Category Strategy Support Lead - Marketing & Corporate

bp; Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life and health insurance

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

bp is seeking a Category Strategy Support Lead to drive development and execution of category strategies that optimize supplier performance and deliver business value. You will partner with Category Managers, stakeholders, and suppliers to provide market intelligence and strategic insights for bp's procurement objectives.

The role involves leading a category support team, managing performance, and ensuring alignment with contracts, pricing, and procurement policies, across ASPAC, EU, US regions.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 6-8 years’ experience in Indirect Procurement.
• Proven experience managing or supporting Marketing and/or Corporate Services categories, including one or more of: Marketing, Media buying, digital services, market research & consumer insights, brand & sponsorships; workplace and other labour-based corporate services.
• Experience supporting category management, strategic sourcing, supplier performance management, and contract management activities.
• Strong understanding of supply markets, spend analysis, commercial drivers, and procurement best practices.
• Ability to interpret market intelligence and business requirements to support sourcing and category strategies.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders in global and culturally diverse environments.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading teams or coordinating work within a matrix or project environment.
• Resilient, collaborative, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and implementation of category strategies through market analysis, demand planning, sourcing activities, and value delivery initiatives.
• Develop high-quality presentations, reports, and strategic communications that support stakeholder engagement and decision-making.
• Lead and coordinate a category support team, ensuring work is prioritised effectively and delivered in line with business requirements.
• Support supplier performance management activities, including supplier reviews, risk assessments, improvement plans, and issue resolution.
• Monitor category performance through KPIs, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives to support effective strategy execution.
• Maintain and enhance procurement tools, buying channels, and SAP Ariba content, ensuring compliance with contracts, pricing, and procurement policies.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to identify opportunities for efficiency, cost optimisation, risk reduction, and sustainable value creation.

Skills

Category strategy

Team leadership

Market intelligence

Stakeholder management

Analytical reasoning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Procurement/SC

Tools

SAP Ariba

Salesforce

Compass

Job description

Entity:

Technology

Job Family Group:

Procurement & Supply Chain Management Group

Job Description:

Working Hours: This role operates on a shift basis and requires flexibility.

Candidates must be flexible to work either:

• Shift A (ASPAC/EU): 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM MYT, or
• Shift B (ASPAC/US): 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM MYT.

About the Role

The Category Strategy Support Lead plays a key role in supporting the development and execution of category strategies that drive business value, mitigate risk, and optimise supplier performance. Working closely with Category Managers, business stakeholders, and suppliers, you will provide market intelligence, supplier management support, strategic insights, and category enablement to support bp's procurement and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development and implementation of category strategies through market analysis, demand planning, sourcing activities, and value delivery initiatives.
• Develop high-quality presentations, reports, and strategic communications that support stakeholder engagement and decision-making.
• Lead and coordinate a category support team, ensuring work is prioritised effectively and delivered in line with business requirements.
• Support supplier performance management activities, including supplier reviews, risk assessments, improvement plans, and issue resolution.
• Monitor category performance through KPIs, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives to support effective strategy execution.
• Maintain and enhance procurement tools, buying channels, and SAP Ariba content, ensuring compliance with contracts, pricing, and procurement policies.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to identify opportunities for efficiency, cost optimisation, risk reduction, and sustainable value creation.

Essential Requirements

• Degree in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 6-8 years’ experience in Indirect Procurement.
• Proven experience managing or supporting Marketing and/or Corporate Services categories, including one or more of:
  • Marketing, including media buying, creative & digital services, market research & consumer insights and brand & sponsorships
  • Experience with workplace and other labour-based corporate services.
• Experience supporting category management, strategic sourcing, supplier performance management, and contract management activities.
• Strong understanding of supply markets, spend analysis, commercial drivers, and procurement best practices.
• Ability to interpret market intelligence and business requirements to support sourcing and category strategies.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders in global and culturally diverse environments.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading teams or coordinating work within a matrix or project environment.
• Resilient, collaborative, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable

• CIPS qualification or working towards membership.
• Experience with SAP Ariba, Salesforce, Compass, or similar procurement technologies.
• Experience working with global marketing agencies, media providers, or other global corporate service suppliers.
• Strong digital fluency and an interest in leveraging technology to improve procurement outcomes.
• Experience working across international teams and managing stakeholder relationships remotely.

At bp, we provide the following environment and benefits to you:

• A company culture where we respect our diverse and unified teams, where we are proud of our achievements and where fun and the demeanor of giving back to our environment are highly valued
• Possibility to join our social communities and networks
• Learning opportunities and other development opportunities to craft your career path
• Life and health insurance, medical care package
• And many other benefits.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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

Travel Requirement

No travel is 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 Requirements Analysis, Category spend profiling, Category Strategy, Digital Fluency, Negotiating, Negotiation planning and preparation, Product and market intelligence, Supplier Relationship Management

.

Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics like race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, 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.