Application Deadline: 12 November 2025 Department: Commercial Location: Milton Keynes Description A little bit about us: East West Rail is an infrastructure programme linking communities between Oxford and Cambridge. The area is currently let down by a lack of transport choices, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to fix that – improving prosperity for people and places along the way. East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way. At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple – to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences. Role Summary: Working as part of a team of Category Managers within the Services & Supplies team, the role will work with the wider Commercial function and key stakeholders to assist them to carry out their duties effectively by managing the procurement activities above threshold and/or medium risk requirements across complex spend categories. The role will ensure that all procurement activities fully comply with UK Public Procurement Regulations, Cabinet Office Commercial Policy, and the organisation’s internal governance framework, supporting the efficient and compliant delivery of the project. The Category Manager will collaborate with relevant customers and stakeholders to create and deliver significant commercial and contractual value. Function: The Commercial function provides commercial and procurement capability across the programme lifecycle, including strategy (setting the commercial strategy and advising risk allocation underpinning the delivery strategy), delivering procurement activities for the goods and services required to deliver the asset and run EWR Co, and delivering contract management services for the complex network of suppliers supporting EWR Co. Across all three of these domains the commercial function will run governance and reporting to measure compliance and provide commercial assurance. Key Responsibilities Works with key stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view of business requirements. Supports business units in articulating their commercial requirements. Develops category strategies, providing advice and guidance on sectors and suppliers and managing stakeholder expectations. Able to develop options for a business case, including articulating associated benefits and producing supporting arguments for the preferred option. Develop and implement of procurement specific ideas and innovation-based business cases, working in collaboration with relevant customers and stakeholders, to address existing business problems that require external sourcing specific market expertise to solve. Identify opportunities for collaboration, aggregation, and framework utilisation (e.g., CCS, Crown Commercial Service frameworks). Advise stakeholders on the use of public sector frameworks or competitive procurement routes, balancing commercial outcomes with legal compliance. Lead the procurement process from business requirement to contract signature, on behalf of key customers and stakeholders, to create and extract value. Ensure transparency, fairness, and auditability throughout the sourcing lifecycle. Apply the relevant internal guidance and processes for procurement led opportunities above threshold to manage all risk, governance, legislative and regulatory requirements, validated by the relevant commercial assurance team. Negotiate procurement enabled savings and benefit opportunities, in collaboration with all relevant customers and stakeholders, with the commercial capability, tenacity and ambition to deliver value Provide ongoing support the business, maintaining continuity of services and commercial compliance through the lifecycle of the contract and ensuring that contract variations, extensions, and modifications are managed in compliance with public procurement requirements. This requires seeking business buy-in and understanding as to how the contract will be managed once the sourcing project is complete and supporting the seamless transition to contract management. Take responsibility of your own and others’ health and safety by adopting and working to the EWR Co Health and Safety principles. Demonstrates a cost-conscious mindset, keeping taxpayers’ money at the forefront of decisions. Support the development and implementation of best practice procurement processes, tools, and templates. Contribute to the wider team’s culture of collaboration, professional development, and knowledge sharing. Contribute to reporting on savings, procurement pipeline, and compliance metrics. Act as a role model for EWR Co’s vision and behaviours, working in ways that are aligned with EWR Co’s Ways of Working, as well as encouraging and supporting others to do so too. Skills, Knowledge and Expertise In-depth understanding of UK Public Procurement Regulations, including PCR 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and Find a Tender (FTS) processes. Experience in category management, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management within a Services environment. Knowledge of contracting models such as Framework Agreements, DPS (Dynamic Purchasing Systems), and Call-Off Contracts. Experience using e-sourcing and contract management systems (e.g., Jaggaer, Delta, or similar platforms) for tendering and supplier communication. Familiarity with Crown Commercial Service frameworks, e.g., G-Cloud, Technology Services, and Technology Products frameworks. Deep knowledge of procurement processes, including familiarity with relevant regulatory requirements with a demonstratable track record of savings/benefits realisation. Demonstratable level of negotiation and dispute resolutions skills. Excellent communication, relationship management and presentation skills. Demonstratable knowledge of contract law and financial management. Demonstrable level of problem-solving experience of complex sourcing specific challenges. Ability to form strong interpersonal relationships. Excellent organisational skills, and meticulous attention to detail. Relevant experience within a procurement role in a service-delivery focussed organisation demonstrating strong analytical skills. Ability to identify and apply relevant policy and procedures for procurement processes. You will bring strong project management and stakeholder management skills to this role. MCIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) or working towards it. Benefits What we offer: • Competitive base salary • Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution • 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) up to 2 days to buy • Life assurance • Employee Assistance Programme • Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform • On-the-spot and annual awards • Advanced learning and development programmes • Great work-life balance and flexible working opportunities • Enhanced family-friendly policies • Exceptional IT tools EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style Diversity and Inclusion: To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve. We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.