Category Manager - Global IT

As IT Procurement Category Manager, you will: 

• Operate across a global remit, managing key IT procurement subcategories with spends in the tens of £millions across infrastructure, hardware and software and global IT projects 

• Build relationships with senior stakeholders from different business functions across different regions, ensuring compliance with procurement processes and building out procurement strategies aligned with the goals of the wider business 

• The Category Manager will have accountable for end-to-end Global Category Management for one or more categories of Convatec Indirect Procurement spend.  

• You will develop long term strategic plans for the category that align to current and future customer/business needs. This will include defining category strategy through to key stakeholder and supplier interaction that delivers optimal levels of cost management, resilience and continuous improvement. 

• Develop supplier relationships using SRM principles.  

• Responsible for negotiating global strategic contracts. 

IT Procurement Category Manager, required background: 

• Exposure to IT Procurement either as a standalone category or as an indirect procurement manager – ideally having had exposure to managing infrastructure, hardware, software and consulting procurement. 

• Strong negotiation skills are essential. Experience of negotiating with suppliers on all commercial and contractual matters and applying judgement as to what constitutes an acceptable level of contractual risk and supply resilience.  

• Excellent soft skills and communication ability – this role will involve building relationships based on credibility and delivery so your ability to interact effectively with senior stakeholders will be key 

• 5+ years working within a strategic procurement/ sourcing environment  

• MCIPS is preferential but not essential 

• Experience of Category Management principles with a demonstrated ability to define a strategy and translate it into actionable plans and manage these plans through to implementation. 

• Experience working with e-procurement tools to find, evaluate & select the best vendors to support category plans.  

• An autonomous, self-starter with a good understanding of how to map out and build a relevant stakeholder network.  

• Able to demonstrate the values and behaviors required to support the Convatec ‘Forever Caring’ Promise. 

• Excellent inter-personal & communication skills with ability to communicate through a variety of formats to an audience of internal stakeholders of differing seniority and with external partners.  

• Results and solution oriented, with a focus on meeting required targets and deadlines.   

• Possess significant ability for analytical problem-solving and analysis/interpretation of complex problems, incorporating data gathered from a variety of sources/software tools.   

• Good understanding of financial principles, resource planning and allocation, to support delivery of a Category Plan to deliver cost management, resilience and continuous improvement.   

• Able to promote and foster new ideas and strategies among internal and external stakeholders, challenging the status quo with sustainable solution(s).  

• Able to influence key stakeholders and professionally challenge requirements to secure best value for the business.   

• Able to work with a range of technically and culturally diverse people in a matrix environment, influencing them to achieve goals in a timely manner to help drive business results.    

• Need to demonstrate and apply analytical as well as strategic thinking skills, support teamwork, display exceptional judgment, collaboration, and decision-making skills 

• You will develop fully integrated and customer/business-aligned Category Strategy(s) for assigned spend area(s) engaging with key stakeholder groups in doing this. This could be on a regional or global basis dependent on the category profile. 

• You will manage critical relationships (stakeholder and supplier) to ensure that Category Strategies are highly aligned to current and future business needs and that the supply base can support these strategies. 

• Depending on complexity of categories being managed, you might be required to line manage Strategic Buyer(s) to ensure timely implementation of category plans.