Senior Category Manager; Technology

Role Overview

Senior Category Manager (Technology) – £56,000 – £63,000 – Grade: P3 – Reports to Head of Procurement – Department:
Chief Operating Office –

Contract:

12 month fixed‑term contract –

Hours:

Full time 35 hours per week –

Location:

Stratford, London (office‑based with high flexibility – 1‑2 days per week in the office).

28 January 2026 23:55 – the vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found.

Two competency‑based interviews (potentially with an exercise). Interview dates from the week commencing 02 February 2026. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; we ask you to fully complete the work history section of the online application form for a swift, fair and objective assessment.

We exist to beat cancer. Cancer Research UK’s Procurement team plays a critical role in ensuring the charity has the resources it needs to operate and deliver on our mission. Managing around £200 m of annual spend, we are driving an ambitious transformation to create a strategic, data‑driven procurement function that delivers value, mitigates risk and fosters innovation. By embedding procurement best practice across the organisation, we aim to maximise value for money, enhance quality, improve efficiency and uphold our promise to direct 80p of every £1 donated towards beating cancer.

• Leading and managing procurement activities across Technology, ensuring value for money, compliance and alignment with our mission (including managed services, SaaS, cloud and infrastructure).
• Developing and delivering category strategies that align with the organisation's objectives, using market insights, risk analysis and stakeholder input to drive value and efficiency.
• Engaging and influencing senior stakeholders across Technology and the wider charity to ensure procurement strategies are understood, supported and embedded in business planning.
• Leading on IT sourcing activities (including supplier evaluation, selection and competitive tendering) to ensure optimal quality, cost and service outcomes.
• Negotiating and drafting commercial contracts that secure robust terms, mitigate risk and maximize value.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to manage supplier relationships, ensuring delivery against KPIs and continuous improvement.
• Identifying and mitigating supplier risks to protect the charity's operational and reputational interests.
• Monitoring and reporting on category performance to ensure delivery of savings, value and alignment with our strategic goals.

• Procurement professional with experience owning Technology categories in large, complex organisations.
• Proven ability to build and manage strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels to drive collaboration and innovation.
• Strong influencing and communication skills, with experience in securing stakeholder buy‑in for complex technology procurement strategies.
• Extensive experience in leading change in IT categories, identifying opportunities for digital and operational improvement and delivering measurable benefits.
• Deep expertise in managing complex IT contracts and supplier relationships, including managed services, SaaS, cloud and infrastructure, ensuring compliance, performance and value delivery.
• In‑depth knowledge of category management principles, with a track record of developing and executing IT category strategies that align with organisational goals and technology roadmaps.
• Comprehensive experience in end‑to‑end sourcing within IT categories, including tendering, supplier evaluation and delivering excellent stakeholder experiences across technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Advanced negotiation skills, with a history of securing favourable commercial terms and drafting robust IT contract schedules, including SLAs, KPIs and exit strategies.

We support our employees with a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high‑quality…