Category Buyer

Job Advert

Job Role:
Category Buyer

Location:
Luton

Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

At Innovus we are committed to delivering market leading solutions and professional services as a “Category Buyer”, you will be contributing to our vision to be recognised as the market leading provider of services to the UK’s property sector.

We are proud to employ highly skilled, experienced, and innovative people who deliver business expertise and service across the property industry.

Main Purpose of Job

The purpose of the role is to develop, improve and implement category strategies which demonstrate value for money and a high‑quality solution. Through doing this you will provide peace of mind to our clients that the supply chain is managed effectively, through suppliers that meet the clients needs.

Position in Organisation

The Category Buyer role sits within the Procurement team in the Business Services division. The role reports to the Procurement manager and there are no direct reports.

Main Responsibilities

• Supports Procurement Manager, acting as a Procurement & Supply Chain advisor and subject matter expert on each category.
• Develops relationships with stakeholders to understand the needs of the business and maintains appropriate stakeholder maps.
• Supports Procurement Manager in developing and implementing agreed category strategies/plans, mobilising the successful framework suppliers, and demobilising non‑framework suppliers in agreement with Operations in line with the business needs and objectives.
• Develops and documents implementation plans that include comprehensive business requirements analysis and quantified value for money, cost reduction/improvement targets.
• Working with Legal, Technical, Health & Safety, and Operations key stakeholders and the Category Manager, develops and implements rigorous contracts for all critical, strategic and preferred suppliers within the category, incorporating service level and continuous improvement targets including SLAs/KPIs.
• Conducts supplier segmentation and develops, maintains preferred supplier listing with an approved product/service list for their category and effectively communicates this to the business.
• Manages supplier contracts and conducts regular performance management with preferred suppliers. Proactively identifies monitors and resolves strategic / critical and preferred supplier issues for category.
• Regularly engages stakeholders and suppliers to understand their issues or concerns; feedback to Category Managers and Procurement Operations; and seeks to improve procurement practice(s). Supports internal stakeholders by providing subject matter expertise, guidance and information on categories.
• Develops and maintains stakeholder and communication plans on behalf of the category teams.
• Conducts procurement activity in accordance with company procedures, Health & Safety, compliance, regulatory, stated ethics and CSR policies, etc.

Key Interfaces

• Internal departments and key executives
• External businesses and organisations, in particular key suppliers and clients
• Key influencers (internal and external)

Qualifications

• Member/Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS).
• Studying towards MCIPS and/or Graduate.

Experience

• Has experience of category management and can develop category strategy, manage sourcing events, negotiations, contract management, deployment and supplier relationship management.
• Has experience of managing/supporting communications across multiple business functions/stakeholders.
• Has experience working within a changing and fast paced environment with demanding business objectives.
• 1-3 years procurement / procurement operations / category experience.
• Has supply market knowledge and experience of spend category.
• Demonstrates track record in supplier selection, negotiation and contract management delivering value for money, cost and/or revenue targets.
• Demonstrates track record of developing and maintaining stakeholder and supplier relationships.
• Has experience of organising/managing data and producing performance analysis.

Technical Skills

• Ability to chair meetings.
• Excel

Working at Innovus:

At Innovus, we recognise that people…