Category Buyer

FirstPort; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A property management company is seeking a Category Buyer – Asset Compliance for a hybrid role in the UK. The successful candidate will develop category strategies and manage supplier relationships, ensuring value for money and compliance with procurement practices. Required skills include experience in category management and stakeholder engagement. Ideal applicants will also have procurement qualifications and a track record in supplier negotiations.

Qualifications

• Experience of category management, sourcing events, and supplier relationships.
• Ability to manage communications across multiple business functions.
• Capacity to work in a fast-paced environment with demanding objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies and sourcing plans.
• Act as a Procurement & Supply Chain advisor and subject matter expert.
• Manage supplier contracts and conduct performance management.
• Work with stakeholders to understand business needs.

Skills

Category management

Supplier relationship management

Contract management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

CIPS member or studying towards MCIPS

Job description

Job description

Job Role : Category Buyer – Asset Compliance

Location : Hybrid role, Luton, New Milton or Worcester Office

Hours : 35 per week, Monday to Friday

As the Category Buyer – Asset Compliance, you will contribute to our vision of being the UKs favourite property manager by :

• Developing, improving, and implementing a category strategy; sourcing plan; contract management; supplier performance management; and supplier relationship management for a range of allocated spend categories within an overall category management structure.
• Supporting delivery of value for money and innovation in accordance with Procurement strategy and business plans.
• Delivering pragmatic and high quality solutions to meet the needs of the organisation, delivering value and having commercial influence over FirstPort’s third party expenditure.

This role reports to the Category Manager Asset Compliance.

Main Responsibilities

• Supports Category Manager, acting as a Procurement & Supply Chain advisor and subject matter expert on each category, within FirstPort and externally as appropriate.
• Develops relationships with stakeholders to understand the needs of the business and maintains appropriate stakeholder maps.
• Supports Category Manager in developing and implementing agreed category strategies / plans, mobilising the successful framework suppliers, and demobilising non-framework suppliers in agreement with Operations in line with the business needs and objectives.
• Develops and documents implementation plans that include comprehensive business requirements analysis and quantified value for money, cost reduction / improvement targets.
• Working with Legal, Technical, Health & Safety, and Operations key stakeholders and the Category Manager, develops and implements rigorous contracts for all critical, strategic and preferred suppliers within the category, incorporating service level and continuous improvement targets including SLAs / KPIs.
• Conducts supplier segmentation and develops, maintains preferred supplier listing with an approved product / service list for their category and effectively communicates this to the business.
• Manages supplier contracts and conducts regular performance management with preferred suppliers. Proactively identifies monitors and resolves strategic / critical and preferred supplier issues for category.
• Regularly engages stakeholders and suppliers to understand their issues or concerns; feedback to Category Managers and Procurement Operations; and seeks to improve procurement practice across FirstPort. Supports internal stakeholders by providing subject matter expertise, guidance and information on categories
• Develops and maintains stakeholder and communication plans on behalf of the category teams.
• Conducts procurement activity in accordance with company procedures, Health & Safety, compliance, regulatory, stated ethics and CSR policies, etc.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Has experience of category management and can develop category strategy, manage sourcing events, negotiations, contract management, deployment and supplier relationship management.
• Has experience of managing / supporting communications across multiple business functions / stakeholders.
• Has experience working within a changing and fast paced environment with demanding business objectives.

Desirable

• Member / Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS).
• Studying towards MCIPS and / or Graduate.
• 3-5 years procurement / procurement operations / category experience.
• Has supply market knowledge and experience of spend category.
• Demonstrates track record in supplier selection, negotiation and contract management delivering value for money, cost and / or revenue targets.
• Demonstrates track record of developing and maintaining stakeholder and supplier relationships.
• Has experience of organising / managing data and producing performance analysis.