Procurement Category Specialist - Global Engineering & Industrial Organisation

Locations: Manchester / Surrey / Yorkshire (Hybrid: 2 days per week on site)

Salary: £50,000–£56,000 +Discretionary bonus + excellent benefits

Category Spend: c. £50m

Step into a high-impact role within one of the world’s most respected engineering organisations, operating at the cutting edge of chemicals, gases and technical manufacturing. This is a standout opportunity for a rising procurement professional looking to accelerate their career within a complex, strategic, and commercially critical category.

You will manage end-to-end procurement activity across special gases, packaged gases, electronic gases and chemicals, blending strategic category ownership with hands-on delivery. Expect exposure to high-value negotiations, supplier optimisation, cross-functional stakeholder influence, and international collaboration across EMEA.

If you’re driven, commercially sharp, and ready to develop into a true category leader, this role will give you depth, visibility, and progression you won’t easily find elsewhere.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and deliver category strategies aligned to business priorities, productivity targets and risk mitigation
Lead value improvement initiatives (cost optimisation, alternative sourcing, process efficiencies, value engineering)
Build, develop and manage supplier relationships, driving continuous improvement and innovation
Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers to support category growth and resilience
Negotiate pricing, commercial terms and contract agreements
Conduct robust market and supply analysis to monitor trends, regulation, and competitive positioning
Ensure strong governance, contract compliance and risk management
Oversee procurement lifecycle activities including contract drafting, review and execution
Manage supplier KPIs and performance reviews, implementing corrective actions where necessary
Champion total cost of ownership thinking and challenge historic practices
Work closely with supply chain, logistics, planning and operations teams to support business continuity
Engage with senior leaders (Finance, BU Heads, Operations, Supply Chain) to align procurement strategy and delivery
Collaborate across EMEA/global procurement networks to leverage best practice and scale advantages

About You

You’re a proactive, curious and commercially driven procurement professional with foundational experience and a desire to develop into a strategic category leader.

Essential

3–5 years’ procurement experience (direct spend)
Confident stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
Proven experience supporting both tactical and strategic procurement activity
Strong negotiation ability and commercial acumen
Comfortable navigating complex environments with multiple priorities
Exposure to international suppliers or multi-regional markets

Desirable

Experience within chemicals, industrial gases, special gases, technical or engineering categories
Degree or equivalent professional experience
CIPS qualification (or currently studying)
Understanding of contract drafting and management
Background in industrial, manufacturing or engineering environments
What’s on Offer
£50,000–£58,000 base salary
10% annual bonus
Hybrid working (2 days per week on site)
Occasional UK travel (minimal global travel)
Meaningful ownership of a specialist, high-value category
Clear progression path into a senior procurement position

Why This Role?

Visibility: Direct exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision-making
Growth: The organisation actively develops procurement talent into senior roles
Scale: Work within a global function and learn best practice from a world-class procurement network
Impact: Every project you deliver will be measurable, commercial, and business-critical

Interview Process

Initial 30–45 min call: CV overview, motivations, capability alignment
Final panel interview: Technical, behavioural, and scenario-based assessment

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re ambitious, commercially minded and excited by the prospect of owning a technical, high-value category in a global engineering business, we’d love to hear from you. This role offers genuine development, senior support, and the opportunity to make a visible impact from day one.