Senior Category Buyer

🔒 Confidential Employer
Posted 24 March 2026
LOCATION
Thornton Cleveleys
TYPE
Full-time
LEVEL
Mid-Senior level
SALARY
£55,000 / year
CATEGORY
Procurement
This employer holds a UK Home Office sponsor license — sponsorship for this specific role is at the employer’s discretion

SKILLS

Category Management Cost Reduction Supplier Performance Management Stakeholder Management Supplier Relationship Management Analytical Capability International Contracts Procurement

FULL DESCRIPTION

Senior Category Buyer

A strategic procurement role with real impact - driving value, innovation and supplier excellence in a global advanced materials business.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and deliver short, medium and long‑term category strategies aligned to business objectives
  • Identify and implement cost reduction and productivity initiatives to deliver annual savings targets
  • Conduct spend analysis and market intelligence to inform sourcing strategies and improve long‑term cost position
  • Lead supplier performance management, including KPIs, SLAs and corrective actions
  • Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers, leading bid evaluations and selection activities
  • Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders to deliver sourcing projects and category plans
  • Develop and manage supplier risk mitigation plans, including contractual and supply risk
  • Support governance processes by ensuring appropriate commercial and contractual controls are in place
  • Provide ad‑hoc support to approved purchasers, ensuring compliance with procurement processes

What You’ll Bring

  • Proven experience in procurement or supply chain roles within a multinational or complex, capital‑intensive environment
  • Strong understanding of category management principles and cross‑functional working
  • Demonstrated success in delivering cost savings and value‑led sourcing programmes
  • Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills
  • Experience of supplier relationship management and performance improvement
  • Strong analytical capability, with confidence presenting insights and recommendations
  • Experience working with international contracts and managing variation control
  • Comfortable using data and tools (including Power BI) to support decision‑making

Qualifications

  • CIPS / MCIPS qualified or working towards (desirable)

What We Offer

At [Employer hidden — view at passion-project.co.uk], you’ll find a collaborative culture, meaningful work and opportunities to develop your career in a global organisation. We offer competitive reward, flexible hybrid working, and a strong focus on wellbeing, inclusion and continuous improvement.

Interested?

If you’re motivated by strategic procurement, value creation and building strong partnerships, we’d love to hear from you.

NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE.

At present, we are not accepting any candidates via a recruitment agency or third party.

Sign up free — access 45,000+ UK sponsor-licensed jobs