Equans is looking for a Category Manager to join our team in London on a permanent basis. This is a full-time role working 37.5 hours per week. On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus, and benefits package.
The post holder can be based anywhere in the UK.
Our Category Managers play a pivotal role in maximising the value of Procurement at Equans UK&I by executing a structured, collaborative approach to category projects that optimises the procurement of similar products and services. This specific role within the UK BU Central Procurement Team will focus on the Direct HUB, encompassing a wide range of categories including:
Hard Services: Electrical material supply, Lighting, Building Fabric & material supply, Building Services, Lifts (Maintenance and Install), Plant & Equipment Hire, Plumbing & mechanical, HVAC & refrigeration (Goods & services), etc
Soft Services: Catering, PPE, Cleaning, Waste Management, Water treatment, Manned Guarding, etc
Renewables: EV Charges (Lease, install, maintain), Solar goods & services (PV Panels, inverters, Operation & maintenance, etc)
This Category Manager role within the Central Procurement team is responsible for managing key procurement Hard service categories across our facilities management, regeneration/refurb, energy & digital services businesses. The categories in scope for the role are currently Plant hire (machinery & equipment), Building materials and fabric, Plumbing & Heating equipment rental, Engineering consultants. The role involves creating and implementing a long-term sourcing plan for the development of the categories to achieve the best value for Equans. The role also involves identifying opportunities and leveraging the combined category spend in negotiating strategic frameworks with key suppliers in ensuring Equans achieves the best outcome for its external spend.
The post holder will own the category structure that allows the company to segment its supplier base. Using the segmentation, the Category Manager will create a category strategy in coordination with a network of internal stakeholders belonging to operations, sustainability and health & safety teams, identifying key focus areas for the year by leveraging company-wide spend.
What will you deliver?
1. Strategic management of the allocated Hard Services allocated: analysis of spend & business needs, anticipation of future needs, supplier market analysis and market dynamics - Management of the related supply chain, contract extension/renewal, launch and drive end to end RFP/RFQ processes, etc
2. Leading the development of procurement strategies in close cooperation with business operations and procurement stakeholders activating all spend reduction levers
3. Defining and implementing an action plan to deploy strategies for BUs/entities to effectively reduce their external spend on the category and/or mitigate market increases
4. Steering economic performance (external spend reduction), supplier performance on category
5. Adapting strategy in response to changes (market, internal budgets, technologies)
6. Supporting operational entities in the implementation and monitoring of supplier policy defined for the category
7. Assist the Delivery and Commercial teams in efficient subcontract procurement
8. Work to and support supply chain deals, working with the divisional procurement teams to ensure the BU achieves the best potential in terms of supplier arrangements
9. Understand and protect the companies commercial and legal position in relation to its contractual engagement with supply chain arrangements clearly setting out the terms and proposals
10. Oversee and manage the recovery of retrospective rebates
11. Setting annual rebate collection targets
12. Promoting rebate arrangements across group to maximise utilisation
13. Provide pre-tender specialist commercial input as required to ensure accurate net cost pricing
14. Support subcontractor procurement by benchmarking and interrogating costs to ensure additional contribution opportunities are realised (re-invigoration of cost benchmarking database and e-procurement)
15. Attend and participate in Design Team Meetings to influence and steer specifications towards most commercially advantageous products/solutions
16. Maintain and publish regular and accurate reports demonstrating the effectiveness of strategic sourcing arrangements and contribution to the group profit improvement / efficiency plan
17. Monitor supplier / category expenditures and trends
18. Build and maintain excellent supplier relations
19. Creating an internal stakeholder network around key categories with representation from all business lines
What can we offer you?
On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus, and benefits package, which includes;
20. 25 days annual leave (+ public holidays)
21. Life Cover equivalent to 2 times annual salary
22. Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
23. Gym membership discounts
24. Cycle to work scheme
25. Holiday purchase scheme
26. 2 corporate social responsibility days per year
27. Broad range of learning opportunities, such as professional qualifications, collective/individual training, and personalized support programmes
28. Attractive Employee Referral Rewards Scheme
29. Access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), WOMEN TOGETHER (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.
30. 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
Who are we looking for?
31. CIPS Level 5, or working towards
32. Previous experience in a senior procurement and/or similar role
33. Experience in procurement with a proven track record of delivery of savings
34. Experience in change management and implementation
35. Experience in Category Management
36. Experience in developing work winning solutions with operational and business development stakeholders to drive better technical solutions and outcomes
37. Understanding and practical application of base UK law applicable to Commercial contracts
38. Demonstrate high levels of personal and business probity in both self and team
39. Demonstrable ability to create collaborative working relationships and effective partnerships
40. Ability to provide creative solutions to issues/ problems
This role includes a DBS Basic check therefore ability to pass is essential.
Who are we?
Equans is a world leader in energy services with nearly, employees working in more than 50 countries, with an annual turnover of over 17 billion euros.
In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of technical, FM, regeneration and energy services with specialist capabilities in smart buildings, green mobility, district & embedded energy and decentralised renewables.
Equans 13, UK & Ireland employees combine these activities to help businesses, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero, and also the digital & industrial transitions that are redesigning the way we move, work and live.
Equans is a Bouygues group company.
What's next?
If this role is of interest to you, please click below to register, apply, and track your progress! A member of our Resourcing Team will review your application and be in touch.
As part our commitment to better reflect the markets within which we operate, we encourage applications from women, ethnically diverse individuals and people with disabilities, along with all candidates who identify with protected characteristic groups under the Equality Act.
At Equans were committed to delivering a culture where everyones voice is heard and supported. We know the value a diverse workforce creates, delivering better results for our people, customers, and stakeholders. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of what we do, should you join Equans you'll find a welcoming and open workplace where you're supported and encouraged to be your true self at work.
You'll also have access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), WOMEN TOGETHER (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.
For this role, you must have evidence of the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a re-location package with this job role. Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a Disclosure check, as noted in the role requirements.
The Equans Resourcing Team supports this job advert. Agency involvement is not required. All related enquiries must come to the resourcing team not direct to Equans Managers.