Category Lead​/Manager Indirect Procurement

Category Lead/Manager – Fleet & Indirect Procurement

Location: Flexible / Hybrid (Finsbury Park, London)

Reporting to: Head of Procurement

WPS is seeking an experienced Category Manager – Fleet & Indirect Procurement to take ownership of one of our most critical spend categories while supporting wider indirect procurement activities across the business.

This is a highly autonomous role, with approximately 60% of your time focused on fleet procurement and fleet management activities and the remaining 40% dedicated to broader indirect procurement categories such as IT, HR Services, Professional Services, Office Supplies, PPE and other overhead spend.

We are looking for a procurement professional who can operate independently, build strong stakeholder relationships, and bring proven experience managing a large operational vehicle fleet.

• Lead the procurement and category management of a fleet of approximately 2,000 operational vehicles.
• Develop fleet strategies that deliver cost savings, operational efficiency and compliance.
• Manage vehicle procurement, specification, fit-out and supplier selection.
• Evaluate and recommend funding options including leasing, purchasing and financing.
• Build robust business cases for fleet investment and replacement programmes.
• Manage key fleet spend areas including:
• Vans and operational vehicles
• Fuel and EV solutions
• Company cars
• Salary sacrifice schemes
• Vehicle maintenance and repair contracts
• Monitor supplier performance and drive continuous improvement.

• Develop and implement category strategies across indirect spend areas.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, cost avoidance and value creation.
• Manage categories including:
• IT Services
• Recruitment
• HR Services
• Professional Services
• PPE
• Utilities
• Travel and associated overhead spend
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies with business objectives.
• Build strong relationships across the business and with external suppliers.
• Influence decision-making at all levels of the organisation.
• Support operational teams with supplier management and procurement best practice.
• Lead commercial negotiations and contract discussions.

We're looking for someone who can hit the ground running and confidently manage a large fleet category whilst balancing wider indirect procurement responsibilities.

• Proven experience in Fleet Procurement or Fleet Category Management
  .
• Experience managing operational fleet vehicles and vans
  .
• Previous responsibility for a fleet of approximately 2,000 vehicles or similar scale
  .
• Strong indirect procurement/category management experience.
• Experience delivering cost savings, rebates and commercial value.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.

• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Strong analytical and commercial acumen.
• Experience using procurement and reporting tools.
• Knowledge of compliance, governance and risk management.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Understanding of sustainable procurement and fleet strategies.

• Degree level education or equivalent experience preferred.
• CIPS qualification or working towards CIPS would be advantageous.

• Opportunity to lead a significant fleet spend portfolio of approximately £18m annually
  .
• Influence procurement strategy across a broader indirect spend portfolio of approximately £60m annually
  .
• Work closely with senior business leaders.
• Be part of a collaborative procurement team driving meaningful business value.

If you are an experienced fleet procurement professional looking for a broad category management role with genuine strategic impact, we'd love to hear from you.