Category Manager

JR United Kingdom; Wokingham; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A major organisation undergoing digital transformation is seeking a highly capable Digital Category Manager to lead strategic procurement efforts. The role involves executing long-term sourcing strategies, managing complex projects and supplier relationships, and leading negotiations. The successful candidate will contribute significantly to shaping the digital infrastructure's commercial direction. Benefits include generous holiday, private medical insurance, and a robust pension scheme.

Benefits

26 days of holiday (rising to 30 with service)

Private medical insurance (Family)

Generous pension contribution (up to 12%)

Annual health assessments

Access to comprehensive benefits platform

Qualifications

• Experience in end-to-end strategic digital category management.
• Ability to challenge industry norms and seek out opportunities.
• Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m.

Responsibilities

• Creating and delivering strategic category management.
• Managing a portfolio of suppliers and ensuring value creation.
• Lead and evaluate competitive tenders and proposals.

Skills

Strategic digital category management

Influencing stakeholders

Supplier negotiations

Risk management

Job description

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Our client, a major organisation undergoing digital transformation, is seeking a highly capable Digital Category Manager to lead strategic procurement efforts across the Cybersecurity, Networks, and Telecoms space. This role plays a vital part in the commercial success of key digital initiatives, including high-impact technology programmes.

About the Role

The successful candidate will act as a subject matter expert for the digital category, developing and executing long-term sourcing strategies that align with the organisation’s future-focused vision. The role requires the ability to provide commercial leadership across complex projects and supplier relationships, ensuring that value creation, compliance, and innovation are central to procurement activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Creating and delivering end-to-end strategic category management.
• Providing extensive category knowledge and market insight, including identifying/managing category-level risk.
• Responsible for managing a portfolio of suppliers to ensure contracted expectations continue to be improved throughout the contract life cycle and to support these suppliers in delivering added value to Thames Water.
• Lead and evaluate competitive tenders and proposals for the supply of goods and services.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on projects using available reporting tools.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Experience in end-to-end strategic digital category management.
• Ability to influence, engage and inspire internal and external stakeholders to drive meaningful change.
• Ability to challenge industry norms and proactively seek out opportunities to deliver sustained improvements in performance.
• Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value.
• Some understanding and experience of operating in complex supply chain environments.
• Skilled in prioritisation and managing risk and complexity effectively.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a pivotal time to join our client as they embark on a significant digital transformation programme. The successful candidate will play a key role in helping to shape the commercial direction of critical digital infrastructure.

Benefits Include:

• 26 days of holiday (rising to 30 with service), plus bank holidays
• Private medical insurance (Family)
• Generous pension contribution (up to 12%)
• Annual health assessments
• Access to a comprehensive benefits platform supporting wellbeing and financial savings