Category Buyer

About This Role

This Category Buyer role involves developing, improving, and implementing category strategies to ensure value for money and high-quality solutions. The position focuses on effectively managing the supply chain through suitable suppliers, providing clients with peace of mind. It sits within the Procurement team in the Business Services division.

Responsibilities

• Support the Procurement Manager, acting as a Procurement & Supply Chain advisor and subject matter expert on each category
• Develop relationships with stakeholders to understand business needs and maintain appropriate stakeholder maps
• Support the Procurement Manager in developing and implementing agreed category strategies/plans, mobilising successful framework suppliers, and demobilising non-framework suppliers in agreement with Operations in line with business needs and objectives
• Develop and document implementation plans that include comprehensive business requirements analysis and quantified value for money, cost reduction/improvement targets
• Work with Legal, Technical, Health & Safety, and Operations key stakeholders and the Category Manager to develop and implement rigorous contracts for all critical, strategic, and preferred suppliers within the category, incorporating service level and continuous improvement targets including SLAs/KPIs
• Conduct supplier segmentation and develop, maintain preferred supplier listing with an approved product/service list for their category, and effectively communicate this to the business
• Manage supplier contracts and conduct regular performance management with preferred suppliers
• Proactively identify, monitor, and resolve strategic/critical and preferred supplier issues for the category
• Regularly engage stakeholders and suppliers to understand their issues or concerns; provide feedback to Category Managers and Procurement Operations; and seek to improve procurement practice(s)
• Support internal stakeholders by providing subject matter expertise, guidance, and information on categories
• Develop and maintain stakeholder and communication plans on behalf of the category teams
• Conduct procurement activity in accordance with company procedures, Health & Safety, compliance, regulatory, stated ethics, and CSR policies

Requirements

• Member/Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
• Studying towards MCIPS and/or Graduate
• Experience of category management and can develop category strategy, manage sourcing events, negotiations, contract management, deployment, and supplier relationship management
• Experience of managing/supporting communications across multiple business functions/stakeholders
• Experience working within a changing and fast-paced environment with demanding business objectives