Category Manager - HR and Corporate Services

Müller UK & Ireland; Shrewsbury; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dairy products company in the UK is seeking a Category Manager to manage complex spend areas and develop procurement strategies. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in a Category Manager role, with strong negotiation skills and the ability to drive compliance. This role offers a hybrid working pattern, competitive compensation, and various benefits including an annual bonus, private medical insurance, and generous holiday allowance.

Benefits

Up to 15% annual bonus

4 x Life Assurance policy

£550 Car Allowance or Company Car

Partner Private Medical Insurance

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Family Leave

Enhanced Bereavement Leave

Pension Employer Contribution Scheme (matched up to 8%)

Access to Müller Rewards for discounts

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in a substantive Category Buyer/Category Manager role is ideal.
• Experience in Food, FMCG, or similar operational procurement is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex spend area and create robust spend category strategies.
• Active business partnering with stakeholders and drive compliance.
• Implement supplier relationship strategies to achieve KPIs.
• Carry out continuous improvement reviews within functions.

Skills

Specialist knowledge & experience in defined categories

Commercial acumen with profound negotiation skills

Strong influencing, negotiation and communication skills

Excellent Data Interpretation & Analysis skills

Competent project management skills

Fluent command of English

Education

University degree or equivalent

Tools

SAP knowledge

Job description

Müller UK & Ireland is wholly owned by Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller which employs over 31,000 people throughout Europe. In the UK, Müller develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of branded and private label dairy products made with milk from 1,300 farmers in Britain. Müller is ranked within the top 20 in The Grocer's Top 100 list of Britain's Biggest Brands and is picked from shelves millions of times each year.

Müller UK & Ireland includes:

Müller Milk & Ingredients which aims to be Britain's private label dairy leader and produces branded and private label fresh milk, cream, butter and ingredients products. It boasts a network of dairies and depots servicing customers throughout the country.

Müller Yogurt & Desserts which is the UK's leading yogurt manufacturer which aims to create millions more Müller moments for its consumers. It is responsible for major brands like Müller Corner, Müllerlight, Müller Bliss, Müller Rice, FRijj and Müller Kefir Smoothie and produces chilled desserts under licence from Mondelez International. It also supplies the UK private label yogurt market from a dedicated, state of the art yogurt facility.

We're Recruiting

Category Manager - HR and Corporate Services

Reports to:

Head of Indirect Services Group / Group Procurement / Indirect

Location:

Base can be Market Drayton, Telford or Droitwich

Working pattern:

Office 3 days / 2 days remote

Role purpose:

To manage a complex spend area; creating robust spend category strategies; active business partnering with key stakeholders/Business Unit Engineering functions across the business with the aim of driving specifier engagement and compliance. Provide team management and day to day activities within the function.

Key Responsibilities:

• Managing spend area
  • Create and implement category strategies for key spend areas aligned with the Business Units and Group service functions
  • Ensure procurement policy, processes and spend compliance rules are in place
  • Support new product launches within the Business Units (involvement in strategic projects)
• Stakeholder Management
  • Create and present recommendations to the business units
  • Present key insight/updates to the key stakeholders covering data analysis & market insight in order to ensure effective planning and decision making
• Supplier Management
  • Implement a supplier relationship strategy to achieve the agreed KPIs and to develop sustainable added value potential
    Subject matter expertise
  • Significant experience in HR procurement especially temp. labour, consultants and professional services - driven procurement categories. Clear understanding of requirements to support business but also what drives costs, able to challenge specifications and operational methods in working with stakeholders to drive value for the business from a procurement perspective.
  • A capable category manager in their own right, able to drive action from a project team and deliver sourcing events to a defined and sometimes challenging timescale
• Continuous Improvement
  • Carry out continuous improvement and efficiency reviews within the function and business units with defined action plans detailing accountabilities and timelines

Key Skills & Requirements:

• Specialist knowledge & experience in the defined categories
• Commercial acumen with profound negotiation skills
• Ability to turn strategies and decisions into action
• Strong influencing, negotiation and communication skills at all levels within a business
• Excellent Data Interpretation & Analysis skills
• Moderation/Presentation Skills
• Competent project management skills
• Fluent command of English

Desirable:

• Experience in Food, FMCG or similar operational procurement
• German language skills
• CIPS certificate
• SAP knowledge

Background:

• University degree and corresponding business experience or equivalent
• Ideally 5+ years experience in a substantive Category Buyer/Category Manager role.

Benefits:

• Up to 15% annual bonus
• 4 x Life Assurance policy
• £550 Car Allowance or Company Car
• Partner Private Medical Insurance
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising with service)
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Family Leave
• Enhanced Bereavement Leave
• Pension Employer Contribution Scheme(matched up to 8%)
• Exclusive access to Müller Rewards, offering a variety of online and in-store discounts

The Process:

If you are interested in applying for the role of Category Manager - HR and Corporate Services and have the necessary skills and experience, then please apply via www:mullercareers.co.uk

Contact Details:
F.A.O. UK Recruitment, Müller UK & Ireland, Shrewsbury Road, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 3SQ