Category & Sourcing Manager at Southern Water
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Overview
Southern Water’s Category Management & Sourcing discipline strategically and proactively manages category spending and supply sourcing in alignment with value management strategies and demand profiles to optimise total cost of ownership.
Closing Date
14/11/2025
Accountabilities
* Work with Senior Category Manager and collaborate with business leads to deliver category-specific strategies, including sourcing and contracting (50%)
* Drive cost reduction through standardisation, aggregation of demand, and actions to minimise tail spend within the category (30%)
* Drive continuous improvement and translate external best practices, innovation, and ideas into actionable proposals and plans for the business, building them into category strategies (10%)
* Monitor operational performance and ensure compliance to policies, processes, and governance framework (10%)
Skills & Competencies
* Excellent communication skills – including verbal, written and presenting to a group
* Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships, internally with other business areas and externally with suppliers
* Ability to demonstrate a proactive/can do style of work
* Continuous improvement mind‑set
* Performance and delivery orientated – ability to work with others to obtain critical information and achieve common goals
* Commercial awareness and excellent analytical, planning, organisational, and problem‑solving skills
* Strong negotiation skills (setting, defining and implementing strategies and tactics, conflict resolution and objection handling) with the ability to influence at senior levels
* Excellent category strategy development skills – ability to develop compelling category and sourcing strategies
* Strong project management ability (including use of relevant tools)
Knowledge
Technical
* Strong category management experience
* Good knowledge of leading‑practice tools, techniques and processes covering category strategy development
* In depth category experience for at least one of the below categories:
o E&C
o Asset purchase and hire (process & hire)
o Indirect (IT, telecoms, HR, professional services, facilities & business services)
o Operational service delivery
* Evidence of successful development and delivery of category strategy
* Proven experience of successful internal and external stakeholder management
Risk & Compliance
* Knowledge of UCR requirements and ABC (Anti‑Bribery & Corruption) legislation
Essential
* Bachelor’s degree in a business administration, commerce, finance, engineering or other relevant discipline (and/or qualified by demonstrable experience).
* Recognised qualification in procurement e.g. CIPS or equivalent
Desirable
* Microsoft Office suite including advanced MS Excel and PowerPoint
Seniority level
* Mid‑Senior level
Employment type
* Full‑time
Job function
* Purchasing and Supply Chain
* Utilities
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