Category Management Group Lead

Your new role

Category Management Group Lead (Logistics)

To contribute to the achievement of Category Management by developing/shaping the strategy for assigned category area ensuring the implementation of the strategy through planning and management of new arrangements and management of existing ones.

Locations considered: Birmingham, Bristol, Guildford, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham

What you ll be leading on

• Develop category strategies which maximise customer value for money, reduce risk and carbon impact. Create a plan to engage with Internal stakeholders and with suppliers on the strategy in order to drive value and efficiencies.
• Ensure that Category Management is seen in a strategic way and looking at new long-term supplier strategy and innovation and how to bring best value to Highways England. Applying best practices to deliver outcomes and effectively manage governance and risk (strategic risks including supplier performance and resilience), including Work Related Road Risks
• Actively encourage innovation within assigned category area. This could include providing direction to the team to identify opportunities of innovation that helps meet strategic objectives (e.g... customer engagement, developing new arrangements etc.), setting performance metrics and targets for innovation etc.
• Engage with the wider Procurement Senior team and support in making critical commercial decisions as part of the short, medium- and long-term strategy of the business and be empowered to make these decisions.
• Proactively participate in knowledge sharing across the other work streams in the division, promoting best practice.
• Manage/Develop internal and external stakeholder relationships. This includes the following:

o Oversee creation of communication/supplier engagement pack and ensure it is regularly updatedo Effectively communicate with the business by attending/ leading community groups and internal and external forums as applicable.

• In delivering outcomes (new frameworks or other arrangements) effectively manage governance by engaging with and managing submissions to relevant internal and external governance groups/bodies eg. Investment Decision Committee (IDC), Procurement Assurance Board (PAB), Innovation ReApplied etc.
• Collaborate with the Business and Procurement teams to understand their requirements and provide necessary support to deliver performance within the assigned category area.
• Act as a point of escalation within the category area to resolve any issues.

To be successful

• Proven procurement category management background, ideally in a Logistics context.
• Strong ability to manage the sourcing strategy and critical success factors internally and externally in order to achieve this.
• Flexible, adjust readily to new situations while effectively dealing with ambiguity, stress and uncertainty. Able to leverage knowledge of operations and develop solutions to complex issues.
• Strong negotiation skills and understanding of contracts and supply agreements.
• A strong proven track-record in leading and delivering varying aspects of the procurement function specifically Logistics related, and the dependencies to carbon, time and cost
• Stakeholder Management.

Our benefits package

• Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus,
• Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
• Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
• Flexible hours and blended working between base location/home
• Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus, access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
• A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
• Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience

And we are:

• Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
• Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discount offers for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays, alongside a financial wellbeing programme
• Community friendly - offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year

If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:

• Right to work check
• 3 year employment history references
• DBS criminal record check
• Social media and adverse journalism check
• Driving licence check (if applicable)
• Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)

And finallyAnd finally we reserve the right to close the advert before the given closing date, so we recommend completing your application as soon as possible.