Category Manager

Slaughter and May; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm is seeking an experienced Category Manager to join their Procurement team within the Finance Department. This role is pivotal in ensuring efficient procurement strategies that align with the firm's objectives, fostering operational excellence while leading supplier relationships and category management practices.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in procurement, focusing on category management.
• Deep knowledge of market dynamics and supplier ecosystems.
• Commitment to ethical and sustainable procurement practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end category sourcing activity.
• Develop and execute category-specific sourcing strategies.
• Collaborate across functions for procurement goals.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Education

Degree in supply chain, business administration or related field

CIPS highly desirable

Tools

Procurement systems

BI tools

Excel

Job description

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We are seeking an experienced Category Manager to join our Procurement team within the Finance Department. This role is integral to ensuring the firm acquires the right goods and services at the best value, supporting our strategic objectives while maintaining operational excellence.

As a Category Manager, you will lead and drive strategic procurement initiatives across key spend categories, shaping best practices and delivering commercial value across the organisation.

This role requires someone who thrives in an autonomous environment, bringing deep expertise, commercial acumen, and a forward-thinking approach to procurement. You will be part of a team fostering a high-performance culture and ensuring procurement strategies align with the firm’s overarching business priorities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES //

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. You may be required on occasion to work outside our normal working hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm.

Category Strategy Development:

• Develop and execute category specific sourcing strategies that align to departmental business objectives and overall business goals.
• Perform spend analysis to identify areas of spend optimisation and return on investment.
• Monitor, collate and analyse supplier performance data, to assess value for money and supplier improvement opportunities.
• Monitor market trends and benchmarks to ensure competitiveness and market leading innovation.

Strategic Sourcing:

• Lead end to end category sourcing activity.
• Build a fit for purpose supply chain to deliver departmental objectives.
• Support, and in some cases lead, all relevant negotiations.
• Ensure application of robust supplier approval
• Draft, review, and agree all relevant third-party contracts.
• Lead supplier performance reviews and development improvement initiatives.
• Identify and build plans mitigate risk in the short-, medium- and long-term horizon.
• Lead on segmenting suppliers and develop long term relationships and supply plans executed through cross-functional teams.

Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborate in cross-functional teams such as finance, operations, and legal to align procurement goals.
• Provide procurement partnering support services within dedicated category department, and other categories when required.
• Manage and resolve supply chain performance related issues with the relevant department.
• Ensure compliance to internal policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements.

Data Analytics:

• Use and build analytical dashboards to identify trends, risks, and opportunities within procurement.
• Provide regular reports on category performance, spend management, and procurement partner metrics.
• Develop dashboards and tools to enhance visibility of spend and performance.

CANDIDATE PROFILE //

Candidates for this position must have:

• a results driven mindset focused on delivering measurable value to the firm;
• deep knowledge of market dynamics and supplier ecosystems across varying managed categories;
• the ability to foster innovation and challenge the status quo in procurement process;
• a commitment to ethical and sustainable procurement practices, with an aptitude for continuous improvement.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in procurement, with expertise in category management.
• Proven history in cost management, profit protection, value creation, supplier commercial negotiation, and supplier management.

Technical and Analytical Skills:

• Strong understanding of procurement processes, supplier management, and category-specific trends.
• Proficiency in procurement systems and tools.
• Excellent knowledge in contract law and drafting agreements
• Advanced data analytics and knowledge of BI and Excel.

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Collaborative and able to influence stakeholders across all levels of management in the firm.

Education:

• Degree in supply chain, business administration or a related field
• CIPS highly desirable

We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, belief or marital status.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Associate

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Supply Chain and Purchasing

• Industries

  Law Practice, Legal Services, and Professional Services

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