Senior Category Manager (IT)

Role overview This is a summary of the role and their objectives, The Senior Category Manager leads sourcing and commercial strategy across one or more critical spend areas. With deep expertise and ownership of outcomes in at least one key category and/or sub-category, the role sets and delivers long-term strategies by leading complex and high-value sourcing and negotiations to drive cost optimisation, manage risk and deliver sustainable value.

Acting as a subject matter expert for one or more defined IT categories (e.g. software, cloud or IT services), this role shapes strategy and commercial approach. It guides technology sourcing and supplier decisions within their area, applying expertise in supply base models, licensing and commercial structures.

They act as a trusted commercial advisor to senior stakeholders, shaping demand, influencing spend decisions and ensuring supplier approaches and commercial models support business priorities and regulatory requirements, Long-term category and/or sub-category strategies are in place and delivered in line with business priorities and market conditions Cost optimisation and value targets are achieved across critical spend areas High-value sourcing and negotiations result in strong commercial terms and managed risk Supplier relationships deliver improved performance, resilience and compliance over time Commercial and supply risks, including regulatory requirements, are identified early and effectively managed Senior stakeholders are influenced and guided on category strategy and commercial decisions Third-party spend is directed in line with agreed commercial and business priorities Procurement is recognised as a trusted partner in shaping commercial decisions and outcomes Essential skills and experience What strengths, skills and experience are needed to do this role? Knowledge & experience Experience managing category or sourcing activity across defined spend areas, Successful delivery of annual savings target Successful delivery of annual non-savings targets Spend portfolio meets compliance to Procurement policy targets Positive stakeholder feedback Key customers, people & partners Who will they interact/engage with (internal & external) Commercial Legal Finance Risk Budget and spend owners across the organization Third party suppliers

Track record of delivering sourcing outcomes, including cost, value and risk Experience leading complex sourcing activity and supplier negotiations Understanding of category strategy development and how it translates into sourcing plans Experience working with senior stakeholders to shape requirements and decisions Experience managing supplier relationships and performance over time Experience in an organisation where supplier selection is strongly driven by client demand Leads sourcing and category activity within one or more defined IT areas. Strong track record of managing complex technology supplier environments, including major enterprise vendors (e.g. Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft, AWS, ServiceNow etc.) Significant knowledge of the Software, IT Services and Cloud supply market and commercial structuring Attributes/qualities (soft skills) Commercially minded, able to balance cost, risk and value in decision-making Confident working with and influencing stakeholders Takes ownership of outcomes and follows through to delivery Able to challenge constructively and guide decisions Organised and able to manage multiple initiatives at once Proactive in identifying opportunities and addressing risks Ability to communicate with and influence stakeholders across separate internal businesses to achieve overall optimal outcomes Qualification(s) or technical skills Experience in procurement, category management or a related commercial role Strong commercial awareness, including negotiations and contract terms Good understanding of procurement governance, policy and risk management Confident using procurement systems, data and reporting to support decisions Understanding of supplier management and performance measures Strong understanding of IT commercial models (e.g. SaaS, licensing, services) and associated risks, including data protection and information security Ability to lead complex IT sourcing and negotiations within defined category scope Desirable skills and experience It would be great if they had… MCIPS (or working towards) - preferred Experience managing Hardware and Telecoms spend Key performance indicators How will they be measured?