Category Lead - 9-month fixed term - Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited : Job Details

Are you a procurement professional with a passion for strategic sourcing, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable supply chain practices? We are recruiting for a Category Lead on a 9-month fixed term contract for a brilliant Public Sector organisation in Central London.In this role you will take ownership of a high-impact spend area, managing key travel agreements, group travel logistics, and event-related procurement. You'll work closely with senior leaders, academic teams, and external partners to deliver value, compliance, and innovation across the organisation.This is a hands-on, strategic role where you'll lead tendering processes, shape category plans, and contribute to broader initiatives such as Net Zero Carbon, Modern Slavery compliance, and supplier performance improvement.Key responsibilities

• Lead procurement strategy and operations for Travel, Logistics & Events
• Manage supplier relationships and contract performance
• Deliver competitive tenders and sourcing solutions
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure compliance with Public Procurement Regulations
• Contribute to procurement policy development and continuous improvement

We are looking for

• MCIPS qualified or equivalent experience
• Proven experience in complex procurement environments (HE or public sector preferred)
• Strong knowledge of public procurement legislation
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and change management skills
• Ability to translate strategy into operational delivery
• Experience managing travel and logistics categories is highly desirable.

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