Manager, Category Management

About us

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. But it’s so much more than that. National Grid provides the environment for our teams to thrive and make a real impact. As we drive momentum in the energy transition for all, we are committed to ensuring that every employee feels empowered and engaged.

About the role

In this hybrid role, reporting into the Head of Category & Procurement Business Partner for FM & Support Services, the US MRO, Logistics & Investment Recovery Category Manager is accountable for developing and implementing category strategies and managing sourcing delivery across a US and UK portfolio.

The portfolio includes Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO), Logistics and Investment Recovery. Illustrative MRO categories include PPE, tools, equipment, workwear, industrial gases and catalog management. Illustrative Logistics categories include warehousing, freight, parcels and international logistics services. Investment Recovery includes the responsible resale, reuse, recycling or other recovery of value from surplus and end-of-life materials and assets.

The role is based in the US and leads a team operating across both regions. It provides commercial direction and assurance, builds a collaborative cross-regional team, and works with operational stakeholders and strategic suppliers to improve value, service, resilience, compliance and sustainability.

What You'll Do

• Own the development, approval, implementation and refresh of category strategies across the assigned US and UK MRO, Logistics and Investment Recovery portfolio.
• Build category plans that reflect regional requirements while identifying opportunities for cross-regional aggregation, standardization, contract consolidation and transfer of best practice.
• Define category scope, demand profiles, supply-market dynamics, commercial opportunities, risks and implementation roadmaps using robust spend, market and supplier intelligence.
• For MRO, lead strategies that improve spend visibility, rationalize specifications and ranges, consolidate fragmented contracts and suppliers, and strengthen compliant buying channels and catalog management.
• For Logistics, lead strategies across warehousing, freight, parcels and international logistics, supporting effective end-to-end delivery models, service continuity and operational performance.
• For Investment Recovery, establish commercially and environmentally responsible routes to maximize recovery value from surplus, scrap and end-of-life equipment and materials.
• Translate category strategies into prioritized, resourced sourcing and contract-management plans with clear outcomes, milestones, governance and ownership.
• Lead the sourcing delivery portfolio, ensuring activity is appropriately prioritized, resourced and delivered in accordance with relevant US and UK governance, policies and regulatory requirements.
• Provide direction and assurance across sourcing strategy, market engagement, tendering, evaluation, negotiation, approval, contracting and award.
• Review and assure key sourcing outputs, including specifications, evaluation methods, commercial models, contractual positions and recommendations.
• Manage dependencies, risks, issues and stakeholder decisions across regions, intervening and escalating where required to protect outcomes and timescales.
• Ensure effective handover into mobilization and contract management, with clear obligations, performance measures, governance and value-realization plans.
• Lead strategic supplier relationships to improve performance, resilience, innovation, continuous improvement and responsible supply-chain outcomes.
• Lead, motivate and develop a geographically dispersed team across the US and UK, establishing clear accountability, connected ways of working and strong delivery discipline.
• Own recruitment and onboarding for team vacancies, and provide regular coaching, feedback, capability development and succession support.
• Act as a senior Procurement partner to operational and business stakeholders across both regions, providing clear commercial insight, recommendations and delivery updates.

What You'll Need

• Significant procurement experience with a strong record of developing and implementing category strategies and leading complex sourcing portfolios.
• Demonstrable category management experience across MRO, Logistics, Investment Recovery, operational products, warehousing, freight or comparable supply-chain categories.
• Understanding of MRO supply markets, including tools, equipment, PPE, workwear, industrial gases, catalogs, tail spend and supplier or contract consolidation.
• Understanding of logistics operating models and commercial arrangements across warehousing, transportation, freight, parcels and international movements.
• Understanding of Investment Recovery principles, including value recovery, resale, reuse, recycling, responsible disposal and associated control requirements.
• Experience of leading and developing geographically dispersed or cross-regional teams, including recruitment, onboarding, coaching and capability development.
• Strong program and portfolio-management capability, with experience managing multiple sourcing activities, dependencies and governance requirements.
• Commercial expertise across sourcing strategy, tender design, evaluation, negotiation, contracting, supplier performance and value realization.
• Strong analytical capability, able to translate spend, demand, item, market and supplier data into category choices and actionable recommendations.
• Ability to identify and manage supply-chain, service continuity, commercial, compliance, operational and delivery risks across US and UK contexts.
• Confident senior-stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge constructively and secure decisions.
• Ability to operate effectively across time zones and organizational boundaries, coordinating Legal, Finance, business stakeholders and specialist Procurement teams.
• Degree level, relevant professional qualification such as CIPS or equivalent experience. Relevant US procurement or supply-management accreditation is advantageous.

More Information