Category Procurement Manager – Telecom and Construction

Theale, Berkshire
Project People

Job title: Category Procurement Manager – Telecommunications and Construction

Location: Theale (Hybrid)

Competitive Salary and benefits dependent upon experience.

Overview:

Ownership of a range of sub-categories within the company’s key delivery offer including Acquisition, Design, Engineering and Construction, along with the associated company spend and relevant supplier base.

The Category Procurement Manager will develop appropriate commercial strategies and approaches to optimise value-for-money and minimise supplier-related risk.

The Category Procurement Manager will own, develop and deliver sourcing events (both traditional and e-sourcing) which fully align with the company’s Corporate Procurement Policy.

Financial contribution will be linked to an industry standard methodology and aligned with the company’s commercial structure. Working in conjunction with a range of internal stakeholders, the Category Procurement Manager will drive commercial benefit, service delivery improvement and process efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Compliance & Safety (ALL colleagues) – mandatory

• To support and contribute actively to health and safety, environmental, business continuity and information security arrangements that meets our obligations to our customers

Category Strategy Management

• Lead the business in agreeing and delivering clear and compelling sub-category strategies which fully support the company’s strategic objectives (as cascaded each year).
• Understand the Value Chain and challenge materials, specifications, sources of supply etc. to deliver value improvements.
• Plan and execute negotiations for both formal tenders and ad-hoc activities, ensuring that the Business obtains best value-for-money on targeted spend.
• Lead sourcing activities and the management of complex projects and facilitate cross-functional group planning and action.
• Lead supplier event days and other internal/external communication forums aimed at developing and engaging with the supply base to improve performance.
• Demonstrate expertise in the development of all types of market-facing documents in all relevant categories and types of procurement activity.
• Lead cross-functional internal teams in the evaluation of large, complex, organization-wide agreements.

Supplier Base Management

• Ensure that Suppliers have necessary capability and capacity to support the Business’ requirements, following the corporate supplier evaluation and onboarding process.
• Working with key internal functions, ensure that robust contingencies are in place for critical items (alternate supplier sources, business continuity plans etc).
• Support the business functions when inbound supply problems occur by escalating issues with suppliers’ management and agreeing mitigating actions.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external key stakeholders to ensure Procurement governance and facilitate post-award relationship management.
• Maintain effective cross functional relationships to further understand the company’s primary objectives and processes, ensuring ‘scopes’ and ‘specifications’ are accurate, and the required outcomes are achieved.

Commercial Contribution

• Adhere to required Savings Methodology and where appropriate incorporate Total Cost of Ownership or similar calculations.
• Take responsibility for delivering intended outcomes whilst making sure the company’s stakeholder understand expected goals and acknowledge success criteria.
• Identify resource needs and ensure goals are achieved within budget and deadlines.
• Ensure financial implications of changed priorities are explicit and budgeted for.

Supplier Negotiation

• Negotiate both new and renewal commercial contractual agreements with suppliers within Category to ensure the service, quality, added value, total cost of ownership, security of supply and supplier’s deployment plans are secured, and risks and issues are mitigated. Develop robust negotiation plans with business partners for complex procurement negotiations and coach other Team members in how to approach negotiations. Gather and apply leading edge procurement negotiation thinking and practice across the organization.
• Lead negotiations for large complex categories and significant projects (eg. Outsourcing Agreements, JVs, etc). Adopt appropriate negotiation styles for all situations (internal and external), and effectively use these to deliver optimal procurement outcomes.

Process Management

• Manage and run Procurement-related processes from inception through to ‘handover’ to internal contract management, ensuring associated activities have been carried out diligently and rigorously.
• Execute Contracts and Agreements in line with the company’s ‘Delegation of Authority (DOA)’ and conduct de-briefs with unsuccessful suppliers as standard.

Reporting, Monitoring and Tracking

• Report and track all proposed and active initiatives, as well as when services and agreements need to be renewed, including financial benefits and all risks & issues.
• Where suppliers work across numerous business Categories develop collaborative mechanisms with other Category Procurement managers to ensure total supplier input is monitored, tracked and managed as desired. Reporting on cost reduction, removal and avoidance as required.

Personal attributes:

• Model the highest standards of ethical behavior and reinforce them in others. Represent the organization in an honest, ethical and professional way and set an example for others to follow.
• Ensure that others have a working understanding of the legislation and policy framework within which to operate the company’s Procurement Policy. Act on reported breaches of rules, policies and guidelines.

Experience (technical, managerial, industry)

• Experience delivering change and improvement across partnerships and organizational boundaries.
• Ability to design, develop and manage Category sourcing strategies. Design, develop and manage operational models, processes and governance structures.
• Planning, prioritizing and delivering improvements to achieve objectives within timescales.
• Develop and managing. Stakeholder relationships. Recognized as an expert and strategic pillar within the company’s Procurement function.

Education level/Qualifications (professional, vocational)

• Degree educated preferred but not essential. 7+ years in a relevant Procurement or Supply Chain Management environment.
• CIPS membership and Accreditation preferred but not essential.

Skills/Knowledge

• Hands-on category management, negotiating and presentational skills.
• RFP/Sourcing Event management.
• Goal deployment of strategy and process creation.
• Strategic and collaborative thinker.
• Complex problem solver and guide/influencer to others in the resolution of complex issues.
• Independent worker.

To apply for this role, please send your CV to (see below)

Project People is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.