Procurement Category Manager - Professional Services

We have an exciting opportunity for a Procurement Category Manager – Professional Services to join the University of Surrey’s Finance team. You will play a pivotal role in developing and delivering the University’s procurement strategy across a broad range of professional services categories, including HR, Finance, Marketing, Recruitment, and Travel.  

The role focuses on securing value for money, managing risk, and building effective supplier partnerships that support the University’s strategic, operational, and people-focused objectives.  

The Role

Working in close collaboration with functional leads, business services teams, and senior stakeholders to understand operational, commercial, and strategic requirements, you will enable the delivery of fit-for-purpose procurement solutions. Your work will directly support service quality, flexibility, innovation, and scalability across diverse service areas.  

While the primary focus is Professional Services categories, the role may also support wider University procurement initiatives as required.  

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and delivering the Professional Services category strategy
• Establishing and managing effective frameworks and commercial models
• Providing commercial leadership and stakeholder influence
• Leading complex sourcing, tendering, and negotiations 
• Driving commercial value and performance improvement 
• Improving supplier management, standardisation, and demand control
• Ensuring governance, contracts, and capability development

About You

The role requires a strong understanding of professional services procurement, including consultancy, outsourced services, agency models, and demand management.  

Flexibility of approach is essential, as is the ability to provide clear commercial leadership and work collaboratively with internal stakeholders, finance colleagues, and other senior leaders to define and deliver successful outcomes.  

You will also have:

• Highly developed knowledge of procurement principles and practices, particularly regarding professional services related procurement.  
• Significant experience managing complex procurements in a services organisation, including advertising, tendering, contract drafting, negotiation, and supplier relationship management.  
• The proven ability to lead procurement-related business improvement and organisational change projects.  

The ideal candidate will also be able to demonstrate experience of professional services procurement from within a public or private sector organisation and will have knowledge of procurement/e-procurement systems.

What we can offer

In addition to a competitive salary you will receive 25 days annual leave, with additional days for Bank Holidays and University closure days. We offer a generous pension, flexible working options, access to world-class leisure facilities, a range of travel schemes and supportive family friendly benefits including an excellent on-site nursery.

How to apply

To apply please upload your CV and cover letter to the University website.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Nick Jones via n.p.jones@surrey.ac.uk 

Please note we are not looking for any external agency support on this role at this time.

The University of Surrey is committed to providing an inclusive environment that offers equal opportunities for all. We value everyone in our community and are seeking to increase the diversity. Therefore, we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities. 

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