OCS
Indirect Category Manager - Marketing, Professional Services, Recruitment
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About The Role:
Indirect Category Manager
Marketing, Professional Services & Recruitment
Role Overview
Reporting to the Head of Indirect Procurement, the Indirect Category Manager is responsible for Group & UK procurement activity across Marketing, Professional Services and Recruitment, managing approximately £25m annual spend.
The role leads category strategy, strategic sourcing, supplier management, contract governance and commercial negotiations. Working closely with stakeholders, it supports business development, acquisitions, mobilisations, integrations and transformation programmes, ensuring Procurement influences commercial decisions, supplier solutions and cost models from the outset.
The position provides commercial leadership focused on cost optimisation, value creation, innovation, supplier performance and risk management. Success in the role requires strong market knowledge, commercial judgement, stakeholder influence and a hands-on approach to procurement delivery in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
Category & Procurement Leadership
- Develop and deliver 3-5 year category strategies aligned to business objectives and market trends.
- Manage approximately £25m annual Group & UK spend across assigned categories.
- Partner with senior stakeholders, providing procurement expertise and market insight.
- Support business development, acquisitions, mobilisations and integrations, ensuring commercial and supplier considerations are addressed early.
- Review supplier portfolios, contracts and commitments to identify consolidation, standardisation and cost-saving opportunities.
- Lead market testing, benchmarking, supplier engagement and solution design activities.
- Deliver end-to-end sourcing programmes, including market analysis, RFIs, RFPs, e-auctions, supplier evaluation, negotiation, contracting and award.
- Deliver savings, cost avoidance and wider commercial value while balancing quality, service, innovation and risk.
- Use market intelligence and benchmarking to challenge costs, validate proposals and identify opportunities.
- Lead negotiations covering pricing, commercial models, contracts, service levels and risk allocation.
- Develop strategic supplier relationships supported by effective KPI, SLA and governance frameworks.
- Manage contract renewals and procurement pipelines to minimise unmanaged and reactive spend.
- Drive supplier consolidation, standardisation, demand management and process improvement initiatives.
- Collaborate with Marketing, HR, Finance, Legal and Operations to manage commercial and contractual risk.
- Track and report category performance, savings, supplier performance, contract status and commercial risk.
Category Ownership
Marketing
- Lead procurement and commercial activity across:
- Marketing agencies and creative services.
- Branding, design, content and campaign delivery.
- Media buying, digital marketing, social media and communications.
- Print services.
- Events, exhibitions, sponsorship, merchandise and promotional activities.
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Recruitment
- Manage commercial activity across:
- Permanent recruitment and recruitment support services.
- Agency frameworks and PSL management.
- Specialist search and workforce solutions.
Professional Services
- Lead procurement and commercial activity across:
- Legal services.
- Management consultancy.
- Advisory, transformation and specialist professional services.
- Alternative commercial models, including fixed-fee, capped-fee and outcome-based approaches.
Market Expertise & Commercial Focus
- Maintain current knowledge of market trends, supplier models and commercial drivers across marketing, recruitment and professional services.
- Apply market intelligence to category planning, budgeting, sourcing, acquisitions, business development and strategic decision-making.
Governance & Compliance
- Avoid conflicts of interest.
- Exercise sound judgement, care, skill and diligence.
- Act in good faith and support the long-term success of the UK & Ireland Group.
- Promote compliance with policies relating to equality, diversity, information security, health & safety and data protection.
- Support sustainability objectives and resource-efficient working practices.
Essential
Qualifications, Skills & Experience
- Experience in strategic procurement or category management, ideally across marketing, professional services and/or recruitment.
- Experience managing significant indirect spend and complex stakeholder environments.
- Proven success developing and delivering category strategies.
- Experience leading sourcing activities, supplier evaluation, negotiation and contract award.
- Strong commercial and contractual negotiation skills.
- Ability to develop category strategies using spend analysis, market intelligence and business requirements.
- Experience managing supplier performance, governance, contract renewals and commercial risk.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including engagement with senior leaders.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insight.
- Commercially focused, results-driven and able to manage multiple priorities.
- Experience working in a dynamic, growth-focused environment.
Desirable
- Experience supporting acquisitions, integrations, bids, mobilisations or business development activities.
- Experience using Coupa, Microsoft Dynamics or similar procurement systems.
- Experience across marketing services, agency models, recruitment frameworks, contingent labour, media, print, events or professional services categories.
- Knowledge of consultancy, legal and advisory commercial models.
- Experience implementing alternative pricing structures.
- Experience within large, multi-site or international organisations.
- CIPS qualification or equivalent commercial experience.
Core Expectations
- Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability.
- Be self-motivated, commercially curious and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
- Build strong collaborative relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and suppliers.
- Take ownership and accountability for outcomes.
- Apply a proactive, solution-focused mindset.
- Continuously develop commercial and market expertise.
- Support Group values and behaviours.
- Promote a collaborative, high-performance culture.
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Key Performance Indicators
- Delivery of savings, cost avoidance and commercial value targets.
- Successful implementation of category strategies.
- Effective support for business development, acquisitions, integrations and mobilisations.
- Improved supplier performance through KPI, SLA and governance frameworks.
- Increased contract coverage and proactive renewal management.
- Reduced commercial, contractual and supply chain risk.
- Increased stakeholder engagement and recognition of Procurement as a trusted business partner.
- Delivery of supplier consolidation, standardisation and demand-management initiatives.
- Increased spend under Procurement management.
- Continuous improvement and innovation through supplier partnerships and market insight.
About The Company:
OCS UK & Ireland is a leading facilities management company with 50,000+ colleagues and a turnover in excess of £2bn. We deliver innovative, award-winning services within facilities management, hard services, cleaning, security and catering.
Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be for our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve. Our commitment to doing business the right way is rooted in our TRUE values - Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment.
Why Work for OCS?
✅ Award-Winning Employer: Ranked 36th on Glassdoor’s Best Companies to Work For 2025 — we value and motivate our people.
🚀 Digital Learning: The OCS Academy offers digital courses and resources to help you build skills and grow your career.
🙂 Retail Perks With our Hapi app, you can gain access to exclusive discounts, rewards and wellbeing resources.
📝 Professional Growth: 600+ live learners across UK&I — Empowering colleagues with further development and qualifications!
💰 Flexible Pay: Access a portion of earned wages before payday with our Wagestream App! (Contract Specific)
How to Apply:
If you are interested in joining a business that encourages professional development, career progression and the chance to work with inspirational people then please click apply and register your interest! You can also sign up to our job alerts when registering which will notify you when other suitable vacancies are available.
We are an equal opportunities employer and rely on a diverse workforce with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and backgrounds to deliver our goals. We offer an inclusive and welcoming environment and actively encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.
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