Category Manager - IT

Job Description

EQ is a leading international provider of shareholder, pension, remediation and credit technology. With over 5,700 employees, it supports 37 million people in 120 countries. EQs purpose is to care for every customer and simplify every transaction, deliveredwith less of an impact on the environment.EQs vision is to be the leading global share registrar, offering complementary services to its client base.Role Summary Reporting to the Group Procurement Director, this role will be responsible for structuring and managing Procurements business relationships across the Technology Category. This will include ensuring effective procurement support in the management of circa£62m of annual spend across multiple subcategories.The role will include the development of effective long, medium and short-term sourcing strategies, the management of tenders, negotiating agreements and awarding contracts. The role holder will be an expert in their category areas, understanding marketdevelopments and changes and how these could impact EQ, evolving strategies accordingly to ensure the best outcome for the business.Core Duties/Responsibilities The successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Analysing data or insights to determine industry and trends regarding the product, services and category areas
• Creating and developing a strategic long-term plan for the development of the category
• The development and execution of supplier strategies (short, medium and long-term), aligned with business and functional objectives and targets.
• Generating and issuing tenders
• Negotiating agreements and awarding contracts typically worth £500k p.a. or above (or any high-risk contracts).
• Developing and maintaining a pipeline (including contract renewals and new initiatives) to forecast commercial changes (savings and increases) for your category over a 0-24month period. This will be used to help set targets at an individual, Team and Businesslevel.
• Work with other colleagues in Category Management & Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Relationship & Risk Management and Procurement Operations to consider risk and adopt the correct working practices to minimise EQs exposure
• Ensure appropriate steps are taken in onboarding suppliers in line with EQs polices
• Work collaboratively and as one Team with Supplier Relationship & Risk Management as part of the Supplier cycle (i.e. comprehensive hand offs for key suppliers to the Team to ensure appropriate and effective ongoing contract and relationship management).
• Act as Procurement Business Partner to an allocated area of the business (to be confirmed), representing all of Procurements services. Understand the allocated business strategic direction, priorities and resulting procurement needs by being integratedinto their business. Ensure these needs are understood by the wider Procurement Team and are addressed by the appropriate individual.
• Establish and maintain strong business relationships across the EQ organisation, to ensure effective relationships to allow the role holder to effective.

Skills, Capabilities and Attributes The successful candidate will demonstrate the following experience, skills and behaviours:

• Proactiveness, self-drive, determination, and a positivity
• Team player, with the capability to lead and motivate peers across the organisation
• A track record of achieving targets and results
• Over 7 years experience in procurement (specifically technology category management and sourcing)
• Strong grounding in strategic sourcing processes and practices
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the capability to "sell" procurement and understand and win over sceptical stakeholders
• Record of active participation in cross-functional procurement transformation programs
• Extensive cross-sector industry experience, potentially including financial services background.
• Deep and wide understanding of procurement processes and systems, with a record of successful operational implementation of strategic sourcing practices in complex organisations
• Strong analytic skills, comfortable using fact-based analysis to support business decision making
• Capacity to engage with strategic issues and work alongside stakeholders to develop pragmatic plans of action which are aligned with their business needs
• Ideally degree educated & with professional procurement qualification (e.g. MCIPS)

Benefits As a permanent member of the EQ team, you will be rewarded with our competitive company benefits package:

• 28 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays. Option to buy more days through salary sacrifice.
• A cash payment annually towards flexible benefits like dental insurance, gym membership, extra holiday etc.
• 2 annual volunteer days.
• x4 Life Assurance.
• Matched pension scheme (e.g., you pay in 6%, EQ pays in 6%), up to 10% (20% in total).
• Discounts with hundreds of major retailers (EQ Wins).

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civilpartnerships.Please note any offer of employment is subject to satisfactory pre-employment screening checks. These consist of 5 year activity & GAP verification, DBS or Access NI, Credit, Sanctions & CIFAS checks

Keyskills :
procurement IT purchasing