Professional Services Category Manager

Mott MacDonald

We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

Our values: Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, Excellence.

Mott MacDonald

Position location:  Newcastle, United Kingdom
Recruiter contact: Nikki George

We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

Our values: Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, Excellence.

About the business unit  

Mott MacDonald’s support services are the driving force behind our organisation enabling us to run efficiently and effectively. The team works collaboratively to offer specialist advice, best practice and technology to all areas of our business specifically designed for our global reach.

Mott MacDonald’s support services are the driving force behind our organisation enabling us to run efficiently and effectively. The team works collaboratively to offer specialist advice, best practice and technology to all areas of our business specifically designed for our global reach.

The role will be responsible for developing and executing category strategies for professional services, including consulting, legal, financial, and other related services. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong negotiation skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and suppliers. The Category Manager – Professional Services will also work on master agreements with our suppliers to ensure streamlined procurement activities globally.  

You will report to the IT Manager – Procurement and will work alongside a team of IT Category Managers and Purchasing Specialists. All activities will be in line with Group IT procurement guidelines and principles, ethics and sustainability objectives to deliver lowest total cost of ownership for solutions. 

Key duties and responsibilities include: 

Strategy and Planning 

Develop and implement category strategies to optimise cost, quality, and service levels for professional services. 
Conduct market analysis and benchmarking to identify trends, opportunities, and best practices. 
Lead the sourcing process, including RFPs, RFQs, and contract negotiations. 
Manage supplier relationships, including performance management, risk assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives. 
Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and ensure alignment with category strategies. 
Monitor and report on category performance, including savings, compliance, and supplier performance metrics. 
Stay informed about industry trends, market conditions, and regulatory changes that may impact the category. 
Comply with all IT purchasing policies and procedures in conjunction with department leads and department-specific requirements.   

Operational Management 

Direct and manage sourcing strategies from beginning to end. 
Define purchasing recommendations that support business goals, in collaboration with management and stakeholders.  
Negotiate pricing and terms and conditions of contracts with contractors and/or service providers. 
Monitor service provider, outsourcer, and/or contractor performance to ensure quality of service. 
Provide periodic oversight and execution of vendor requalification. 
Establish and maintain regular written and in-person communications with the organisation’s executives, department heads, and end users regarding pertinent sourcing activities. 
Effectively communicate procurement strategies to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear way. 
Manage escalated issues between the service provider and the company and coordinate key mitigation actions. 
Essential: 

5+ years’ experience in professional services procurement. 
Experience / Knowledge of category, supplier, and contract management (specifically contracts over £1m). 
Experience of procuring and negotiating contracts. 
Experience running end-to-end RFPs for senior stakeholders. 
Experience of implementing procurement policy, procedures, and governance. 
Experience operating at both a tactical and strategic level with a track record of success in delivering financial savings.    

Desirable: 

Working knowledge of the Category Management process. 
MCIPs qualified or willing to work towards a CIPS qualification.  
Experience working in an environment where customer needs are variable.  
Experience working under category management-based approaches.  
Experience implementing best practice contract and supplier management.   

Personal Attributes: 

Passionate about professional services and confident in managing your own category area. 
Ability to balance demands and priorities and think clearly under pressure. 
Attention to detail and a focus on quality. 
Excellent conflict resolution, communication, and collaboration skills. 
Logical and analytical approach to solving problems. 

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working 

Happy to talk Flexible Working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Pension matched up to 7%   
Life insurance 
An annual professional institution subscription   
Continuous development opportunities – because we want you to thrive  
Agile/flexible working – because life isn’t 9-5  
Enhanced parental leave; shared parental leave policies – for parents and care givers  
Annual bonus scheme  
Flexible benefits that suit you, including ability to buy/sell annual leave entitlement, cycle to work & interest free season ticket loans 
Wellbeing support including access to an independent Employer Assistance Scheme, wellbeing champions and access to learning and support resources 
Access to our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability and parents/carers communities 
The opportunity to make a difference; learn more about our  Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click