Senior Category Manager

Reporting to the Business Partner, the Senior Category Manager is an essential part of the Procurement and Supplier Management team ensuring that a strategic and innovative Category Management approach is consistently embedded within the way that Commercial, and Thames Water delivers its service

The role requires strong engagement and influencing skills with regular engagement with the Thames Water organisation at all levels up to CEO.  The Senior Category
Manager will ensure that the strategy is aligned with changing business risks and changing supply market over time.  It is envisaged that the Senior Category Manager will share targets that are relevant to the business area that they support and will fully understand challenges and initiatives in that area.

What you’ll be doing as a Senior Category Manager

Category Development

The ability to lead the newly developed Category process for the relevant categories of spend.
Engage proactively with internal stakeholders to shape category approach, business needs, spend and suppliers
Understand the category and provide leadership and insight for the business on all aspects of supply market dynamics, regulatory and internal frameworks, suppliers, and technical innovations.
Build strategic and innovative category plans.
Consult with external markets and key stakeholders Sourcing

Identify and prioritise a sourcing pipeline as part of category development.
Lead major category projects and sourcing events adhering to the required process/approval steps
Source and procure a range of goods and services across one or more expenditure categories, ensuring optimum value for money within defined service and quality criteria in keeping with the needs of the business
Lead and evaluate competitive tenders and proposals for the supply of goods and services.

Supplier Management

Be a key interface with the supplier on a particular contract
Lead the review of supplier opportunities, innovations, and improvements
Develop effective relationships with key functional stakeholders

Continuous Improvement  

Leaving a legacy of change and improvement in how Commercial is deployed across the organisation.

Risk Management

Support the delivery of the Thames Enterprise Risk Model.

Process & compliance

Operate information systems to the required standard to maintain accurate and secure records.
Base location – Hybrid – Clear Water Court Reading RG1 8DB

Working pattern – Monday to Friday 36 hours

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:
Some understanding and experience of operating in complex supply chain environments.

Experience of working in a Category Manager role in a complex environment.

Experience of working with key suppliers up to a senior level.
Track record in continuous improvement and ability to deliver against stretching targets.
A good understanding of what good Category Management looks like.
Good understanding of data sources that can build a category plan and experience of using market insight effectively.
Innovative category planning.
Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value.
Ability to communicate and influence effectively both verbally and in writing including the writing of reports and delivery of presentations.
Enhance stakeholder relationships with the ability to influence and drive change.
Comfortable with legal framework.
What’s in it for you?

Competitive salary of up to £78,000 per annum depending on experience.
Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
Car Allowance.
Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
Private Medical Health Care.
Access to lots of…