Senior Category Advisor - Talent

bp; Sunbury-on-Thames; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy provider in Sunbury-on-Thames is seeking a Senior Category Advisor - Talent to lead procurement strategies for Talent Acquisition. The role involves developing innovative category strategies, driving performance, and collaborating across teams to deliver value. Candidates should have experience in category management and procurement, along with strong stakeholder management skills. The position offers hybrid working opportunities, enabling professionals to thrive in a diverse environment while contributing to sustainability goals.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Generous paid parental leave policy

Excellent retirement benefits

Qualifications

• Knowledge of category management principles and experience in procurement processes.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience in leading initiatives internationally.
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective change management.
• Procurement experience in Talent Acquisition or Professional Services.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement for Talent Acquisition categories such as Contingent Labour.
• Develop innovative global and regional category strategies.
• Drive data-led category performance and align demand.
• Deliver transformation initiatives to create business value.
• Collaborate closely with category team and share knowledge.

Skills

Agility core practices

Analytical Thinking

Category Strategy

Negotiation planning

Supplier Performance Management

Job description

Job Description :

Our purpose is to deliver energy to the world, today and tomorrow. For over 100 years, bp has focused on discovering, developing, and producing oil and gas in the nations where we operate. We are one of the few companies globally that can provide governments and customers with an integrated energy offering. Delivering our strategy sustainably is fundamental to achieving our ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner.

About the role :

This is an exciting opportunity to join bp as a Senior Category Advisor - Talent and provide category leadership for key sub-categories of spend in support of our global category strategies. You will undertake category management and global supplier relationship management, drive end-to-end spend management to mitigate supply chain risk and maximize value delivery, including sustainability, within your category. You will do this through collaborating across and beyond procurement, including with regional, business, and FBT colleagues. Additionally, you will create value through orchestrating development of transformational strategies in support of bp’s aims and goals, collaborating cross-functionally to realize identified value and working with delivery teams to ensure that their global strategies are executed locally.

What you will deliver :

• Lead as the procurement partner for Talent Acquisition categories such as Contingent Labour.
• Develop innovative global and regional category strategies that address business needs, manage supply risk, and support sustainability. Use market insights to shape forward‑looking, high‑impact strategies.
• Drive data‑led, end‑to‑end category performance by aligning demand, ensuring executable strategies, and navigating complex operational frameworks. Build strong supplier partnerships, consider regional requirements, and unlock triple bottom line (people, profit & planet) value.
• Deliver transformation initiatives that create business value, strengthen supplier performance, and support change across diverse partners. Use digital tools, cross‑functional collaboration, and clear communication to drive adoption.
• Collaborate closely with the category team, acting as an SME and sharing knowledge to enable effective strategy execution. Continuously build technical capability, embrace innovation and digital fluency, and foster psychological safety to support learning and improvement.
• Communicate with influence, using storytelling to align stakeholders and resolve challenges. Build trusted relationships, unite diverse groups, bring market insights, and champion supplier value. Prepare clear documentation to support decision‑making forums.

What you will need to be successful :

• Knowledge of category management principles and experience in undertaking procurement processes and developing category strategies (an understanding of how to ensure strategies flow through to executions in the business / assets)
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills to develop a deep understanding of the supported businesses / regions / assets (knowledge of procurement within complex multinational business, knowledge in relevant procurement categories with an understanding of the market’s dynamics and its influence on procurement strategies.
• Experience in leading initiatives internationally, recognizing cultural nuances, analyzing data-driven trends & insights, and employing agile / flexible approaches
• Evaluating solutions and judgement to translate business requirements into actionable plans, making informed strategic decisions
• Strong interpersonal skills to ensure buy in and adoption, effective change management.
• Procurement / Consultancy / Product experience in any of the following areas : Talent Acquisition (i.e. Contingent Labour, HR Services) or Professional Services

Why join us?

At bp, we support our people to grow in a diverse and exciting environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity.

There are many aspects of our employees’ lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, excellent retirement benefits, among others!

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Reinvent your career as you help our business meet the challenges of the future.

Apply now!

Travel Requirement

Negligible travel should be expected with this role.

Relocation Assistance

This role is not eligible for relocation.

Remote Type

This position is a hybrid of office / remote working.

Skills :

Agility core practices, Agility tools, Analytical Thinking, Business Acumen, Business Requirements Analysis, Category spend profiling, Category Strategy, Cost modelling, Digital Fluency, Negotiating, Negotiation planning and preparation, Product and market intelligence, Supplier Performance Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Value creation and management

Legal Disclaimer :

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity / neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment / accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment / accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.