Category Lead

Gippsland Water; Traralgon; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Competitive employee benefits

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Gippsland Water is seeking a Senior Category Manager to lead procurement category strategies and deliver commercial outcomes. You will develop forward plans, identify sourcing opportunities, and optimise supplier relationships across the organisation.

You will guide Sourcing Officers, ensure compliant, auditable processes, and provide strategic advice on market approaches and negotiations. A tertiary qualification in procurement or related field is preferred.

Qualifications

• Procurement, sourcing or category management experience.
• Experience leading complex or high-value sourcing activities.
• Strong knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing and negotiation.
• Proven leadership developing procurement professionals.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical capability and sound commercial judgement.
• Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead category management and deliver commercial outcomes across procurement categories.
• Develop and implement category strategies and forward procurement plans.
• Identify opportunities for demand aggregation and supplier optimisation.
• Lead medium to high-value sourcing activities delivering value-for-money.
• Provide commercial leadership in supplier negotiations, contracts and decisions.
• Act as trusted procurement advisor with stakeholders across Gippsland Water.
• Lead and develop Sourcing Officers; ensure audit-ready procurement activities.
• Support ERP and Integrated Enterprise Management System adoption.

Skills

Procurement

Sourcing

Category management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Commercial negotiation

Education

Tertiary qualification in procurement/supply chain/commerce or related discipline

Tools

ERP systems

IEMS

Job description

We exist to deliver essential water, wastewater, and waste recovery services that support the health, safety, and wellbeing in the Gippsland community. As a key employer in our region, we play a vital role in shaping a sustainable future while driving positive outcomes for our environment, economy, and people.

We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive by offering:

Flexible work arrangements to support your work/life balance

Diverse career opportunities and ongoing professional development

A supportive and inclusive culture where our people feel safe to bring their full and authentic self to work.

Competitive employee benefits that make your professional and personal experiences rewarding

Our focus is on building a highly skilled, customer-focused team, united by a shared purpose, to make a real difference in the community we serve.

Contribute to a team that's committed to innovation, prioritising our customers and creating a better future for our region.

The role

Reporting to the Senior Supply Chain Lead, you will play a key role in leading category management and delivering commercial outcomes across assigned procurement categories. You will develop and implement category strategies, establish forward procurement plans and sourcing pipelines, identify opportunities for demand aggregation and supplier optimisation, and lead medium to high-value sourcing activities that deliver value-for-money outcomes across the organisation. You will also provide commercial leadership in supplier negotiations, contract formation and procurement decision-making while ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and procurement frameworks.

Working closely with stakeholders across Gippsland Water, you will act as a trusted procurement advisor, providing expert guidance on sourcing strategies, market approaches and commercial considerations. The role also includes leading and developing Sourcing Officers, ensuring procurement activities are compliant, well-documented and audit-ready, and supporting the adoption of ERP and Integrated Enterprise Management System (IEMS) processes.

What you’ll bring

Demonstrated experience in procurement, sourcing or category management roles.

Experience leading complex or high-value sourcing activities from planning through to contract award.

Strong knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing and commercial negotiation.

Proven leadership experience, including developing and supporting procurement professionals.

Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills.

Strong analytical capability and sound commercial judgement.

A relevant tertiary qualification in procurement, supply chain, commerce or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Freedom

We offer a variety of flexible arrangements to suit our employees varied needs and the business, including purchased leave, varied start and finish times, working from alternative locations and accrued days off. We understand that Gippsland Water and our customers benefit from enabling our employees to achieve balance in work and life.