In brief
This Senior Category Manager role leads procurement strategies and supplier relationships to support business objectives. The work involves developing category plans, managing sourcing pipelines, and negotiating high-value contracts to ensure service quality and commercial efficiency.
Best for
Experienced category managers from complex supply chain backgrounds
Non-negotiable
Previous experience in a Category Manager role within a complex environment is required.
Worth knowing
This is a hybrid role based in Reading with a standard 36-hour Monday to Friday working pattern.
What you need
Required
Category management
Clearly required in the listing
Supply chain management
Clearly required in the listing
Supplier relationship management
Clearly required in the listing
Continuous improvement
Clearly required in the listing
Market insight analysis
Clearly required in the listing
Strategic sourcing
Clearly required in the listing
Complex negotiations
Clearly required in the listing
Stakeholder management
Clearly required in the listing
Preferred
No preferred skills or technologies were clearly stated.
Your day-to-day
Develop category plans
Clearly stated in the job description.
Lead sourcing projects
Clearly stated in the job description.
Manage supplier relationships
Clearly stated in the job description.
Engage internal stakeholders
Clearly stated in the job description.
Maintain accurate records
Clearly stated in the job description.
Experience expected
Level
Senior level
Based on what the listing states
Years of experience
Not stated
No clear years requirement found
Evidence from the listing
Experience level
“Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value.”
What's on offer
Full job description (from employer)⌄
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 stakeholdersSourcing 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 stakeholdersContinuous 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 benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shoppi
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