Category Manager

At TJX Europe, every day brings new opportunities for growth, exploration, and achievement. You'll be part of our vibrant team that embraces diversity, fosters collaboration, and prioritises your development. Whether you're working in our Distribution Centers, Corporate Offices, or Retail Stores – TK Maxx & Homesense – you'll find abundant opportunities to learn, thrive, and make an impact. Come join our TJX team – a Fortune 100 company and the world’s leading off‑price retailer.

Category Manager – HR and Travel

To manage the delivery and implementation of GS&P category strategies across TJX Europe. Through collaboration with the business and vendors alike, the Category Manager will ensure that the needs of the business are achieved through the implementation of optimal sourcing solutions. This role is pivotal in ensuring that HR and Travel related sourcing needs are met through innovative, cost-effective and compliant sourcing solutions.

A key component of this role is the ability to build strategic relationships with business partners, manage supplier relationships, develop and execute sourcing strategies in line with business requirements and to project manage and deliver a variety of end‑to‑end sourcing events.

This role is based in Watford with occasional travel overseas.

• Executes global, international and national category plans via tools embedded in the strategic sourcing methodology and in collaboration with internal business partners.
• Embraces regional international and cross‑functional multi‑cultural teams in the execution of the strategic sourcing process and the implementation of the strategy.
• Develops and evolves product or service requirements across all TJX’s brands and geographies.
• Maximises opportunities to batch multi‑divisional requirements to create larger pools of sourcing to increase savings to TJX.
• Prepares a regional negotiation plan and executes accordingly involving TJX legal, as necessary.
• Pro‑actively uses automated sourcing processes including auctions, RFX’s, and relationship management systems.

Build strong relationships with HR and Travel service providers, negotiating optimal terms, cost optimisation and fostering partnerships that deliver value and quality.

Drive efficiencies through market intelligence and insights, process enhancements, and leveraging technology to support HR and Travel growth.

• Manages the commercial element of supplier relationships.
• Understands trade‑offs of risk, quality, and cost, and be able to manage each area through supplier management, contracting, and negotiations.
• Maintains fair, courteous and productive relationships with all TJX international strategic vendors and reinforces TJXE’s positive brand image within the vendor community.
• Looks to identify or develop and incorporate innovative products, services, approaches such as off‑shoring, out‑sourcing, consortia development, best country sourcing to support TJXE low‑cost producer strategy.

Partner with HR and Travel business leaders to understand needs and deliver tailored solutions that support areas of responsibility. Foster deep and trusting relationships with business partners, through regular communication, building influence and credibility within the category.

• Ensure that appropriate contractual terms are in place.
• Prepares category reports for the Manager Of Category and the GSPLT.

• Raises market innovation for covered categories and brings applicable ideas to the business for testing, cost modelling and performance measurement.

• Supports the optimisation of TJXE £500 million indirect spend globally (6+ countries).
• On a category basis, undertakes annual sourcing initiatives delivering approx. £1m in yearly savings.
• Responsible and impacts up to £75+ million in indirect spend on an international basis.
• Manages key strategic and day to day operational regional supplier relationships by actively planning and delivering on action items through the management of regional…