IDS Global Category Manager
Aberdeen, GB
Job Purpose
The global category manager is responsible for developing and managing sourcing strategies for their assigned category portfolio. Through impactful cost management, innovative business solutions, and improved process efficiency, this role will enable the business to achieve outstanding operational and financial results. This role will be responsible for collaborating both regionally and globally to develop and implement category strategies requiring strong project management skills and the ability to influence others to effectively drive change in the company. Also responsible for contract negotiations, supplier relationship management, stakeholder engagement, management of category procurement activities, and building global leverage with strategic suppliers. In this role, the global category manager will be responsible for IDS categories. A key objective for this role is to build and operate a global network with the stakeholders in IDS who will provide inputs to the development of the strategies and the regional category leads for collaboration across the regions. Other key success factors are building a deep understanding of the internal customer needs with the aim to support on the IDS Budget controlling and effectively manage Contracts in place.
Job Description
- Strategy Development: develops and implements sourcing strategies for specific categories of IDS. This includes identifying cost-saving opportunities, improving efficiency, and managing risks as well as designing and executing large scale tenders to support IDS Technology Road Map and to leverage spend with strategic suppliers
- Supplier Relationship Management: owns the supplier relationship and will be responsible for the governance and action plans required to effectively manage those relationships, negotiate contracts, and ensure suppliers meet their contractual obligations. The category manager will also identify and assess potential new suppliers.
- Market Analysis: conducts market research to understand trends, identify potential new suppliers, and assess risks and opportunities in the supply market.
- Cost Management: works to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. This can involve to negotiate better prices, to understand taxation implications and how it impacts the overall total cost of ownership to find alternatives to be more cost effective, to find more efficient/low risk suppliers.
- Stakeholder management: partners with stakeholders to integrate sourcing and procurement earlier into the source to pay process and align category strategies with business needs to ensure category strategy and IDS business alignment.
- Training and development: acts as a mentor, coach and leader within the team
- A member of the “help chain”: handles and resolves conflicts which may arise with stakeholders and suppliers to maintain the strategy, stakeholder and supplier relationships while preventing business disruptions.
- Manage the a global network in Sourcing & Procurement.
- Champions safety, quality, delivery and cost with suppliers to ensure requirements are met consistently.
You are meant for this job if:
- Strong experience in sourcing and procurement.
- Analytical skills. Ability to analyze data and market trends to make informed decisions about suppliers and products/services.
- Knowledge of procurement processes and best practices.
- Self-directed, able to prioritize/manage a high level of issues and tasks, and work in a team-oriented environment.
- Very strong interpersonal skills. The ability to quickly build credibility with stakeholders, influence change, and to “open doors” are essential for success.
- Supplier contracting experience. Strong knowledge of key sections, common red line areas and reasonable fallback positions.
- Basic understanding of the financial cost structure associated with a supply chain.
- Lean mindset. Ability to review and transform processes using lean problem solving methodology to eliminate waste and improve the way we work.
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
- High level of attention to detail.
- Microsoft Suite proficiency: Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, SharePoint, To Do, One Drive
What we offer
- 35 days annual leave
- Competitive company pension
- Flexible & Hybrid working
- Private Healthcare
- Life Assurance & Income Protection
- Electric vehicle scheme, perks@work, dental insurance and many more flexible benefits