Central Procurement Manager

Sector: Construction Type: Permanent

Contact: Matthew Clegg Job Published: 1 day ago

Central Procurement Manager - National Infrastructure Frameworks

Location: Manchester

Salary: £55,000 to £65,000 + car & package

A major UK design and build contractor operating across the utilities sector is expanding its central procurement function. The Central Procurement Manager will quickly become an integral part of the procurement team, working across multiple long term alliances on complex, high value infrastructure projects.

Role Overview

The Central Procurement Manager will lead the strategic procurement function. Responsibilities include driving category strategy, supplier governance, and operational alignment across multiple business units. The role reports to the Head of Procurement and is based near Manchester with hybrid working.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high performing central procurement team.
• Oversee performance management, resource allocation, and training plans.
• Act as escalation point for procurement issues and decision making.
• Foster a results driven and compliant team culture.
• Oversee supplier onboarding and compliance audits.
• Ensure adherence to internal and client governance frameworks.
• Manage supplier performance and drive measurable improvement.
• Lead strategic supplier reviews and approve final evaluations.
• Develop and implement category strategies that drive value and innovation.
• Execute procurement programmes across frameworks to deliver cost efficiency.
• Analyse market trends and risks to inform category planning.
• Lead end to end tendering processes, negotiations, and contract awards.
• Manage supplier segmentation and category performance reporting.
• Enforce compliance with procurement policies, contracts, and legislation.
• Drive standardisation and process optimisation across procurement operations.
• Promote sustainable and ethical sourcing in line with ESG commitments.
• Oversee integrity of procurement systems and data accuracy.
• Produce board level reports on procurement performance and supplier stability.
• Track KPIs across category and team performance metrics.
• Represent the procurement function with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Senior level procurement experience with proven category management capability.
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of contract law and supply chains.
• Demonstrated success in cost reduction, process improvement, and risk control.
• Leadership experience managing multi disciplinary procurement teams.
• Proficient in P2P systems, Excel, Power BI, and reporting tools.
• Skilled communicator and negotiator, able to engage at executive level.
• Organised, decisive, and delivery focused.
• MCIPS qualification or active progression toward certification.
• Experience in regulated or complex project environments (utilities, infrastructure, manufacturing, or engineering).
• Knowledge of ISO frameworks, ESG governance, and ethical procurement standards.

Benefits and Development

• Starting salary of £55,000 to £65,000.
• £5,000 car/travel allowance.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with purchase option.
• Contributory pension, life assurance, and private medical cover.
• Health insurance, cycle to work scheme, and employee savings platform.
• Structured leadership development and progression within a national delivery business.

If you're an experienced Central Procurement Manager keen on joining an established and growing business, get in touch with Matt Clegg at Gold Group today for a confidential chat.