Job Description

As Senior Category Manager, you’ll shape our contingent workforce and professional services procurement strategy, negotiate high-value commercial agreements and build strategic vendor partnerships that keep our development pipeline moving across Australia and Asia.

You’ll also help build a smarter, AI-enabled procurement function, using data, technology and current ways of working to drive better commercial outcomes.

We welcome applications from across Australia, with a preference for candidates based in Melbourne or Sydney.

What You’ll Do

- Category strategy: Develop and execute multi-year strategies for contingent labour (labour hire, temporary and fixed-term contractors, independent contractors) and professional services (engineering, technical, IT, legal, advisory and management consulting), aligned with NEXTDC’s growth, workforce strategy and capital program.
- Spend and market intelligence: Analyse category spend, demand drivers, rate benchmarks and supply-market dynamics across Australia and Asia to identify, quantify and prioritise savings, demand management and innovation opportunities.
- Strategic sourcing and negotiation: Lead end-to-end RFI, RFP and tender processes and high-value negotiations with labour hire providers, recruitment agencies, MSPs and consulting firms to secure the best total value, not just the lowest rate.
- Operating model: Design and lead the contingent workforce operating model, including preferred supplier panels, rate cards, margin and mark-up structures, and evaluation of MSP, VMS and direct sourcing options to consolidate spend and simplify the supplier base.
- Commercial frameworks: Develop commercial frameworks and procurement models with strategic third parties to support project execution and growth
- Compliance and risk: Own the category risk framework with People & Culture and Legal,



embedding controls to prevent non-compliant engagements.
- Supplier performance: Manage strategic supplier relationships and performance through KPIs, scorecards, quarterly business reviews and improvement plans, resolving issues and disputes promptly and constructively.
- Stakeholder partnership: Work with Development, Engineering and Construction teams to ensure critical resourcing and expertise is secured and utilised efficiently across the company.
- Policy, process and technology: Develop and implement best-practice external talent engagement policies, processes and guidelines covering approvals, onboarding and offboarding, tenure limits, conversion and procure-to-pay, using procurement and workforce technology to improve control, speed and data quality.
- Value tracking and reporting: Define and report category performance metrics, including savings delivered, spend under management, compliance, rate variance, time-to-engage, tenure and supplier performance, to Procurement leadership and executives.
- AI-enabled procurement: Explore and adopt AI and automation throughout the category lifecycle, including spend analytics, market research, rate benchmarking, sourcing, contract review and supplier performance, sharing successful practices to build a best-in-class, AI-enabled procurement function.
- Regional expansion: Support NEXTDC’s growth across Asia by expanding supplier coverage and establishing compliant engagement models in new markets.
- Safety, sustainability and ethics:



Embed NEXTDC’s safety, sustainability, diversity and ethical sourcing commitments into supplier selection and management, including opportunities for Indigenous and social enterprise suppliers.

What You’ll Bring

- Category leadership: Proven ability to develop and deliver category strategies that generate measurable, sustained commercial value.
- Commercial acumen and negotiation: Expert negotiation skills with strong financial and analytical capabilities, including analysing rate cards, margins and total external workforce costs.
- Contingent workforce expertise: Knowledge of Australian workplace regulations relevant to contingent labour, including the Fair Work Act, labour hire licensing and modern slavery obligations.
- Influence and stakeholder management: Ability to influence and challenge senior leaders when needed, translating complex commercial and risk issues into clear recommendations.
- Contracting: Strong understanding of services contract structures and commercial terms, including MSAs, panel agreements and SOWs.
- Data and insight: Advanced spend analysis, Excel and BI skills, with the ability to turn data into actionable insights.
- Technology: Working knowledge of e-procurement, ERP and VMS platforms.
- AI curiosity and learning mindset: Eagerness to learn and apply AI tools in daily work and become an AI-enabled operator. Hands-on procurement AI experience is advantageous but not essential.
- Change leadership: Ability to drive adoption of new processes and ways of working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including concise, executive-ready papers and recommendations.
- Personal attributes: High ownership, resilience, curiosity and unquestionable integrity.

📌 Senior Category Manager – Contingent Workforce & Professional Services (Melbourne)
🏢 Nextdc
📍 Melbourne