Indirect Procurement Category Manager

Job Description:

Your Impact

We are seeking a commercially driven Procurement Category Manager to lead the strategic sourcing and category management of complex spend areas, mainly related to manpower, engineering and logistics services. You will combine strong supplier management and negotiation capabilities with proven people leadership experience and the ability to operate effectively within fast-paced aerospace engineering environment.

This role is responsible for delivering value through strategic procurement initiatives, supplier performance management, cost optimisation, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement across Leonardo UK.

This role will require on-site attendance 2-3 days per week at one of our sites.

What you will do

• Develop and implement procurement strategies/plan for complex indirect and operational spend areas, including but not limited to
  • Manpower and contingent labour
  • Freight, Import/Export and Logistics services
  • Professional Services
• Lead end-to-end sourcing activities including:
  • RFQs/RFPs
  • Supplier evaluation and selection
  • Contract negotiation
  • Commercial management
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders across operations, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and finance functions.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships to ensure:
  • Service excellence
  • Cost competitiveness and Continuous improvement
  • Contract compliance and governance
• Identify and deliver industrial cost-savings and value-creation opportunities while maintaining operational continuity and quality standards
• Lead supplier performance reviews using KPIs and contractual service level agreements
• Support procurement governance, compliance, and risk management activities
• Potentially manage and develop procurement team members (direct reports), providing coaching, mentoring, and performance management
• Drive procurement best practices and continuous improvement initiatives across the function
• Ensure procurement activities align with company policies, regulatory requirements, and industry standards

What you will bring:

• Experience in a Procurement Category Manager or Senior Buyer role within complex operational environments.  

• Significant experience managing challenging categories/results including but not limited to
  • Manpower and contingent labour
  • Freight, Import/Export and Logistics services
  • Professional Services

• Demonstrated experience of supplier negotiation and contract management involving high-value or strategically important suppliers

• Previous people management or team leadership experience
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels
• Excellent commercial acumen and analytical capability
• Experience working within aerospace, engineering, manufacturing, or similarly regulated industries is highly desirable
• Strong understanding of procurement processes, category management methodologies, and supplier performance management
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

It would be nice if you had:

• CIPS qualified or working towards MCIPS
• Degree qualified in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related discipline
• Experience using ERP or procurement systems such as SAP, Oracle, or Coupa

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

Primary Location:

GB - Yeovil - Lysander Rd

Additional Locations:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane, GB - Edinburgh

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid