Procurement Category Manager

The Recipe

Procurement Category Manager

Function: Indirect Procurement
Location: Northwest (Hybrid – 3 days in the office or visiting suppliers and / or our locations nationally)
Contract: Permanent

Are you ready for your next challenge?

We're looking for Procurement Category Manager to join our Indirect Procurement team. Whether you're an established Category Manager, an ambitious Buyer looking to take the next step, or a commercially minded Project Manager looking for a new challenge, this is an opportunity to shape key categories, lead procurement projects, influence senior stakeholders and build a rewarding career within one of the UK's most recognised food brands.

Focusing on the business services area of indirect spend, you'll play a key role in delivering value, managing supplier relationships and supporting business-wide initiatives that contribute to Warburtons continued success.

Key Accountabilities and Measures

As a Procurement Category Manager, you'll report to the Senior Procurement Manager - Indirects and become part of our central Procurement team.

You'll work closely with stakeholders across the business to develop and deliver category strategies, lead sourcing activities, negotiate commercial agreements and manage supplier performance. The role offers exposure to a diverse range of indirect categories, with a particular focus on business services (IT or HR), while also supporting wider procurement projects and initiatives as business needs evolve.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and delivering category strategies that align to business objectives.
• Leading tendering, sourcing and commercial negotiation activities.
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders across multiple functions.
• Managing supplier performance, contracts and commercial risk.
• Identifying opportunities to improve cost, quality, service and operational efficiency.
• Supporting procurement-led transformation projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Using data and market insight to inform procurement decisions and recommendations.

Our Procurement team supports both our Centre functions and UK operational sites, helping deliver value through effective category, supplier and contract management. It's an exciting time to join as we continue to evolve our procurement capability and drive positive change across the business.

Essential Ingredients

• Experience developing and implementing category strategies.
• Strong sourcing, tendering and negotiation skills.
• Experience managing strategic suppliers and commercial contracts.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Project management experience, including leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Adaptable and comfortable working across changing priorities and categories.

Desirable Experience

• Experience managing IT-related spend categories.
• Experience managing key strategic supplier relationships, such as SAP and Microsoft
• Experience within a manufacturing, FMCG or complex operational environment.
• Professional procurement qualifications (e.g. CIPS) or working towards them.

Extra Dough

At last and by no means least you will want to know what your breads worth.

• A slice of the annual profits (discretionary profit share)
• Family time is important to us so as well as your holiday entitlement, we'll give you the opportunity to purchase up to an extra weeks annual leave
• Award winning pension scheme with company contributions up to 7%
• Private medical insurance and life assurance
• Products you will love along with deals and discounts for you and the family through our Extra Dough website
• Continued investment in your personal development
• Fully stocked kitchens filled with our delicious products for you to enjoy with your daily brew!
• Support for your health and wellbeing, including access to free physiotherapy, 24/7 access to a confidential helpline for practical advice and a comprehensive occupational health service