Procurement Category Specialist

Nexus Procurement is in the middle of a glow‑up. We’re restructuring, reinventing, and basically giving procurement the makeover it deserves. Thanks to an internal promotion, we now need a Procurement Category Specialist who’s not afraid to roll up their sleeves, challenge the status quo, and sprinkle a little magic dust on our procurement maturity journey. This isn’t your average “buy stuff, save money” gig. You’ll be part of a squad delivering strategic procurement change, making sure our approach is agile, pragmatic, and proportional. Typical Day Check procurement priorities, supplier communications, and contract updates Attend briefings to discuss ongoing projects, allocate responsibilities, and support category managers Meet with internal teams to understand requirements, provide guidance, and influence procurement decisions Lead negotiations, resolve issues, and explore opportunities for innovation and value creation Prepare business cases, financial models, and updates for senior leadership Provide direction to team members, deputise for category managers, and promote best‑practice procurement About You You’ve mastered the end‑to‑end source‑to‑contract process across at least two categories. You know procurement inside out, from strategy to contract management, and you deliver with flair. Juggling multiple projects across a diverse portfolio? No sweat. You thrive in fast‑paced, ever‑changing environments and still hit deadlines. You’re not afraid to shape, define, influence, and challenge current practices — always in a constructive, forward‑looking way. You embed yourself in the full procurement journey, taking ownership from start to finish. You’ve got the skills to manage team members and direct reports, inspiring them to deliver their best. Who we are looking for You must be able to work collaboratively as part of a team that lives our company values every day, supporting each other, delivering exceptional service, and creating a positive, respectful environment for colleagues and customers alike. As a colleague within Nexus, you will take pride in delivering your best performance, respecting others and working towards team goals through collaboration, agility and embracing learning opportunities. Our Team You will join a small but growing team, passionate, professional and focused on value for money, agile, proactive, proportionate and pragmatic procurement solutions and outcomes. The team will work across a diverse and exciting portfolio of categories within Engineering, Infrastructure, Construction, Asset Management and corporate and operational requirements. About Us We care for our communities, deliver with trust and accountability, and adapt with innovation. Every journey is designed to be sustainable, inclusive, and customer‑focused because when we move forward together, we create a cleaner environment, a stronger economy, and a better future for all. What we offer This is a Monday to Friday job You’ll work a 36‑hour week You’ll be part of a generous pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) 28 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays and time off for volunteering too Enjoy travelling for free in Tyne and Wear with our enhanced travel benefits for you and your family Free or discounted travel with Grand Central, LNER, Lumo, Northern Rail and TransPennine Express You will have the opportunity to contribute to a health cash plan that will contribute (and dependants if you have them) towards dental costs, optical, and lots more Access to our reward app with over 1000 plus high street discounts on groceries, holidays and days out. We like to grow our own colleagues (not literally of course), so when you’re ready for the next step in your career, we can help develop you. What to expect at interview Our selection process includes a structured interview. Interviews will take place week commencing 22 December 2025. Closing date Friday, 19 December 2025 at 9am #J-18808-Ljbffr