Interim Category Managers – Defence Sector

Contract: 6 months (likely to extend)

Day Rate: £500 - £700 a day, Inside IR35

Location: Hybrid – candidates should be able to attend Bristol or London around 1–2 days per week, depending on business and project requirements

Existing security clearance is not required. Successful candidates will need to complete the relevant pre-employment checks (BPSS).

The Opportunity:

I’m recruiting for multiple Interim Category Manager roles supporting a large and complex defence environment. These positions are not sourcing roles. The focus is on improving the way category management operates across the organisation - strengthening processes, category strategies, supplier management, governance, reporting and overall commercial capability.

The roles would suit experienced Category Managers who are comfortable working in complex environments, improving existing ways of working and influencing stakeholders through change.

Key Areas:

• Defence: Working across complex technical categories, with a focus on strengthening category strategy, supplier management, commercial insight and category management processes.
• Marine: Supporting a complex marine-related portfolio, requiring strong category strategy capability, supplier market understanding and confidence operating across technically demanding stakeholder groups.
• MRO / Operations: Focused on operational and maintenance-related categories, with an emphasis on improving category maturity, supplier performance, commercial management and ways of working.
• Category Strategy / Transformation: A broader transformation-focused role centred on improving category management frameworks, governance, reporting, consistency and overall capability across the procurement function.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, review and strengthen category strategies
• Improve category management processes, frameworks and ways of working
• Support stronger SRM and supplier performance management
• Use market, supplier, spend and operational insight to inform strategic decisions
• Identify commercial opportunities, risks and dependencies across complex portfolios
• Improve governance, reporting and category management consistency
• Influence senior stakeholders and build support for changes to processes and approach
• Support the implementation of agreed category strategy outcomes
• Drive continuous improvement across the wider category management function

Key Skills:

• Strong Category Management experience within large or complex organisations
• A track record of developing and implementing category strategies
• Experience improving category management capability, processes or maturity
• Strong SRM, supplier performance and commercial management experience
• Good market analysis and commercial intelligence capability
• Strong senior stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Experience operating where data may be incomplete, ambiguous or inconsistent
• Confidence managing change and challenging existing ways of working
• The ability to work at pace and deliver high-quality outputs

Sector Background:

A public sector or defence background is not essential. Candidates from complex private-sector environments such as engineering, manufacturing, aerospace, utilities, infrastructure, industrials or other highly regulated organisations could be equally relevant. The priority is strong strategic category management and transformation capability rather than previous government procurement experience.

If you are an experienced interim Category Manager with a strong background in category strategy, transformation, process improvement or supplier management, please get in touch to discuss the opportunities in more detail.