Category Manager

A Procurement team embarking on an exciting journey of transformation is seeking an experienced Category Manager with a background in Professional Services and Consultancy spend.

With a newly created vision paper and an ambition to drive change this Procurement team welcome an individual who is passionate and proactive; in joining this team you will strive for best practice, influence senior stakeholders and leave a lasting impact on this FTSE 100 business. 

As Category Manager – Professional Services you will:

Strategically manage and optimise Procurement’s influence on the £200m Professional Services spend portfolio.

As part of your role you will be proactive in engaging senior stakeholders and suppliers alike; building long-standing relationships, working together to drive innovation and positive change.

As Category Manager – Professional Services your key responsibilities will include:

• Create, implement and optimise the strategy for the Procurement Professional Services and Consultancy spend
• Generate value for money by delivering cost out and cost down initiatives and driving innovation and competitive advantage
• Utilise digital tools, sourcing specialists, best practice and latest approaches to deliver value and innovation
• Undertake industry and supply market analysis and implement appropriate supply models to deliver business aims, objectives and operational requirements
• Lead the evaluation of supply solutions and undertaken appropriate supplier selection processes
• Develop robust and effective stakeholder relationships with key decision-makers
• Influence thinking and operate as a trusted adviser that is seen to offer real category expertise and add genuine value
• Maintain a commercial and technological awareness relevant to category scope and develop and maintain peer and supplier networks
• Maintain relevant subject matter expertise on supply markets, procurement initiatives, trends and best practice to identify and exploit commercial opportunities

To be successful in this role, you will come with existing experience of the following:

• Category Management – devising strategy, creating and executing category plans
• Professional Services – knowledge and experience of this spend category
• Risk Management – a sound understanding of procurement risk, mitigation strategies, risk-return and reporting
• Legal – ability to negotiate robust legally binding contracts with suppliers
• Strategic Sourcing – good understanding of the use and application of sourcing tools, spend analytics and P2P systems
• Stakeholder Management – experience of successfully influencing senior business stakeholders and subject matter experts through effective business partnering engagement

Throughout the selection process for this role you will be assessed on the following:

• Technical skills and capability as outlined above
• Ability to articulate yourself in a clear and logical fashion, in turn demonstrating a level of credibility and confidence
• Your ability to prioritise tasks and manage a busy workload
• Level of commercial awareness and the ability to influence
• Analytical nature and attention to detail
• Your drive and ambition to succeed and deliver best practice

Benefits of the Category Manager – Professional Services role include:

• Base salary up to £62,000 per annum
• Bonus scheme offering up to 45% of annual salary
• Pension – up to 5% employer contribution
• Private medical
• Life assurance – 8x salary
• Annual leave – 27 days, plus bank holidays
• Save-as-you-earn share plan
• Employee share plan
• Group income protection
• Discounts on everyday shopping
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance programme