Permanent
Category Manager
Purchasing/Procurement
Havant
About the Role
Salary: £42,000- £46,000
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (4 x flex Monday-Thursday)
The Category Manager is responsible for driving value, efficiency, and strategic alignment across assigned product and service categories. This role leads end-to-end procurement activities, from sourcing and contract management to supplier engagement, while collaborating closely with global category teams and diverse stakeholders across the UK, Middle East, and international regions. By leveraging global agreements, ensuring compliance with company policies and legislation, and identifying opportunities for savings and continuous improvement, the Category Manager supports successful program delivery and strengthens supplier and stakeholder relationships in line with Lockheed Martin’s values.
1. Oversee the development and execution of category plans for assigned groups of products and services, identifying opportunities for savings, business efficiencies and supplier diversity.
2. Collaborate with global category team to input Lockheed Martin UK requirements into global procurement activities, develop intimate understanding of global category agreements and work across business stakeholders to leverage these agreements where appropriate.
3. Perform source to contract/purchase order activities and ongoing contract management.
4. Collaborate with stakeholders, both within the UK, Middle East and Internationally, to understand requirements and achieve business outcomes.
5. Collaborates with stakeholders to understand their procurement requirements and leads source to contract/Purchase Order activities.
6. Enter procurement data records into the system/s of record and internal tracking tools in accordance with company processes and procedures.
7. Liaise with external suppliers as required in a professional manner.
8. Assist in the preparation of procurement data required by other stakeholders and management.
9. Keep informed of price trends and assist in the evaluation of areas of opportunity to leverage material acquisitions.
10. Work with LM Legal team to verify correct Terms and Conditions to be used for all procurements, draft and negotiate new Terms and Conditions where required.
11. Lead other procurement activities outside main category as required.
12. Develop solutions to a variety of complex problems, and provide and implement effective approved solutions.
13. Actively attend and contribute to customer/stakeholder meetings as required.
14. Actively contribute to the successful completion of specific programs and initiatives.
15. Contribute to business improvement initiatives.
16. Assist in the Induction of new personnel as required.
17. Comply with legislation and Company policies, processes and instructions, including those relating to non-discrimination, environment, safety, duty of care, and the quality management system.
18. Display behaviours that reflect the Company values.
19. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships, ensuring effective and professional interaction with Lockheed Martin (LM) management, employees, customers, contractors and suppliers.
20. Take reasonable care of your own health and safety, and that of others, follow any reasonable instruction given by LM, and report any concern(s) which may give rise to danger, and/or any injury which may occur in the workplace.
21. Any other duties as required.
Required skills, qualifications and experience
Qualifications – Essential
22. Tertiary qualifications (degree or above) in a relevant Supply Chain discipline from a recognised institution, and/or equivalent relevant experience (preferably within the defence industry)
23. Relevant certifications or Professional membership Qualifications
Desirable
24. Tertiary qualification in supply chain management or certification with a professional body such as CIPS
Experience & competencies – Essential
25. Substantial experience in leading procurement activities across a range of scopes, including negotiating terms and conditions.
26. Significant experience collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders, both internal and external.
27. Computer literacy with an ability to analyse and interpret complex reports and material management information.
28. Intermediate skills and experience in the use of MS Office and other relevant software packages and applications.
29. Experience providing effective technical guidance, mentoring and training to other employees.
30. Significant experience with executing IT Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Hardware and Software agreements, inclusive of Software as a Service (Saas) agreements.
31. Significant experience with reviewing and negotiating End User License Agreements.
32. Significant experience in driving Savings and value for money to a business.
Experience & Competencies - Desirable
33. Experience with negotiating and executing on network and telephony contracts SDWAN/MPLS.
34. International Terms and Conditions negotiation and contract creation.
35. Data Analytics and SAP system acumen.
36. Exposure to supply planning function, business rhythms and reports.
Skills & Attributes
37. Excellent communication and influencing skills including the ability to prepare and present concise oral and written reports, briefings, updates and other documentation to internal and external stakeholders.
38. Pro-active approach with the ability to understand the business, identify issues, and develop and maintain relationships in order to achieve business objectives.
39. Complete understanding of principles, theories and concepts and ability to apply these to solve problems.
40. Strong conceptual and analytical skills with a strong attention to detail.
41. Excellent problem-solving skills, including ability to provide solutions to a wide range of difficult problems.
42. Ability to develop and determine approaches to solutions in a practical and creative manner.
43. Excellent ability to follow through and investigate issues with a thorough, methodological approach with a focus on drawing out quality solutions.
44. Ability to manage multiple, concurrent activities, with tight deadlines, while understanding and managing priorities, dependencies and risks.
45. Strong ability to adapt and maintain a flexible approach to changing needs or priorities.
Job Reference Number
18158BR
Employee Type
Full Time
Hours Per Week
37.5
Working Schedule
4xFlex
Country
United Kingdom (UK)
Clearance Required for Role
BPSS
Graduate, Intern or Apprentice Vacancy?
No
What we offer you
At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more.
We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off. We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement.
We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment. Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:
46. Private Medical Insurance
47. Competitive Pension
48. Dental
49. Critical Illness
50. Life Assurance
51. Travel Insurance
52. Employee discounts for top high street shops
53. Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counseling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc
54. Internal training and development alongside our Education assistance programmes
55. Reimbursement for a professional membership
56. Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave
Business Environment
Enterprise Business Services (EBS) consists of LMUK IT Services, Payroll, ESH, HR and Finance functions. With employees located throughout the UK, EBS provides UK wide support to the LMUK business areas.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Lockheed Martin is committed to upholding principles of equal opportunity, fostering a work environment that is aligned with our core values of integrity, respect, and exceptional performance. We recognize the importance of leveraging the unique talents and experiences of all our employees to drive innovation, deliver superior solutions, and maximize value for our customers. Our focus is on identifying the most qualified candidate for each role, regardless of their background. If you are interested in a position, we invite you to share how your skills and perspectives could bolster our team and encourage you to apply, even if you feel your qualifications do not fully meet all the job criteria outlined in our advertisement. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin is dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive for all individuals. We are prepared to accommodate reasonable adjustments for applicants as needed. If you require assistance or adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact end ngIf: ame != 'jobtitleInJobDetails' && ame != 'jobdescriptionInJobDetails' -->
Job Expires
17/12/2026
Category Manager | LM Careers