Senior Category Manger - Marketing and Distribution

Allianz; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in Guildford is seeking a Senior Category Manager to drive corporate procurement strategy through business partnering and category planning. This hybrid role involves leading a team and managing supplier relationships while ensuring compliance and risk management. The ideal candidate will have strong procurement principles knowledge and excellent stakeholder management skills with a salary around £80,000.

Benefits

Flexible buy/sell holiday options

Hybrid working

Annual performance related bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Development days

Discounts on insurance products

Retail discounts

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices.
• Leadership and supply management experience.
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of the category strategy for areas under management.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers.
• Lead key procurement activities to achieve outcomes with supply chain partners.

Skills

In-depth knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles

Leadership and supply management experience

Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems

Solid operational management

Negotiation and analytical skills

Excellent stakeholder management skills

Time management skills

Proven ability to drive innovation

Job description

Role Description

We have an excellent opportunity to join the Procurement team as a Senior Category Manager. The purpose of this role is to consistently drive corporate strategy by means of effective and efficient procurement practices through strong and credible business partnering and the creation and execution of category plans which maximise value, innovation, risk management and ensure exceptional customer outcomes through our supply chain.

The remit of this role will include owning the category strategies for Marketing, Document management, Aggregators, Data, Retained IT and Digital acceleration. As part of the Procurement leadership team, this role will lead a team of Sourcing Managers and Specialists across the category (ies) under management and be responsible for efficiently and effectively executing the category strategy through tendering and contract review processes.

This is a Hybrid role - multi site working is required, specific location for this role can be discussed at interview.

Salary Information

Pay is based on relevant experience, skills for the role, and location. Salary is only one part of our total reward package.

Circa - £80,000

About You

• Lead the design of the category (ies) strategy for areas under management. Collaborate with internal stakeholders through effective business partnering to ensure alignment with corporate objectives and value creation.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers to foster innovation, maximise value, and enhance performance.
• Lead key procurement activities and collaborate with the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) team to achieve outcomes related to relationship building, performance enhancement, risk management, and innovation with supply chain partners.
• Maximise working relationships and opportunities to create innovation and value add through working with relevant Group category counterparts
• Responsible for ensuring key measures of success, savings targets and other KPIs are tracked, met and improved upon year on year
• Ensure compliance with Allianz Group Sourcing Policy (AGSP) and related processes. Promote adherence to best practice procurement standards within the team and categories under management.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks within the supply chain to ensure continuity and compliance with Allianz Group standards. Implement strategies to proactively address potential disruptions.
• Coordinates Procurement due diligence and governance activity of core Procurement team and Procurement Development & Analytics team as necessary to ensure adherence, visibility and reporting.
• Take a leading role in thought leadership in category (ies) under management through keeping up and improving upon Best Practice whilst being aware of evolving market conditions so as to inform Category Plans and Contract terms.
• Champion sustainability and ethical sourcing practices within procurement activities to align with Allianz's Global Sustainability strategy.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Sourcing Managers and Specialists. Foster a high-performing culture by providing guidance, support, and opportunities for professional growth.

Essential Skills

• In-depth knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices

• Leadership and supply management experience
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems
• Solid operational management and general business acumen
• Accomplished negotiation, communication, and analytical skills, including data analysis and interpretation
• Excellent stakeholder management skills: clear, confident communication style, ability to influence at all organizational levels and build strong stakeholder/supplier relationships up to Exco level
• Excellent time management skills, with a flexible and proactive mindset suited for a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment
• Proven ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement in procurement processes and strategies

What We Will Offer You

Recognised and rewarded for a job well done, we have a range of flexible benefits for you to choose from- so you can pick a package that's perfect for you. We also offer flexible working options, global career opportunities across the wider Allianz Group, and fantastic career development and training. That's on top of enjoying all the benefits you'd expect from the world's number one insurance brand, including:

• Flexible buy/sell holiday options
• Hybrid working
• Annual performance related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme
• Development days
• A discount up to 50% on a range of insurance products including car, home and pet
• Retail discounts
• Volunteering days

Our Ways of Working

Do you need flexibility with the hours you work? Let us know as part of your application and if it's right for our customers, our business and for you, then we'll do everything we can to make it happen. Here at Allianz, we are signatories of the ABIs flexible working charter. We believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, which balance the needs of our customers, with your personal circumstances and our business requirements. Our aim with this is to help innovation, creativity, and you to thrive - Your work life balance is important to us.

Integrity, Fairness, Inclusion & Trust

At Allianz, we believe in fostering an inclusive workforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our commitment to equal opportunities, gender equity, and balanced gender representation, is demonstrated by our numerous accreditations: EDGE certified for gender inclusion, Women in Finance Charter members, Disability Confident employer, Stonewall Diversity Champion, Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter signatories, and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard employer.

Accessible Application for All

As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we support candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions through the Offer an Interview Scheme, for those meeting the essential skills for the role.

Contact our Resourcing team to opt into this scheme or for assistance with your application, including larger text, hard copies, or spoken applications. [e-mail]

For any inquiries or to submit your application, please contact: Conor McCourt

Closing date 27th August 2025

We reserve the right to close the advert early if we reach enough applications.

Join us - Let's Care for Tomorrow.

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