Category Specialist

Indirect Category Specialist

London base (Remote working available)

£40k - £48k

About the Role

This is a critical role in our supply chain team to enable our client to meet its strategic objectives of sustainably growing our network and improving our profit margin. This position supports the company in the category management of centre utilities for 3,500+ locations globally (estimated spend of £70M) across 120+ countries.

Reporting to the Utility Category Manager, the successful applicant will help to manage the end to end process for supplying our centres with utilities. This includes but is not limited to identifying the right suppliers, securing the best market rates to manage our cost base, whilst meeting the sustainability requirements of the group. They will continually review and optimizing our contracts, as well as driving cost reduction initiatives through technology in our centres. They will establish clear reporting on centre level consumption, covering both direct and indirect supply routes. Where needed this role is engaged in utilities supplier escalations, ensuring suppliers meet negotiated SLA’s associated with service, delivery or billing issues and in supplier management. This is a key role, accountable for managing relationships with our internal stakeholders, our external partners, and our supplier network to ensure we work collaboratively to improve our commercial performance and deliver against strategic objectives. Our client has ambitious plans to reach Net Zero carbon emissions before 2040 and this role will be instrumental in supporting this goal. In particular we are targeting fully renewable electricity by 2030 and are committed to the RE100 guidelines.

Specific accountabilities

• Develop and implement effective category management strategies that drive cost savings and efficiency and create additional value for clients through innovative service and product delivery.

• Ensure costs are recovered through various avenues, such as customer payments, centre recharges, rebates, or other creative cost recovery methods.

• Track and report on planned and validate achieved savings targets, as well as consumption data.

• Establish and cultivate robust relationships with key suppliers, fostering mutual benefits, enhancing quality and reliability, and driving innovation in supply chain processes and vendor partnerships.

• Lead the vendor selection process, including the execution of RFPs, RFQs, and other sourcing activities.

• Negotiate contracts to secure optimal terms and conditions, ensuring this process also prioritises value creation for clients and profitable cost recovery for the Category.

• Support our ESG agenda as we work towards our net zero targets.

• Conduct regular vendor performance measurements and management, emphasising continual improvement and innovation

• Approve large/technical/one-off expenditures.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand their needs and align strategies accordingly while maintaining a client-focused approach that drives value and innovation.

• Manage risks within the Category (including compliance with legislation) and develop contingency plans to mitigate them while identifying opportunities to leverage them to drive innovation and add value.

• Stay updated on market trends and conditions that impact the Category, including pricing, supply/demand dynamics, and innovation opportunities, to ensure the Category’s offerings remain competitive, valuable, and aligned with client’s needs and expectations.

Applicant profile:

+3 years experience in category management, procurement, or a related field. Experience with utilities is an advantage. Must be able to demonstrate experience in category management and overseeing strategic decision-making processes.

• Market Awareness: Understands market trends, pricing dynamics, supply/demand dynamics, and innovation opportunities.

• Strategic Planning and Execution: Developing and implementing effective strategies. The Category Owner should have a proven track record of creating strategies that drive cost savings, efficiency, and added value through innovative product and service delivery.

• Commercial Acumen: A strong understanding of commercial strategies to recover costs is crucial. This includes experience with customer payments, centre recharges, rebates, and other innovative cost recovery methods to ensure profitability.

• Supplier Relationship Management: Cultivating robust relationships with key suppliers and fostering innovation in supply chain processes and vendor partnerships.

• Procurement and Contract Negotiation: Demonstrated experience in procurement processes, including executing RFPs, RFQs, and other sourcing activities. The ability to negotiate contracts with suppliers to secure optimal terms and conditions.

• Vendor Performance Management: Proven experience in vendor performance measurement and management. The Category Owner should understand how to drive continual improvement and innovation in supplier performance while enhancing client satisfaction.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with various stakeholders to align strategies while maintaining a client-focused approach.

• Maintain a global inventory of services, costs and supply information

• Risk Management: Managing risks within their respective categories.

• Ensuring the Procurement Policies, Processes and Best Practices are complied.

• Ensuring automation of processes, efficiencies, timely reviews and reporting

• Look for process simplification, improve quality and synergy across different business units.

• Must have experience in contract/ legal agreements negotiations and closures. Other qualifications and skills

• Strong organisation, time and project management skills.

• An independent problem solver, capable of understanding concerns, identifying solutions and executing action plans.

• A self starter, takes accountability for your work, and the work of your team to ensure objectives are achieved.

• Demonstrate strong commercial acumen

• Microsoft Suite Competency: Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

• Desirable: experience working with Building Management Systems