Category Lead - Indirect Procurement

About the role

Butler Rose is partnering with a leading manufacturing organisation to recruit an experienced Category Lead - Indirect Procurement. This is a high‑impact strategic role offering the opportunity to shape procurement direction, influence senior stakeholders and drive tangible commercial value across a diverse indirect spend portfolio.

Key responsibilities

• Developing and delivering long‑term category plans across indirect goods and services.
• Leading sourcing projects, tenders and supplier negotiations.
• Managing key supplier relationships and driving performance improvements.
• Delivering cost reduction, value creation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Supporting business planning activities for both operational and capital expenditure.
• Mitigating supply chain risks and ensuring supplier compliance.
• Managing contract lifecycles and resolving commercial disputes where required.
• Acting as a procurement subject matter expert for stakeholders across the organisation.

Required profile

• Significant experience in indirect procurement and category management, ideally gained within a manufacturing, engineering or industrial environment.
• A proven track record of delivering procurement savings, value improvement programmes and successful sourcing projects.
• Strong contract negotiation and supplier relationship management experience.
• Excellent commercial acumen and analytical capability.
• The ability to influence and challenge stakeholders at all levels of the business.
• Experience managing complex procurement projects from strategy through to implementation.
• A relevant business, engineering or procurement qualification, with CIPS highly advantageous.
• A continuous improvement mindset and a data‑driven approach to decision making.