Strategic Category Manager — Complex Spend & Innovation

Pertemps; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car Allowance

Private Medical Health Care

Generous Pension

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking a Senior Category Manager to lead category development and sourcing across multiple spend areas. You will engage with stakeholders at all levels, shape category strategy, and drive supplier innovations to deliver value and risk mitigation.

The role is hybrid with Reading base and a focus on complex negotiations up to £100m. You will influence across the organisation, manage supplier relationships, and contribute to continuous improvement within Commercial and Procurement.

Qualifications

• Experience in complex supply chain environments.
• Experience in a Category Manager role in a complex environment.
• Experience working with key suppliers at senior levels.
• Track record in continuous improvement and delivering stretching targets.
• Good understanding of data sources for category planning and market insight.

Responsibilities

• Lead the newly developed Category process for spend categories.
• Engage internal stakeholders to shape category approach and needs.
• Provide leadership on supply market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, suppliers and innovations.
• Build strategic category plans and consult with external markets and stakeholders.
• Identify and prioritise sourcing pipelines and lead major category projects.
• Lead supplier negotiations and evaluations to ensure value for money.
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders and interface with suppliers.

Skills

Category management

Stakeholder engagement

Supplier negotiations

Data-informed decision making

Change management

Job description

Thames Water is seeking a Senior Category Manager to lead category development and sourcing across multiple spend areas. You will engage with stakeholders at all levels, shape category strategy, and drive supplier innovations to deliver value and risk mitigation.

The role is hybrid with Reading base and a focus on complex negotiations up to £100m. You will influence across the organisation, manage supplier relationships, and contribute to continuous improvement within Commercial and Procurement.