Principal Category Manager

This contract with our central government client is for a Principal Category Manager for 12 months with a possibility for extension. The role is located in Reading and requires an average of 2 days per week onsite.  

Job Description:  

Drive, implement and execute Category Management, Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Relationship Management for a complex group of categories, with the ultimate objective of leveraging and securing their supplier base to support its current and future business requirements, whilst mitigating risks. The Principal Category Manger is accountable for the end to end category performance for the category group and for driving and managing multimillion-pound Procurements.  

Key Accountabilities:  

- Develop, implement and drive Category Strategy for a complex group of categories, balancing short and long-term objectives to meet business strategy and efficiencies (savings) in alignment with business stakeholders and leveraging market dynamics.  

- Oversee the execution of the end to end strategic sourcing process for all complex and high value Procurements within the categories in the group, to deliver as well as to anticipate business requirements and needs, always in compliance with Code of Conduct and Code of Business Ethics.  

- Ensure Supplier Relationship Management for key suppliers who have a significant impact on business, with the objective of managing risk, managing performance and extracting more value from the supplier base.  

- Develop and sign off Supplier Strategies with the objective of minimizing risk for them and maximizing value.  

- Act as Sourcing Business Partner for certain areas of the business or Pillars: being accountable for the Sourcing contribution (including efficiencies and risk mitigation) from business opportunity, to delivering on Stakeholder expectations and representing Supply Chain Management in the Stakeholder organisations.  

- Use category expertise and external markets insights, to proactively propose alternative or innovative 3rd party solutions to senior and executive level stakeholders to anticipate issues before they arise.  

- Develop the Category Team and drive a high-performance culture: secure competence development within the team, manage performance in accordance with clear goals and manage team motivation to support Supply Chain Management transformation.  

- Drive Supply Chain Management transformation: continuously and consistently focus the team performance to delight stakeholders and improve Supply Chain Management profile as “Trusted Advisor” to the business.  

- Support and provide input to the Process and Performance team as appropriate.  

- Support the development and interface with the Service Centre.  

Key Responsibilities:  

- Consistently demonstrating positive behaviours in line with the company's environmental, sustainability, safety, health, security, quality and ethics standards.  

- Develop, implement and drive Category Strategy to deliver cost effective category solutions and business models.  

- Supplier base management and supplier classification (Preferred Supplier List – PSL), securing competition in the supplier base.  

- Implement ways of working according to their Category Management Framework including the delivery of Category targets and KPI’s for assigned group of spend categories.  

- Business Intelligence, benchmarking and supplier market analysis and insight to support category development.  

- The Principal Category Manager, with the Category Team, are responsible for securing and tracking cost reduction, contract management and continuity of Supply Chain.  

Strategic Sourcing:  

- Prepare & execute the RFx process in collaboration with stakeholders including supplier evaluation and selection, supplier negotiations (costs and contract).  

- Contribute to the long-term business ensuring competitive initial cost and total cost development in the product and service life cycle and maintenance of the specific supplier contract for products and services.  

- Proactively develop alternative and/or innovative 3rd party solutions.  

- Supplier Relationship Management  

- Suppliers segmented and managed (quality, performance, risk) in accordance with their Supplier Relationship Management Framework.  

- Monitor and mitigate supplier risks (including CoC, Environmental & Health and Safety as well as dependency on the business and their dependency on the supplier), make corrective action plans for the identified risks.  

- Supplier Strategies for key suppliers within assigned group of spend categories.  

Team and Line Management:  

- Manage units’ performance, working towards Supply Chain targets, driving performance management, competence management, resources management and ensure execution of work.  

Stakeholders Collaboration and Business Engagement  

- Secure senior and executive stakeholders involvement and participation in category strategies, sourcing activities and supplier relationship management activities and share SCM category strategies, PSL, supplier performance etc…  

- Sell the value of SCM to the stakeholder community and drive a proactive approach towards stakeholders with the aim or resolving issues before they arise or deliver additional value.  

- Develop a Stakeholder related Sourcing strategy covering relevant categories involved, in order to secure optimized costs actions.

Skills and Experience:  

1. Procurement – Ability to work with stakeholders.  

2. Manage the procurement through start to finish  

3. Strong stakeholder management skills at all levels internal and external  

4. Public sector experience/background  

5. PCR regulation or Defence and security regulations.  

6. High regulated industry background  

7. Commercial management/Contract management  

8. NEC Contract experience  

9. Someone who can write a sourcing strategy.