Job Title: Category Manager Location: Hybrid working - home / office, with travel as required Salary: Competitive Hours of Work: 40 hours / week, typically Monday – Friday – some flexibility may be required Job Purpose: The Category Manager will be responsible for the management of City Groups’ (UK & Ireland) supplier relationships, this includes all PPM and reactive suppliers within a given customer contract. The Category Manager will be strategically minded and will support in the development and implementation of procurement strategies ensuring cost efficiency, quality and supplier reliability. The role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts and collaborating with internal stakeholders to meet City and our Client’s objectives. You will work within the supplier management team working with the procurement operations team to drive supplier compliance and sourcing team to support the supplier management process. The role will also require a high level of collaboration with our store operations teams to ensure that the supplier management team are close to any emerging issues with the suppliers. You will create strong oversight and assurance processes and use data driven insight to give a view across your allocated suppliers. Once in place, you’ll use this to monitor any emerging issues and risks in relation to supplier performance, legal or regulatory compliance, due diligence, or financial control. A key requirement of the role will be drive City’s supplier management improvement programme, owning supplier performance, communicating and embedding new governance in line with procurement best practice to enable the Group to consistently measure and manage supplier performance and risk according to the materiality of the relationship and the services delivered. This SRM approach, once established will set targets to deliver additional value from its relationships. Building partnerships that yield innovative solutions and continuous improvement. There may be a requirement to support Operations with Out of Hours support. Key Accountabilities: Manage all supplier relationships and contract delivery for allocated suppliers Build strong engagement and trust with City’s customers, responding promptly to client requests and using performance scorecards to demonstrate achievement of delivery targets and contractual compliance Support category strategy development. Create and oversee a regular supplier audit regime to assure City and its customers of suppliers’ compliance regarding health and safety, and other key compliance aspects Work will customers to set annual budgets and ensure alignment within wider procurement team to deliver schedule of services in line with budget Act as an escalation point for all supplier related issues Exercise financial control by monitoring actual spend versus budget on a monthly basis, ensuring that any overruns are challenged and reported Work with finance team to resolve any supplier payment or accounting issues. Build strong relationships with store operations team Carry out in-store visits and deal directly with the senior client on all issues Work with wider procurement team and finance team to manage all budgets within target, optimising the best value and where possible the lowest cost, without compromising service (where required) Review management information to ensure delivery of customer KPI’s/SLA’s and statutory obligations meet or exceed requirements Escalation of PPM task closures and certification (for areas where we don’t have a National Manager/Specialist) Create a standard reporting pack for all key supplier relationships, providing updates to the wider city team and customer where required. Support reactive job delivery and quote process with city field teams where there are issues across the supply chain or with specific suppliers. Lead regular monthly supplier service reviews with allocated suppliers. investigate any supplier escalations, assessing the situation and ensuring remedial action plans are put in place and work with the wider procurement team to coordinate responses to the client. Communicate all material breaches or escalations head of supplier management and the Head of Procurement and Strategic Partnerships Ensure the effective implementation of escalation and critical incident management processes to protect service delivery. Lead and manage performance improvement plans within the allocated supply chain. Develop and promote a culture of behavioural safety within the team, ensuring effective reporting and investigation of any potential hazards or near misses, incidents, and accidents. Work in conjunction with the Sourcing Managers and the customer onboarding team to ensure effective contract mobilisation following contract award Actively promote supplier development in order to help identify and target efficiencies and innovative solutions that deliver more value to City and its customers. Work with the strategic supplier management lead to ensure full integration with performance management programs across all suppliers. Work with the wider business and FM support teams to identify opportunities and agree plans to deliver process improvement, efficiency, and best practice. Ensure alignment with the wider business and operational teams to embed a one city approach when dealing with suppliers Manage the overall delivery of objectives in accordance with the business strategy. Financial Responsibilities: The Category Manager will work with the wider procurement team to ensuring contract charges are accurate and aligned to the services delivered. In addition, the Category Managers will work with finance and the wider procurement team to review and over or under spend, supporting preparation of budgets where required. The Category Manager will also be expected to positively impact the P&L of the company through the delivery of in contract savings. People Responsibilities: The Category Manager will not have any direct reports but will be expected to collaborate positively with a wide group of stakeholders including the client, wider procurement team and field operations. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge: 5 years’ experience of working within a procurement or supplier management environment. CIPS qualification or equivalent is desired A working knowledge of the maintenance service within the FM industry is preferrable, with previous working knowledge of a multi-site contracted environment being desirable. Knowledge of retail and hospitality or customer service industry, preferred, but not essential Skills: Strong commercial and supplier management experience and capability Ability to collaborate with disparate teams Strategic and Procurement Process mindset Ability to build, nurture and grow relationships with suppliers and customers Credibility to deliver a successful SRM programme Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to critically challenge Understanding of contracts and the key service deliverables within contracts Ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, influence and work with people at all levels across a diverse and complex business structure Excellent verbal and written communication skills to communicate persuasively and confidently at senior management level Ability to work comfortably in a fast-paced, changing and high-pressure environment Able to demonstrate a high level of strategic and commercial acumen. Experience: Experience of delivering a supplier management programme in a large organisation Substantial supplier and contract management experience in a senior role Experience in supporting negotiation of significant supplier contracts Demonstrable experience in managing supplier relationships Experience in delivering change Excellent analytical skills and understanding of management information and the ability to evaluate and assess financial data to make informed decisions. Gravitas to build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, senior leaders, suppliers and customers Proven track record in educating stakeholders and gaining alignment to a supplier management framework Proven track record of managing supplier performance and resolving commercial and contractual issues Strong communication skills and ability to present confidently and credibly Experience in managing regional multi-site suppliers Strong PC literacy, with experience in extracting, collating, and presenting performance data Strong results focus, takes accountability for own performance and that of the team. Experience in managing financial budgets. Behaviours: We are progressive We regularly communicate our targets and progress We encourage creativity & innovation We welcome challenge & challenge for better We are tenacious We focus on our ambitions We lead & empower others We are accountable & drive performance We are City We invest in our culture We live our values We collaborate & work together We value people We encourage & offer support We give thanks & praise every day We help our people grow We inspire trust We do what we say We act with integrity We are open & transparent