Hiring a category manager in Paddington? We test the negotiation record and the supplier management, because the role needs both.
A buyer who can negotiate but not manage suppliers wins the contract and loses the relationship. We test for both.
Operations at sites such as the Thames Gateway parks and the M25 orbital estates depend on suppliers that deliver. We match buyers to the categories that keep them running.
Direct buying, indirect procurement, category management and contract management call for different people. The search is shaped to the role.
The strongest procurement candidates across London & the South East are usually already buying for businesses such as urban fulfilment and last-mile operators, grocery and convenience distribution, airfreight handlers and metropolitan 3PLs.
The people who source, negotiate and manage the contracts.
We ask candidates how their savings were measured and signed off before we put them forward.
Winning a contract is half the job. We look for buyers who manage suppliers well after the signature.
We stay in contact while the new buyer meets the suppliers and takes over the contracts.
Indicative permanent salaries in Paddington run from around £30k for buyers up to £80k+ for heads of procurement.
Our pay advice comes from current offers for comparable buying roles. Figures are indicative, not a guarantee.
We identify the buyers doing similar work across a realistic commute.
A small number of candidates, each with notes on categories, spend and results.
We ask referees about savings delivered and supplier relationships, not just dates of employment.
Supplier relationships improve with continuity. Changing buyers often resets them.
Procurement notice periods can be long, so the timeline is planned from the first conversation.
A strong procurement brief covers:
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Yes. We recruit permanent buyers, category managers and procurement managers for businesses across London & the South East.
Not always. Some employers ask for a CIPS qualification and others put more weight on experience. Tell us which matters for your role and we will screen for it.
Yes. Tell us the office and site days and we will only approach buyers who can work that pattern.
Yes. We work across London & the South East. Give us the location of the role and we will search the commute around it.
Upload your CV and tell us your categories, your spend and the kind of role you want. We will contact you when a permanent role fits.
Procurement recruitment elsewhere in London & the South East:
Other specialisms in Paddington:
See our national Procurement Recruitment page, or all logistics recruitment in Paddington.
Describe a strong year for the role and we will find buyers who have delivered one.