Category & Sourcing Specialist

Southern Water; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading company committed to tackling climate change as a Category & Sourcing Specialist. This pivotal role offers opportunities to optimize category spending strategies while contributing to a greener future. With a hybrid working model and competitive salary, this is your chance to grow with Southern Water.

Benefits

Generous pension up to 11% company contribution

25 days annual leave

Life assurance equal to 4x salary

Salary sacrifice electric car scheme

Health Cash Plan

Fully funded eye tests

Two paid volunteering days a year

Occupational health service

Discounts with over 800 popular retailers

Digital GP service

Qualifications

• Ability to manipulate complex datasets.
• Performance and delivery orientated.
• Proactive attitude and can do work style.

Responsibilities

• Support on the delivery of category strategies.
• Gather and analyze data on category spend.
• Develop working relationships for third-party spend.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Category strategy development

Stakeholder management

Job description

Closing Date

2025-06-20

Job Title: Category & Sourcing Specialist

Location: Durrington or Falmer, West Sussex (2-3 days a week)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: circa £35,000 (depending on skills and experience)

There has never been a better time to join our organisation as we build towards a greener future, tackling climate change, minimising our environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint! We currently have a number of Category & Sourcing Specialist openings across a range of disciplines including Engineering & Construction, Professional Services and Operational Assets.

Job Overview

Southern Water’s Sourcing and Category Management discipline strategically and proactively manages category spending and supply sourcing in alignment with value management strategies and demand profiles to optimise total cost of ownership.

1. Work with the Category Manager to support on the delivery of category strategies and develop and implement sub-category strategies.
2. Gather and collate customer requirements, volume demands and specifications, feeding back to Category Manager and Senior Category Manager to inform the development of category strategy.
3. Gather data on category/sub-category spend, including commodity pricing and spend data, and perform initial analysis to share with Category Manager.
4. Develop working relationships across the organisation that allow early involvement of procurement in any external third-party spend required.

About You

• You will have the ability to manipulate complex datasets and strong category strategy development skills – ability to develop compelling category and sourcing strategies.
• Performance and delivery orientated – ability to work with others to obtain critical information and achieve common goals.
• Ability to demonstrate a proactive/can do style of work.
• Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our Durrington office and home. We are offering a salary of circa £35,000 per annum depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including:

• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Full funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme

Join our Procurement team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com)

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.

Privacy Statement:

Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g., a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.

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