Category Manager - Technology Services

Overview

Reporting to: Senior Category Manager, Technology

Sponsorship: Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

This role in 3 words: Analysis, Relationships, Commercial

Top 3 qualities for this role: Negotiator, Self-Solving, Entrepreneurial

Depending on the needs of your business area, we expect hub based people to be in the office at least once a week, and to go to OVO Connection events in-person. You’ll be assigned to the closest one of our three hub offices, Bristol, Glasgow, or London. Each hub has accessible spaces to park your laptop, is designed to inspire people, help them connect and bring big ideas to life.

At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity s biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That s why we need diverse people from all abilities, gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences and backgrounds to join us.

Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you’ll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen. Here’s how:

As an enterprise business OVO’s supply chain presents large risk but great opportunity when it comes to sustainability and wider ESG initiatives. Procurement & Supply play a vital role when contributing to OVO’s wider Plan Zero aspirations ensuring we’re working with the right partners and managing risks appropriately.

We are seeking an exceptional Category Manager to support the Senior Category Manager in the strategic management of the Technology Professional Services procurement category. You will develop and execute category strategies, manage supplier relationships, and oversee procurement processes to deliver maximum value and mitigate risks. Your focus will align with OVO s Plan Zero ambitions, ensuring sustainable and ethical sourcing practices while achieving commercial success.

Reporting to the Senior Category Manager, you will play a critical role in supporting change, delivering results, and setting standards for the team. You will also collaborate closely with stakeholders across the business to drive projects and enhance supplier performance. Your primary focus will be Technology Professional Services, which is essential to OVO s business and enables the delivery of products and services to our customers.

You will also be responsible for sourcing outside the Professional Services category as needed to support our Tech colleagues and other business areas.

We are looking for a strategic thinker to own the Technology Services category, setting the strategic direction and managing its end-to-end execution. This role offers deep category engagement while fostering broad experience across the entire technology portfolio. You will be an essential, flexible team player, frequently collaborating on sourcing projects in other tech areas like Software, where a peer leads the primary strategy.

This role combines deep category ownership with a flexible, collaborative team environment, offering exposure to other areas of technology.

• Ensuring Tech Professional Services are fit for purpose, aligned to OVO’s objectives and key results and wider business needs, representing the best value and quality (working in collaboration with the Senior Category Manager).
• Lead end-to-end procurement processes for assigned sub-categories in the technology space, ensuring efficiency and compliance.
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers to secure favourable terms and cost savings.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers to drive collaboration and innovation.
• Conduct market analysis to identify risks, opportunities, and trends for assigned sub-categories, feeding into the Technology Spend Category Strategy.
• Monitor supplier / agency performance and collaborate with the business on regular supplier performance reviews.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align spend category objectives with organisational goals.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across procurement activities.
• Support OVO’s sustainability goals…