Location
Hybrid - Clearwater Court, Reading RG1 8DB

Hours
Monday to Friday, 36 hours per week

Salary
Up to £78,000 per annum depending on experience

About the Role
Reporting to the Business Partner, the Senior Category Manager is a key member of the Procurement and Supplier Management team, ensuring a strategic and innovative Category Management approach is embedded across Commercial and Thames Water. This role requires strong engagement and influencing skills, with regular interaction at all levels of the organisation up to the CEO. The Senior Category Manager ensures alignment of strategy with evolving business risks and supply market changes. You will share relevant business area targets and have a deep understanding of the challenges and initiatives within your supported area.

Key responsibilities include:
Category Development: Lead the newly developed Category process for relevant spend categories. Engage proactively with internal stakeholders to shape category approach, business needs, spend, and suppliers. Provide leadership and insight on supply market dynamics, regulatory and internal frameworks, suppliers, and technical innovations. Build strategic and innovative category plans and consult with external markets and key stakeholders.
Sourcing: Identify and prioritise a sourcing pipeline as part of category development. Lead major category projects and sourcing events, adhering to required processes and approvals. Source and procure goods and services across one or more expenditure categories, ensuring optimum value for money within defined service and quality criteria. Lead and evaluate competitive tenders and proposals.
Supplier Management: Act as a key interface with suppliers on specific contracts. Lead reviews of supplier opportunities, innovations, and improvements. Develop effective relationships with key functional stakeholders.
Continuous Improvement: Deliver lasting change and improvement in how Commercial operates across the organisation.
Risk Management: Support delivery of the Thames Enterprise Risk Model.
Process & Compliance: Operate information systems to maintain accurate and secure records to the required standard.

Experience
- Experience operating in complex supply chain environments.
- Proven track record as a Category Manager in complex settings.
- Experience working with senior-level suppliers.
- Demonstrated success in continuous improvement and delivering against challenging targets.
- Strong understanding of effective Category Management.
- Skilled in using data sources and market insight to build category plans.
- Experience leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value.
- Comfortable working within legal frameworks.

About you
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, both verbal and written, including report writing and presentations.
- Ability to enhance stakeholder relationships and drive change.
- Innovative thinker with strong category planning capabilities.
- Motivated to deliver strategic outcomes and improvements.

Qualifications
No specific qualifications are stated; however, relevant experience and skills in Category Management and procurement are essential.