Job Specifications
Job Title: Category Manager – HR Services & Others
Business Area/Function: Central Function – Central Procurement Team
Reports To: Category HUB Leader – Indirects & Professional services
Location: Hybrid worker – Office location London
General Overview for UKBU / purpose of the job:
Our Category Managers play a pivotal role in maximising the value of Procurement at company UK&I by executing a structured, collaborative approach to category projects that optimises the procurement of similar products and services. This specific role within the UK BU Central Procurement Team will focus on the Indirects & Professional Services HUB, encompassing a wide range of categories including:
• HR Services: Recruitment, Training, Travel, Meetings & Events, Employee Rewards and Benefits, etc.
• Fleet Management: Leasing, Rental, Fuel, Telematics, and associated vehicle services.
• General Goods & Services: Office supplies and services, Postal and distribution services, and other support functions.
• IT & Telecoms: Technology solutions and telecommunication services.
• Professional & Financial Services: Consultancy, Insurance, Banking Services, and related professional services.
By strategically managing these sub-categories, Category Managers drive efficiencies, enhance collaboration, and secure value-driven outcomes for the business.
This pivotal role within the Procurement Function is essential in delivering a unified, centralised support service across a diverse, autonomous, and nationally dispersed organisation. Reporting directly to the Category HUB Leader, the role is specifically accountable for:
• Strategic Management of the HR Services Category: This involves conducting comprehensive spend analyses, assessing current and future business needs, and analysing supplier markets and industry dynamics to optimise procurement strategies.
• Supplier Engagement and Relationship Management: Engage with the HR Services supply chain to identify those best positioned to fulfil company business requirements, overseeing these relationships to ensure continued alignment with quality, functionality, and cost-effectiveness standards.
• Value Chain Optimisation and Savings Generation: Proactively identify opportunities to drive value across the entire procurement spectrum, prioritising cost savings through a structured Category approach, with a focus on achieving transparent and measurable results.
• Innovation: Champion the integration of innovative solutions to enhance customer offerings within the HR Service categories.
• Stakeholder management
The successful applicant will provide category-specific expertise to the business, working closely with the HR support functions and operational teams, divisional key stakeholders and the broader Procurement team to ensure:
• Compliance with the company UK&I Procurement Strategy, Policies, and Processes for category-specific spending.
• Delivery of solutions that address diverse business needs within the HR Services category.
• Engagement with the parent company at Group level, affiliates and sister companies relevant stakeholders, domestically and internationally.
• Proactive input on reporting, including compliance, spend, and savings, with an eye toward continuous improvement.
• Fulfillment of local procurement needs through a structured category approach wherever feasible.
• Promotion of Category-led Framework Agreements and Contracts, ensuring all colleagues are informed of procurement protocols and pricing.
• Support for bid, mobilisation, and de-mobilisation activities as required.
• Alignment of Category strategies with company sustainability (CSR), DE&I and IT commitments.
• Continuous alignment of solutions with business needs and market developments.
The Procurement Function operates in close partnership with suppliers and both internal and external customers to foster innovation, delivering value-driven, transformational outcomes for our clients, profitability for our business, and inspiration for our people.
The post holder may need to undertake other tasks as and when needed to support the priorities of the Procurement Function. National travel is part of this role.
Key Accountabilities:
Category Management
• Strategic management of the HR Services category: analysis of spend & business needs, anticipation of future needs, supplier market analysis and market dynamics - Management of the related supply chain, contract extension/renewal, launch and drive end to end RFP/RFQ processes, etc.
• Leading the development of procurement strategies in close cooperation with business operations and procurement stakeholders activating all spend reduction levers;
• Defining and implementing an action plan to deploy strategies for BUs/entities to effectively reduce their external spend on the category and/or mitigate market increases;
• Steering economic performance (external spend reduction), supplier performance on category;
• Adapting strategy in respon
About the Company
Guidant Global provide global workforce management solutions (MSP, RPO & SOW) that help companies find the best permanent and contingent talent. Guidant champion #ABetterWay - a forward-thinking way of working; moving away from the embedded staffing industry mentality of 'recruitment by numbers' and taking a wider perspective, by shifting the focus to people - the vibrant force that drives thriving businesses.
We have unprecedented insight into the world at work. Guidant is active in 80+ countries, managing 200,000+ engage...
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