Senior Category Manager - IT Services

Base Location: You'll be expected to spend 50% of your working week in one of the following locations : Glasgow, Perth and/or Reading

Salary: £58,100 - £87,100 + performance-related bonus + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family

Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available

We’re looking for a Senior Category Manager – IT Services to join our Procurement Operations team, with end-to-end accountability for the IT services category. This is a highly visible, strategic role where you’ll help shape how the business engages with IT consultancies and professional service providers, ensuring strong governance, thoughtful commercial models, and sustainable value delivery. Acting as a trusted commercial partner to senior stakeholders across IT, Finance, Legal, and delivery teams, you’ll help guide sourcing decisions that support major programmes, transformation activity, and long-term capability needs.

You’ll lead category strategy, complex sourcing activity, and post-contract value delivery, helping the organisation evolve towards outcome-based, well-governed professional services engagements. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while continuing to develop your leadership, commercial, and strategic procurement expertise.

You’ll be part of a supportive, collaborative environment where you’re trusted to take ownership, encouraged to share your perspective, and given the opportunity to influence how the organisation partners with IT consultancies and professional service providers.

You will

- Take ownership for shaping and delivering the category strategy for IT Services, ensuring it aligns with business priorities and long-term capability needs.

- Lead complex sourcing activity including competitive tenders, framework agreements, and Statement of Work (SoW) engagements.

- Partner closely with senior stakeholders across IT, Finance, Legal, and delivery teams to design and implement effective sourcing and commercial strategies.

- Build and nurture strategic supplier relationships, supporting performance, value realisation, benchmarking, and continuous improvement across the category.

- Strengthen governance around IT Services engagement models, working closely with the Managed Service Provider (MSP) to support compliant sourcing, effective commercial oversight, and clear contractual structures.

You have

- Proven experience in IT Services procurement, with a strong background in IT Consultancy and Professional Services.

- The ability to develop and deliver clear, evidence-based category strategies, informed by market insight, demand analysis, and stakeholder priorities.

- Hands-on experience sourcing, contracting, and managing Statement of Work (SoW) based services.

- A strong understanding of professional services commercial models and the distinction between outcome-based services and role-based augmentation.

- Confidence building relationships with senior stakeholders and offering thoughtful challenge and insight when shaping decisions.

About SSE

SSE’s purpose is to provide energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the energy transition. Our Transforming for Growth investment plan sees us investing £33bn in critical electricity infrastructure across the five years to 2030.

Our Procurement & Commercial teams help us get the best service and value from partners, while ensuring suppliers meet compliance, contractual and business obligations.

Flexible benefits to fit your life

Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships. Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service. Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme. As well as generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.

Work with an equal opportunity employer

SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. Please contact Janet.Gossman@sse.com / 01738 351816 to discuss how we can support you.

We're dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.

Ready to apply?

Start your online application using the Apply Now box on this page. We only accept applications made online. We'll be in touch after the closing date to let you know if we'll be taking your application further. If you're offered a role with SSE, you'll need to complete a criminality check and a credit check before you start work.

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