About the role

We are currently looking for a Category Manager to join our Award Winning Academic client based in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Salary £43,413 - £53,353

About the role:

Responsible for all aspects of developing and implementing a strategic category management plan and the underlying sourcing strategies, supplier, and contract management as well as policy and regulatory compliance.

Main Responsibilities:

• Setting the strategic direction of the Laboratory & Engineering Category, leading the development and implementation of the Category Plan based on market knowledge and data analysis

• Developing and implementing sourcing strategies for new projects and key renewals ensuring that these strategies deliver clear Value for Money benefits, both through the achievement of direct procurement savings, and through integration into and proactive influencing of finance and other activities

• Providing strategic commercial and procurement advice to key stakeholders as well as procurement process training to such stakeholders and other teams involved in or dependent on procurement activities

• Running tenders and leading supplier commercial and contract negotiations

• Implement effective supplier and contract management for key suppliers, including management of KPIs and performance dashboards

• Provide input into the development of costing and pricing for commercial bids and implementation of income/grant-funded projects, ensuring that this underpins commercial procurement decisions and funding rules where required

• Support the Head of Procurement to manage a high performing, customer/commercially focused Procurement team

Required Experience:

• Substantial experience in developing and leading a strategic category plan, including developing strategic sourcing strategies, and using market knowledge and data analysis to inform the underlying strategy and decisions

• Leading tenders and supplier commercial and contract negotiations focused on achieving value for money as well as direct savings

• Effective supplier and contract management

• Experience in working in a complex (ideally matrix) organisation and ability to achieve approvals for proposed strategies within this

• Knowledge of current procurement standards and regulations and implementing strategies to ensure compliance with these

• Category Management / Procurement experience in a technical category, ideally Laboratory or Engineering

Benefits Include:

35 days annual leave + bank holidays

Generous employee pension contributions