Category Manager - Tech / Freelance / 6 month contract
We’re looking for an exceptional Category Manager to drive the strategic management of the Technical Service procurement category supporting the Senior Category Manager. You’ll develop and execute category strategies, manage supplier relationships, and oversee procurement processes to deliver maximum value and mitigate risks. Your focus will align with the company's ambitions, ensuring sustainable and ethical sourcing practices while achieving commercial success.
You’ll be reporting to the Senior Category Manager and will play a critical role in supporting change, delivering results, and setting the bar for ‘what good looks like’ across the team.
You’ll also be working closely with stakeholders across the business to drive projects and supplier performance forwards. Your key area of focus from a Category Management perspective will be Software, an essential underpinning of the business, enabling the delivery of a range of products and services to our customers. You will also be responsible for sourcing outside of the Software category as and when necessary as we manoeuvre to deliver critical business partnership for our Tech colleagues and beyond.
We're looking for a strategic thinker to own the Software category, setting the strategic direction and managing its end-to-end execution. This role offers deep category engagement while fostering broad experience across the entire technology portfolio. You will be an essential, flexible team player, frequently collaborating on sourcing projects in other tech areas. If you're looking for a role that combines deep category ownership with a flexible, collaborative team environment for exposure to other areas of tech, this is it.
The Team’s objectives include:
● Driving significant commercial benefits to support the targets.
● Getting the end to end contract lifecycle right, reducing risks, and driving compliance while maintaining agility.
● Procuring goods and services in a sustainable manner, aligning with the plans.
● Becoming a knowledge base of relevant supply markets, products, technologies, and trends.
● Managing supplier relationships through the contract lifetime, ensuring delivery expectations are met, and rectifying any issues
● Continuously improving commercial value, process efficiency, and risk mitigation.
● Effectively partnering with internal stakeholders.
● Supporting the implementation of procurement systems that underpin opportunity execution while reducing risks and improving compliance.
Your key outcomes will be:
● Ensuring Software are fit for purpose, aligned to the objectives and key results and wider business needs, representing the best value and quality (working in collaboration with the Senior Category Manager).
● Lead end-to-end procurement processes for assigned sub-categories in the technology space, ensuring efficiency and compliance.
● Negotiate contracts with suppliers to secure favourable terms and cost savings.
● Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers to drive collaboration and innovation.
● Conduct market analysis to identify risks, opportunities, and trends for assigned sub-categories, feeding into the Technology Spend Category Strategy.
● Monitor supplier / agency performance and collaborate with the business on regular supplier performance reviews.
● Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align spend category objectives with
organisational goals.
● Drive continuous improvement initiatives across procurement activities.
● Support the sustainability goals through ethical and environmentally responsible sourcing.
Additionally, you will:
● Use data to maintain a clear view of software category spend and suppliers.
● Support category savings opportunity analysis and future pipeline initiatives.
● Execute RFx exercises, guiding stakeholders and ensuring strong project management practices.
● Lead material commercial initiatives, presenting to the C-suite in line with the authority matrix.
● Deliver effective Supplier Management strategies. In life contract management, reducing risk, scope creep, supplier performance and contract exit
● Ensure adherence to procurement & contract policies and monitor compliance.
● Contribute to continuous improvement of procurement tools, processes, and customer journey management.
● Align sourcing activities with the objectives, demonstrating measurable contributions.
Start date: 5th May (flexible)
Duration: 6 month freelance contract
Location: Mainly remote but occasional travel to either London, Bristol or Glasgow