Senior Category Manager in Addlestone

CHEP helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organization on earth via our 347 million pallets, crates and containers. We employ approximately 13,000 people and operate in 60 countries. Through our pioneering and sustainable share-and-reuse business model, the world’s biggest brands trust us to help them transport their goods more efficiently, safely and with less environmental impact.

You’ll join an international organization big enough to take you anywhere, and small enough to get you there sooner. You’ll help change how goods get to market and contribute to global sustainability. You’ll be empowered to bring your authentic self to work and be surrounded by diverse and driven professionals. You can maximize your work-life balance and flexibility through our Hybrid Work Model.

Key Responsibilities May Include:

• Develop and execute sustainable category sourcing strategies for the region/function that align with global and local procurement priorities.
• Act as a champion for strategic sourcing, ensuring that procurement initiatives deliver long-term value and meet organizational needs.
• Lead category management for key spend areas, applying data-driven insights, market intelligence, and advanced procurement techniques to maximize value and minimize risk.
• Ensure category strategies consider external market factors and emerging trends that could impact business objectives.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with senior business stakeholders, ensuring procurement is involved early in the sourcing process.
• Leverage procurement’s expertise to align sourcing initiatives with business needs, offering strategic advice that enhances procurement’s role within the organization.
• Lead complex negotiations with suppliers to secure favorable terms and manage pricing strategies.
• Ensure the implementation of new pricing agreements, manage supplier contracts, and conduct ongoing reviews to ensure compliance with contractual terms.
• Oversee supplier performance management across key categories, ensuring suppliers consistently meet performance, quality, and cost requirements.
• Ensure all procurement activities adhere to regulatory requirements, internal policies, and ethical standards.
• Develop strategies to minimize supply chain risk, including mitigating supplier risk, financial exposure, and potential disruptions.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for the procurement function, ensuring alignment with annual targets.
• Provide regular updates on procurement performance, cost savings, supplier performance, and compliance metrics to senior leadership.

Experience Required:

• 8–12 years in Procurement or Strategic Sourcing, with at least 5+ years focused on Global IT categories.
• Proven experience in Global IT sourcing, contracts and category management (Infrastructure, Networks, Hardware, supply chain, Cloud, Enterprise Platforms, End-User Tech).
• Complex contract negotiations for multi-million-dollar IT deals.
• Risk management (cybersecurity, compliance, financial stability).
• Project procurement supporting large-scale IT programs.
• Strong track record in delivering cost savings and TCO reduction.
• Managing stakeholder engagement across IT, Finance, and Legal.
• Driving category strategy and centralization globally.

Skills to succeed in the role:

• Adaptability
• Category Strategy
• Contract Management
• Cost Management
• Empathy
• Experimentation
• Market Analysis
• Procurement Strategies
• Procurement Systems
• Responsible Sourcing
• Risk Management
• Strategic Sourcing
• Supplier Management
• Supplier Performance Management (PM)
• Taking Ownership
• Teamwork
• Understand Customers

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential.

Fraud Advisory: Individuals fraudulently misrepresenting themselves as Brambles or CHEP representatives have scheduled interviews and offered fraudulent employment opportunities with the intent to commit identity theft or solicit money. Brambles and CHEP never conduct interviews via online chat or request money as a term of employment.