Senior Category Manager

Description

Join Heathrow’s Engineering Procurement team and lead the sourcing and commercial management of critical engineering services that keep the airport safe, reliable and resilient. You’ll own complex, high-value activity from early market engagement through contract award and mobilisation, while shaping supplier partnerships that deliver long-term value, innovation and operational performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver short and long-term category strategies, priorities and procurement pipelines aligned to engineering and operational needs.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing for complex, high-value spend, including market sounding, supply-chain assessment, RFI/RFP, evaluation, negotiation, contract award and mobilisation.
• Shape robust commercial agreements, including specifications, KPIs, service levels, pricing models.
• Provide clear commercial advice on route to market, contracting models, CAPEX versus OPEX options, affordability, interface risk and regulatory requirements.
• Lead strategic supplier relationships and governance, resolving material commercial or performance issues while driving continuous improvement, resilience, innovation and additional value.
• Build trusted relationships across Engineering, Operations, Legal, Insurance and Finance; challenge constructively, manage risk and ensure sourcing decisions meet Heathrow governance and competition-law requirements.

Qualifications

• Significant category management and strategic sourcing experience within engineering, infrastructure, FM or another operationally critical environment.
• A proven record of leading complex tenders from market engagement through to implementation, delivering measurable value while managing operational and supplier risk.
• Strong commercial judgement, including experience drafting and negotiating contracts and using different procurement and contracting models.
• Credible supplier relationship management, stakeholder influencing and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead, coach and develop others.
• MCIPS qualification (desirable)

#LI-Hybrid