Category Manager

Role Overview Requirement for a Senior Buyer to provide procurement services either personally or through others in a specific area/ category of spend ensuring best practice advice is given. Must possess the skills, knowledge and experience to take the lead on end to end procurement activity and deliver without day to day supervision. The successful candidate must possess the ability to solve problems with commercial judgment and are influential in client relationships. Roles will require a detailed understanding of EU procurement methods, systems and procedures. Initiative and judgment are required to address and resolve daily problems. Key Responsibilities To provide a procurement support function for Clients, taking the lead on managing tender activity appropriate to category through to contract award; Comply with existing EU/UK regulations and company policies in managing strategic or business critical contracts and opportunities; Through effective strategic contract management and application of Supplier relationship management techniques, ensure opportunities for innovation, improvements and benefit realisation are taken; Working with clients to develop constructive relationships with operational contract managers, providing support (where appropriate) to ensure effective delivery of outcomes; Provide regular reports including performance against KPIs and SLAs; Planning, monitoring and managing workload in a proactive manner, identify opportunities to combine or consolidate requirements to maximise efficiencies and realise benefits; Provide advice and guidance to colleagues/client with regard to contract management and supplier relationship management; Use knowledge and experience to resolve contract issues and identify solutions; Ensuring contract management requirements are reflected in all procurement activity and that it aligns with company processes and procedures; Monitoring and having knowledge of monthly contract forecast, milestone progress and spend within the category area; Lead contract management meetings effectively as appropriate ensuring notes/minutes are distributed efficiently and any actions are acted upon; Meet clients to discuss requirements and draft procurement documentation (PQQ, tender and scoring criteria); Ensure correct procedure is adhered to reducing risk as to non-compliance with domestic and EU regulations; Awarding contracts for goods/services in accordance with public procurement regulations, including one-off requirements; Awareness and understanding of legal and process development within procurement through sources such as CIPS; Supporting the Category and Contract Managers in their role but specifically in ensuring that strategic contract management is undertaken on relevant contracts to ensure KPIs and business objectives are met, updating Category and Contract Manager as required; Monitor, track, feedback supplier performance and escalate issues appropriately to ensure any deterioration in service is identified early and rectified before impacting Clients; Review contracts and schedules to ensure they are fit for purpose and aligned to legal requirements; Ensure operational deployment of procurement policy (selecting and vetting of suppliers, contract negotiation and management) and track compliance in order to communicate to operational entities on new/change of suppliers /agreements; Be the key contact for Group Category Managers in areas to ensure assistance in the sourcing process; Oversee workload of and provide cover for Procurement team members to ensure continued support to customers.