Strategic Procurement Category Manager

Closing Date

Category & Sourcing Manager (Operations)
Location:
Durrington, Worthing (Hybrid)

Contract Type:
Permanent

Hours:
37 hours per week

Salary:
£55,000 + excellent benefits

Shape the Future. Drive Change. Make an Impact.
There's never been a more exciting time to join
Southern Water
. We're on a mission to build a greener future—tackling climate change, reducing our carbon footprint, and delivering sustainable solutions for millions of customers.

As part of this journey, we're investing heavily in our
Procurement Division
, creating opportunities for talented professionals to influence large-scale projects and deliver real value. If you're ready to take ownership, innovate, and make a difference, this is your chance.

Why This Role Matters
As a
Category & Sourcing Manager
, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping procurement strategies that drive efficiency, sustainability, and cost optimisation. You'll manage category spend, lead sourcing initiatives, and partner with stakeholders to deliver solutions that matter—not just for today, but for generations to come.

What You'll Do

• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with business goals
• Engage with internal stakeholders to understand requirements and demand profiles
• Execute the full sourcing lifecycle, ensuring value creation and compliance
• Drive cost reduction through standardisation and demand aggregation
• Champion continuous improvement by introducing best practices and innovation

What We're Looking For
You're an experienced
Category Manager
with a strategic mindset and a proven track record in delivering complex procurement projects. Ideally, you'll bring:

Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills

Experience in engineering, construction, or asset procurement

Knowledge of public sector procurement regulations (UCR, ABC)

A proactive, solutions-focused approach

Commercial awareness and analytical ability

Bonus Points For

• CIPS qualification
• Knowledge of the Public Procurement Act

What's In It For You?
Benefits
We offer more than just a competitive salary. You'll enjoy a
hybrid working model
(office days Tuesday & Wednesday) and a benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and career growth:

• Up to 11% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave + volunteering days
• Life assurance (4x salary)
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme
• Health Cash Plan & Digital GP service
• Discounts with 800+ retailers
• Cycle to work scheme
• Study support for job-related qualifications

Ready to Make a Difference?
Join our Procurement team and help us deliver smarter, greener solutions for the future. Apply today and see how far your career can go with
Southern Water
—where innovation meets impact.

Does this opportunity excite you but you're not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that 'normal' office hours aren't possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can't accommodate every flexible working request, we'll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

If this role isn't quite what you're looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself )

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That's why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you'll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.

Privacy Statement
Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.