Category Manager
Job Purpose:
Accountable for management of the overall category management portfolio and associated category management personnel. Responsible for developing the category management strategy, in conjunction with the Head of Strategic Sourcing. Monitors, measures and drives compliance developing overarching procurement guidelines on a category portfolio level.
Dimensions:
Annual Budget: c. £400,000
Regulated Income: c. £250,000,000
Staff: 3-4
Key Responsibilities:
• Development and communication of a category management strategy that is aligned to overall The Client procurement and corporate strategy
• Development of an implementation plan to deliver the strategy
• Accountable for the category, focusing on both supply demand activity
• Responsible for fully leveraging demand across the organisation to maximise opportunities for savings within the category
• Manages a high value contract portfolio and ensures that all contracts are mobilised, implemented and maintained with appropriate approvals in place.
• Maximises the value from The Client contractual arrangements through effective development of contract strategy, contract development and negotiation
• Manages the category management team, ensuring employees have clear roles and responsibilities and their performance is managed appropriately.
• Fosters a highly collaborative culture across the category management team, other categories, the procurement function and the business’ internal customers
• Ensures category management team are compliant to all category management and procurement policies and processes
• Reviews and updates category management policies regularly
• Ensures the category management team provides buying assistance, enabling buying channels to be aligned to the category
• Ensures the category management team supports other areas of the business enabling queries to be resolved quickly
• Accountable for supplier management of category suppliers including their development and segmentation and the overall performance management framework
• Develops relationships with suppliers and creates strategic partnerships
• Optimises the Client vendor database based upon value and risk mitigation
• Leads the identification and communication of potential alternative suppliers
• Develops and maintains a detailed activity cost case model for all forms of work
• Develops and maintains a stakeholder category management plan
• Accountable for managing innovation and knowledge for the category, contributing to the procurement’s function continuous improvement objectives
• Drives improvement within the category and delivers operational improvement projects
• Leads the category management team through change
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience:
• Experience of leading category management in an equivalent senior post
• Experience of supplier development techniques
• Sourcing techniques and approaches (total cost of ownership, contracting, conflict resolution, fact-based negotiation, etc.)
• Detailed category management knowledge across key categories
• Awareness of key cost drivers and category cost reduction measures
• Relevant academic and technical qualifications, e.g. CIPS qualification
• Team leadership and knowledge of key team development techniques
• Excellent communication skills
• Supply market knowledge
• Project management experience
• Stakeholder management