Category Sourcing Manager - Software/SaaS

Nationwide’s procurement function is undergoing a significant and successful transformation, ensuring we deliver the best possible outcomes for the organisation. Our operating model combines category alignment with strong business partnering, focused on achieving business and member value.

As a Category Sourcing Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping how we source, negotiate, and manage supplier relationships. You’ll bring a passion for procurement and a clear understanding of the value it creates—balancing commercial excellence with strong governance and compliance.

In this role, you will lead category strategies that optimise cost, mitigate risk, and enable innovation. You’ll work closely with stakeholders across the business, building trusted relationships that deliver tangible benefits. You’ll drive commercial outcomes through effective sourcing, outsourcing approaches, and strategic supplier partnerships, while staying ahead of emerging markets, technologies, and trends impacting financial services. You’ll also champion new ways of working and contracting, creating space for fresh ideas while respecting established processes.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this role, you'll be based at your nearest regional office or hub. We value time spent together to connect with colleagues for collaboration so there will be a regular requirement to attend our Swindon site approximately once per month. If you are based at an office location, you'll be expected to meet our hybrid working requirement of at least two days a week, or 40% of your working time if part-time, in the office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing

In this role, you’ll use your procurement expertise and strong stakeholder relationships to shape and deliver category strategies that drive value and resilience.

Acting as a trusted advisor, you’ll bring market insight and supplier innovation to influence decisions and enable smarter sourcing. 

Your day will involve securing robust commercial agreements that align with risk appetite and deliver the best value for our customers, while building and leveraging supplier partnerships to unlock new opportunities and drive continuous improvement. 

You’ll draft and negotiate complex contracts, manage the contract pipeline, and analyse market trends to inform strategy and optimise outcomes. 

This is a role where your impact will be clear—optimising costs, mitigating risk, and enabling innovation across the organisation. Join us and help shape the future of procurement at Nationwide, where your expertise will make a real impact.
 

About you

As a minimum requirement, you’ll bring:

• Technology sourcing experience, particularly across Software and SaaS, with a good understanding of modern technology propositions and commercial models

• Proven experience of end-to-end strategic sourcing, including supplier selection, commercial negotiation, cost modelling, contracting, renewals and onboarding new suppliers

• Experience operating within financial services or another highly regulated environment, with Economic Crime and Fraud technology experience advantageous but not essential 

• The ability to translate business strategy and technology roadmaps into commercial sourcing plans, identifying opportunities for supplier consolidation, simplification, cost reduction and synergy

• Experience sourcing both new technology capabilities and managing an existing supplier/renewal portfolio, balancing strategic priorities with fast-moving business requirements

• Commercial and negotiation capability, comfortable challenging suppliers and developing robust commercial positions

• Confidence operating independently and at pace, taking ownership of sourcing activity from initial requirement through to contract

• Excellent written and verbal stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to engage and communicate effectively with senior and C-suite stakeholders

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata

• Private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. 

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

Keeping your data and personal information confidential is important to us. To find out more about how we use and process your data, please read our Privacy policy.

If you want to find out more about using AI in our recruitment process, please read more here.

Disability Confident 

We’re not just guided by data, we’re driven by the real experiences of our people. We’re a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the highest level. 

That’s why we’re constantly evolving our policies and practices to make sure everyone feels genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to champion inclusion. Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you. If you need any additional support throughout your application journey, email our team at Recruitment Support. 

Apply safely with Nationwide

Recruitment scams can look convincing, so take a moment to check the role is listed on our official careers site and read our guidance on Don’t be conned by a job scam.

Please note that should you be successful in securing this role, the job title on our internal systems will be Category Sourcing Manager.