Category Manager

Role Overview

Our Category Manager position offers experienced procurement professionals to really excel their career. Working across multiple sectors and a diverse range of spend areas. This is a fast-paced role and you will be familiar in successfully managing and influencing senior clients and/or stakeholders with strong experience of savings delivery within a high spend environment.

Responsibilities

• Interact with key stakeholders and analyze data to create category management approaches that deliver against both client and company’s needs and expectations. 
• Advise and agree with clients on the procurement strategy for high spend categories
• Deliver measurable savings through hands on category management including undertaking tenders, negotiations and auctions on behalf of clients.
• Provide the enquiry, insight and creative thought needed to deliver a step change in supply chain performance.
• Influence stakeholders (clients and suppliers) to secure agreement to proposed solutions.
• Use of leading edge tools and processes and creative thinking to design solutions which deliver rapid cost savings and improvements in performance
• Sourcing suppliers from the US and Worldwide to meet clients’ needs
• Deliver projects within agreed timescales

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications

• At least 3-5 years’ procurement experience in a major USA or international company and or public sector business demonstrating healthy progression in that time.
• A breadth of category management, moving successfully and quickly between direct and indirect product and service categories.
• The ability to manage, motivate and develop small project teams. This individual also needs to be able to identify and nurture less experienced talent, whilst supporting developmental areas of their peers. 
• A successful track record in managing and influencing senior clients and stakeholders
• Strong track record of savings delivery within a high spend environment
• Any successful candidate must have the capability to develop within the company, broadening their category experience, with a longer-term view of managing projects and project teams
• Good organizational and time-management skills
• Positive and proactive attitude, confident in taking personal initiative
• Good negotiation skills and natural persuasion
• Good understanding of supply chain and procurement practices