Senior Category Manager (Technology)

Cancer Research UK; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity organization seeks a Senior Category Manager for Technology to lead strategic procurement initiatives. This role requires experience in managing technology supplier contracts within large organizations and strong strategic stakeholder engagement. The successful candidate will drive value across technology categories, ensuring compliance and alignment with organizational goals. This position offers a full-time, 12-month contract with a competitive salary between £56,000 - £63,000 and extensive benefits including a retirement plan and flexible leave.

Benefits

Generous benefits package

Flexible leave allowance

Discounts on travel and technology

Qualifications

• Experience owning Technology categories in large organisations.
• Proven ability to build and manage strategic relationships.
• Strong influencing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement activities across Technology, ensuring compliance.
• Develop and deliver category strategies aligned with objectives.
• Engage senior stakeholders to embed procurement strategies.

Skills

Strategic procurement

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Supplier management

Change management

Job description

.**Credible procurement partner. Sustainable supplier management. Impacting the future.****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)**Visa sponsorship:** You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is **not** able to offer visa sponsorship.**Closing date:** 28 January 2026 23:55This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found, therefore we strongly recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment. If you require more time to apply as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact [e-mail] as soon as possible.**Recruitment process:** Two competency-based interviews (potentially with an exercise)**Interview date:** From the week commencing 02 February 2026We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won’t be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.**At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.**We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That’s why we’re looking for someone talented, someone determined, someone like you. 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 £200m 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.As a Senior Category Manager, you'll be accountable for driving value and impact for Cancer Research UK by leading the development and execution of strategic procurement initiatives across our technology-related services and solutions spend categories. As well as helping the charity to mitigate risk, you’ll support the organisation’s long-term goals through effective supplier partnerships and commercial strategies. This will involve building strong relationships with senior stakeholders and influencing key decision-making across Technology and the wider organisation, ultimately ensuring that Procurement delivers measurable benefits aligned with Cancer Research UK’s mission to beat cancer. If you’re a procurement professional with experience owning Technology categories and managing IT supplier contracts in large, complex organisations, we would love for you to join our mission.* Leading and managing procurement activities across Technology, ensuring value for money, compliance, and alignment with Cancer Research UK’s mission to beat cancer. + This includes 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.* 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 IT categories, identifying opportunities for digital and operational improvement and delivering measurable benefits.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.In return, we make sure you are supported by a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools, policies and processes to enable you to do your job well. Our benefits package includes a substantial retirement plan, a generous and flexible leave allowance, discounts on anything from travel to technology, gym membership, and much more.