The Role
Leads IT category strategy, procurement planning, tendering, contract development, supplier performance, governance, compliance, and stakeholder engagement. The role manages full procurement cycles under PA23 regulations, supports sustainability and strategic sourcing objectives, approves purchase orders where applicable, and provides expert commercial guidance across the organization.
Summary Generated by Built In
Join our growing team as a Senior Category Manager – IT!
This is an exciting opportunity to lead category strategy across IT, influence business-wide decisions, and deliver real impact.
You'll support and develop colleagues through change, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and lead complex tendering activity under PA23 regulations to secure significant commercial and operational outcomes for WM Trains.
As a trusted procurement leader, you'll drive high standards of governance and play a pivotal role in delivering the organisation's strategic contracting objectives.
Based onsite 3 days per week.
Based onsite 3 days per week.
Key Responsibilities
- Be the procurement expert for the assigned category of IT.
- Lead procurement strategies with full stakeholder engagement, developing frameworks where needed and ensuring alignment with policies and processes.
- Develop fit‑for‑purpose contractual agreements, manage supplier performance, and uphold compliance with UK laws and industry standards.
- Maintain procurement governance, approve POs where applicable, and support sustainability commitments.
- Lead stakeholder engagement, work with DFTO on key approvals, and contribute to group sourcing strategies to secure best value.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Experienced in Category Management, ideally with public sector experience.
- Advanced analytical ability and confidence with spend data.
- Effective negotiation and commercial skills, able to run full procurement cycles independently and maintain high‑quality documentation.
- Excellent communicator who works well with diverse stakeholders, adapts to change, thinks creatively, and operates flexibly.
- IT Category knowledge would be essential.
To ensure continuity and an effective delivery of service, successful candidates will be required to commit to a minimum 14-month period in role after achieving competence. This also includes existing colleagues who move by internal promotions and transfers. This time allows our future colleagues to support personal career development by allowing time to build strong knowledge and expertise.
Benefits
- Salary of up to £65,000 dependent on experience.
- A defined benefit pension from day 1 – one of the best in the UK.
- Free travel on all London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
- 75% off all other train operating companies for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
- 8 Friends and Family Day passes to gift per annum on our network.
- A 24/7 Virtual GP service for you and your household.
- Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)- A confidential employee benefit that supports you with personal or work-related issues affecting your home life, work life, health, or wellbeing
- Our cycle to work scheme with Evans Cycles.
- A retail discount portal- offering savings, discounts and cashback at over 800 retailers and restaurants.
About
London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway operate rail services across the Midlands, the Northwest and London, with Birmingham at the heart of our network. West Midlands Railway provides most of the local services across the region, offering direct connections to towns and cities including Redditch, Stratford‑upon‑Avon, Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford and Northampton. Our London Northwestern Railway brand serves the route between London and Liverpool via key locations such as Crewe, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Northampton. On 1st February 2026, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway entered public ownership and both services are now part of WM Trains Limited operated by DFTO. Our mission remains unchanged: to provide a safe, comfortable and reliable service for passengers across 235 miles of track and 150 stations, from London to Liverpool and Hereford to Lichfield. We expect over 80 million journeys to be made this year, that’s more than 1,252 services every day, and we remain committed to delivering the rail experience our passengers expect.
Skills Required
- Experience in category management
- IT category knowledge
- Advanced analytical ability and confidence with spend data
- Effective negotiation and commercial skills
- Ability to independently run full procurement cycles
- Ability to maintain high-quality procurement documentation
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
- Public sector experience
- Commitment to remain in the role for at least 14 months after achieving competence
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The Company
What We Do
WM Trains Limited, operating as West Midlands Trains, is a British state-owned train operating company. It runs commuter and local services across the West Midlands and on the West Coast Main Line, connecting London, the Midlands, and the North West.
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