotiations on complex claims and near‑term contract extensions, protecting our position while creating long‑term value.
• Develop and deliver a pipeline of cost‑out and value‑creation initiatives, using commercial, technical, and operational levers to deliver sustained benefits.
• Take ownership of supplier relationship management (SRM) with group‑level Aerospace suppliers, develop a Key Account Management approach to drive a unified Rolls‑Royce action plan and communications.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, championing standard work, lessons learned, and smarter ways of working across the Procurement team.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of four Buyers, building confidence, resilience, and professional capability to engage effectively with challenging suppliers.
• Provide visible leadership on safety, ethics, and compliance, embedding these principles in every aspect of the team\’s work.

Why Rolls‑Royce? Work with us and we’ll welcome you into a culture of caring and belonging where you can be yourself. We will listen first, embrace feedback and act with integrity. We will invest in your continuous learning and development, and make sure you have access to a wide breadth and depth of opportunities to grow your career and make a difference.

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring strong commercial acumen, a structured work ethic and a strategic mindset. You’ll thrive in a dynamic environment and enjoy solving complex problems.

Our Expectations

• Experience in Direct and/or Indirect Procurement within a regulated or complex industry.
• A degree (BA level) and/or CIPS qualifications.
• Excellent collaboration skills with internal Supplier Management, Finance and General Counsel teams.
• A track record of leading negotiations at a senior level and delivering commercial value.
• Expertise in relationship management, in‑contract cost reduction and team leadership.
• Understanding of Total Cost of Acquisition / Product Cost Lifecycles and commercial levers.
• A passion for driving change and making a measurable difference.

We offer excellent development, a competitive salary, and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.