Indirect Category Buyer - Logistics in Coventry

Our OEM Client based in Gaydon and Coventry is searching for an Indirect Category Buyer – Logistics to join their team, Inside IR35. This is a maternity cover contract position with a proposed end date of 12th July 2027. Umbrella Pay Rate: £40.44 per hour.

The Opportunity

Overall responsibility and leadership for all contract management and Supplier Relationship management activities and local and regional sourcing within their sphere of responsibility, including:

• Lead continuous improvements in purchasing activities by supporting Centre of Excellence (COE) initiatives/activities for their respective categories.
• Responsible for internal stakeholder alignment on strategy and sourcing, including key focus on regional inputs and regional deployment for their categories.
• Responsible for global category strategy development and deployment to deliver company cost and quality targets through sourcing within the Global markets for their categories.
• Responsible for sourcing in line with Strategy Category Plan (SCP) through the Global Sourcing Process (GSP) for their categories.
• Responsible for contract implementation.
• Responsible for the Contract and Supplier Relationship Management activities for the contracts created at a global and regional level.
• Responsible for supplier relationships through the supplier performance management process for their categories.

Key Performance Indicators

• Savings in line with the savings target (Budgetary and Value Add) for their categories.
• SCP Approvals in line with targets for their categories.
• Supplier rationalisation in line with targets for their categories.
• Sourcing timing/GSP/Sourcing Board Review adherence and First Time Through for their categories.
• Contract Management KPI’s (Change management, ongoing cost performance, problem resolution timing etc.) for their categories.
• Supplier Relationship KPI’s (completion of Supplier Relationship Performance Surveys, supplier business reviews).

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Category Strategy

• Responsible for SCP creation and delivery, ensuring completion in line with annual SCP targets for their subcategories.
• Responsible for ensuring the SCP is kept up to date in line with the annual review target for their subcategories.
• Accountable for ensuring analytics on suppliers, market and business requirements is available for their subcategories (Analytics will be provided by the Analyst function).
• Accountable for application of SCP to specific sourcing requirements including supplier selection and go to market approach in line with policy for their subcategories.

Sourcing

• Responsible for delivering sourcing in line with policy and to agreed targets through GSP and deploying Total Cost of Ownership approach.
• Accountable for leading complex supplier negotiations including legal and financial approval pre-Contract/Purchase Order, engaging specialist teams and Global Purchasing Finance as required for their subcategory.
• Responsible for Global Strategy Approach Document submission and GSP process adherence for their subcategory.
• Lead Stakeholder alignment in relation to strategy creation and implementation for their subcategory.
• Ensure alignment with Regional Buying Colleagues to ensure strategic/tactical sourcing is in line with strategy for their subcategory.
• Responsible for their subcategory delivery against savings targets.
• Identify Make vs Buy and business justification when required and support analysis for their subcategory.
• Responsible for supply chain risk management for their subcategory.
• Responsible for ensuring regional buying teams are adhering to the subcategory strategy within the region.
• Engage with specialist functions where required, i.e. Finance, Risk, Office of General Council (OGC).
• Maintain lead for supplier interaction.

Contract Management

• Responsible for working with Stakeholders and Finance to operate the contract management governance based on the agreed cadence and ensure all required inputs are available.
• Capture and manage actions to resolution.
• Responsible for managing dispute resolution process.
• Responsible for the change management of the contracts and Purchase Orders.
• Lead continuous improvement/benchmarking and implementation of the improvements.
• Responsible for resolution of identified problems.
• Responsible for providing insight regarding existing contract to inform future category strategies.
• Responsible for on-boarding Suppliers into the BAU environment as required.
• Support Financial reconciliation activities, as required.
• Lead Stakeholder alignment to confirm ongoing service satisfaction.
• Responsible for conducting contract audit/reviews in line with requirements.
• Responsible for adhering to the JLR Contract Management guide.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Responsible for conducting the Supplier Relationship Performance Survey (SRPS).
• Responsible for maintaining the SRPS actions plans and working with suppliers and internal stakeholders to complete the actions.
• Responsible for ensuring the Supplier Relationship Management and Supplier Performance Management processes are carried out effectively for their category.
• Responsible for organising and conducting the Supplier business reviews, capturing the minutes and actions and working with suppliers and internal stakeholders to complete these actions.
• Responsible for input to the Supplier Excellence Awards.

Key Interactions

• Stakeholders/Budget holders/Requisitioner departments.
• Suppliers within category - normally account/operations director.
• Finance controller for project/programme or requisitioner functional area.
• External Industry forums.
• OGC.
• Supplier Risk Team.
• Regional Buying Teams.
• GPF (Global Purchasing Finance).

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience Required

• An individual who is results driven, demonstrates tenacity, drive and perseverance, with the ability to deliver in a complex, highly demanding environment.
• Degree qualified or equivalent experience preferred.
• Commercial Awareness and Negotiation skills.
• Understand category management principles.
• Strategic thinking.
• Global business understanding and experience.
• Operational Contract Management experience.
• Relationship management - internal and external.
• Flexibility and agility to be able to adjust to changing business needs.
• Ability to travel internationally.

Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience Requested

• Experience of stakeholder operational deployment/requirements of category (e.g. has worked in the stakeholder area of the specific category).
• Category knowledge and demonstrated experience.
• Previous supplier experience within category.
• Relevant professional qualification.

Essential Personal Profile Required

• An individual who works independently, is results driven, demonstrating tenacity, drive and perseverance with the ability to deliver operational plans in a complex, highly demanding environment.
• An individual with the capability to combine a short term, pragmatic focus with medium term planning.
• A resilient and enthusiastic individual who responds constructively to new ideas and inputs.
• An individual with the ability to challenge existing thinking in a positive way whilst building credibility and trust through experience and personal style.
• A good communicator with the ability to communicate complex ideas.
• An effective team player, actively develops and supports team members.

Desirable Personal Profile Requested

• An individual who enables speed in decision making through establishing alignment, clarity, appropriate resources and sense of urgency whilst bringing others along.

Additional Information

Travelling required between multiple company sites across the Midlands. 2-3 days onsite, 2-3 days working from home. Candidate must have a driver’s license or have the ability to travel to these locations.