Category Manager - Indirect Procurement

As Category Manager, you will be responsible for managing all indirect procurement activities, with a specific focus on Marketing, HR Services, IT, Consulting and Operating Supplies categories, such as advertising, employee benefits, mobile hardware and office supplies.

You will play a pivotal role in driving cost efficiencies, ensuring supplier performance, and delivering best-in-class service to internal stakeholders. In addition, you will be leading projects, fostering a high-performing and collaborative environment.

What does the role involve?

• Sound understanding of all elements and concepts of the procurement process
• Develop and execute strategies for indirect procurement (sub-)categories with ability to trigger levers to sustainably create value
• Lead sourcing initiatives, contract negotiations, and supplier management to achieve cost savings, risk mitigation and sustainability goals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local and international key suppliers, driving supplier performance and innovation through conducting regular business review meetings and supplier performance assessments, addressing performance issues and ensuring alignment with company values and goals.
• Have a clear understanding of the indirect spend report for your (sub-)categories
• Implement and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor procurement performance and identify areas for improvement.

In addition to the above, you'll act as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders, ensuring procurement initiatives align with business needs, collaborating with internal departments such as HR, Marketing, IT, Finance and Sustainability to identify procurement needs and opportunities for improvement

You’ll proactively inform management and the wider organisation of their spend, influencing and promoting strategic sourcing and optimizing spend, giving stakeholders appropriate assistance to ensure that supplier are effective in their daily operational procurement services.

You'll also have the opportunity to engage with Global or Regional teams & effectively implement projects in designated markets

You'll need to have an entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to recognise economic impact factors across the business and suggest alternatives to optimize the management of spending, with a passion to propose new ideas or innovation, that would contribute in organizational development

You'll also be responsible for reviewing and ensuring compliance, continuously seeing operational improvements and efficiencies, including the development and implementation of digital sourcing models to streamline process. Collaborating closely with the Procurement Operations team, you'll ensure seamless execution, alignment, and continuous improvement of sourcing strategies.

What you need is:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field (Master’s degree is a plus).
• Previous procurement experience, ideally with indirect materials and services.
• Strong negotiation, contract management and supplier performance management skills.
• Ability to develop and implement category strategies that drive value creation for the organization.
• Proficiency in procurement tools (e.g., SAP, Coupa) and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Detail-oriented problem-solving skills
• Communication skills with a proven ability to explain complex topics clearly to a wide variety of audiences
• Proven interpersonal skills to work effectively and collaboratively within a team, cross functionally, and with various stakeholder groups

Apply now and take your career to the next level.

What do we offer?

We really value our people and we've worked hard to develop a reward package that reflects this. Some of our benefits include:

• Genuine career advancement (more than 80% of all leadership roles are filled internally)
• 6% employer pension contributions
• Private Health Insurance and Employee Assistance Programme
• Company vehicle and fuel card for sales roles
• 33 days' holiday (inc. Bank Holidays) plus the ability to purchase 5 days more annually
• Paid leave to work on charitable projects
• Hilti Benefits Box, a reward platform offering a cycle to work scheme and shopping and lifestyle discounts/cashback
• Different ways to work flexibly, including working from home and compressed hours
• Employee resource groups focused on gender, mental health, race, disability, LGBTQ+ and sustainability topics
• Trips to locations such as Milan, New York and global HQ for high performers across all teams Our Regional Head Office is based at Circle Square in Central Manchester, where we are located a short walk from Oxford Rd train station and St Peter's Square tram stop. We offer a hybrid working pattern between the office and home and different ways to work flexibly so please feel free to talk about what flexibility means to you at your interview.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field (Master’s degree is a plus).
• Previous procurement experience, ideally with indirect materials and services.
• Strong negotiation, contract management and supplier performance management skills.
• Ability to develop and implement category strategies that drive value creation for the organization.
• Proficiency in procurement tools (e.g., SAP, Coupa) and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Detail-oriented problem-solving skills
• Communication skills with a proven ability to explain complex topics clearly to a wide variety of audiences
• Proven interpersonal skills to work effectively and collaboratively within a team, cross functionally, and with various stakeholder groups

We really value our people and we've worked hard to develop a reward package that reflects this. Some of our benefits include:

• Genuine career advancement (more than 80% of all leadership roles are filled internally)
• 6% employer pension contributions
• Private Health Insurance and Employee Assistance Programme
• Company vehicle and fuel card for sales roles
• 33 days' holiday (inc. Bank Holidays) plus the ability to purchase 5 days more annually
• Paid leave to work on charitable projects
• Hilti Benefits Box, a reward platform offering a cycle to work scheme and shopping and lifestyle discounts/cashback
• Different ways to work flexibly, including working from home and compressed hours
• Employee resource groups focused on gender, mental health, race, disability, LGBTQ+ and sustainability topics
• Trips to locations such as Milan, New York and global HQ for high performers across all teams Our Regional Head Office is based at Circle Square in Central Manchester, where we are located a short walk from Oxford Rd train station and St Peter's Square tram stop. We offer a hybrid working pattern between the office and home and different ways to work flexibly so please feel free to talk about what flexibility means to you at your interview.