Category Manager

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 26–30 days

Performance pay

Pension (AON)

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water Utilities Limited in Reading seeks a Category Manager to develop and deliver end-to-end category strategies across short, medium, and long-term horizons, driving value while managing commercial risk.

You will engage internal stakeholders, act as the commercial expert for the category, lead sourcing events, negotiate with suppliers up to £100m, and drive improvements across supplier relationships and reporting.

Qualifications

• Experience operating in complex supply chain environments.
• Ability to challenge industry norms and deliver sustained improvements.
• Track record of delivering against stretching targets.
• Understanding pre and post deal processes and value from information.
• Experience working with key suppliers.
• Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value.

Responsibilities

• Engage proactively with internal stakeholders to shape category approach, business needs, spend and suppliers.
• Be seen by the business as the Procurement /Commercial expert for the category with market knowledge and insight not seen elsewhere.
• Understand the category and provide leadership and insight for the business on all aspects of supply market dynamics, regulatory and internal frameworks, suppliers, and technical innovations.
• Identify and prioritise a sourcing pipeline as part of category development.
• Lead category projects and sourcing events adhering to the required approach.
• Negotiating with suppliers on all commercial and contractual matters and applying judgement as to what constitutes an acceptable level of contractual risk and supply resilience.
• Lead the review of supplier opportunities, innovations, and improvements.
• Develop effective relationships with key functional stakeholders.
• Leaving a legacy of change and improvement in how Commercial is deployed across the organisation.
• Operate information systems to the required standard to maintain accurate and secure records.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on the sourcing projects using available reporting tools.

Skills

Category management

Stakeholder engagement

Sourcing strategy

Supplier negotiations

Risk management

Data analysis

Change management

Job description

The Category Manager will develop and deliver end-to-end category strategies across short, medium, and long-term horizons, driving value while managing commercial risk.

They provide market insight, lead sourcing activities, and act as the commercial expert, adapting quickly to market changes to secure optimal outcomes. The role also oversees supplier performance and relationships, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with business objectives while delivering measurable value.

We’re growing our team and offering a unique opportunity to be part of our most significant investment programme in over 100 years.

What you’ll be doing as a Category Manager

• Engage proactively with internal stakeholders to shape category approach, business needs, spend and suppliers
• Be seen by the business as the Procurement /Commercial expert for the category with market knowledge and insight not seen elsewhere
• Understand the category and provide leadership and insight for the business on all aspects of supply market dynamics, regulatory and internal frameworks, suppliers, and technical innovations
• Identify and prioritise a sourcing pipeline as part of category development
• Lead category projects and sourcing events adhering to the required approach
• Negotiating with suppliers on all commercial and contractual matters and applying judgement as to what constitutes an acceptable level of contractual risk and supply resilience
• Lead the review of supplier opportunities, innovations, and improvements
• Develop effective relationships with key functional stakeholders.
• Leaving a legacy of change and improvement in how Commercial is deployed across the organisation
• Operate information systems to the required standard to maintain accurate and secure records
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on the sourcing projects using available reporting tools

Necessary requirements for the role – Occasional site visits

We are looking for several Category Managers within Waste Operations, Retail, and Digital

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Great understanding and experience of operating in complex supply chain environments
• Ability to challenge industry norms and proactively seek out opportunities to deliver sustained improvements in performance.
• Track record in continuous improvement and ability to deliver against stretching targets.
• Good understanding of pre and post deal processes and how better information and improvements in process can deliver value to the organisation
• Experience of working with key suppliers.
• Ability to analyse data
• Holistically manage risk
• Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary of up to £62,000 per annum depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process . If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support .

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.