Senior Category Manager

The Procurement department manages ING's external spend and suppliers and works closely with ING Global and WB Procurement as well as with the various business partners who benefit from our services. The main objective of the Procurement department is to maximize the business benefits ING gets from its vendors. We buy the full range of products and services from IT, Market Data, banking systems, consulting, recruitment, facilities services, energy. We also manage the Know Your Supplier process, ensuring that suppliers are fully qualified.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Category management – Technology focus
• Sourcing/Procurement: Manage a category or categories to ensure value optimisation and timely delivery of procurement projects through both strategic and tactical activities, including the following:
• Stakeholder relationship building to ensure internal needs are identified and met
• External Market knowledge gathering including building key supplier relationships
• Current state analysis to identifying optimisation opportunities
• Contract negotiation with suppliers
• Complete all required contract renewals, terminations, amendments and moves as applicable
• Development and implementation of annual category plans reflecting elements of sourcing, budget and market information to determine the strategic direction of the category
• Maintain annual calendar to include contract renewals, reporting activities, budgeting, etc.
• Following the end-to-end Procurement lifecycle process for the Market Data subcategory, from business requirements to contract execution & performance management
• You will lead the procurement process, providing direction and oversight to leverage the category spend through robust contract negotiations, supplier selection and management of the commercial aspects of the 3rd party supplier relationships
• Ensure that the above delivers end-to-end commercial, contractual and relationship lifecycle value, in the eyes of key stakeholders and from the bottom line.
• Generalist Procurement: Managing the end-to-end Procurement lifecycle for other spend areas from business requirements to contract execution & performance management across other spend areas such as Transformation, HR, Professional Services, IT, Banking Systems, Premises, Research and Economics, Facilities Management etc.
• Regulatory: Understanding of the regulatory environment within Financial Services and how it affects Procurement specifically. Notably EBA and ECB laws and guidelines such as DORA, Sourcing Guidelines, AI Act etc.
• Ability to fulfil a number two role in the department and step in as the proxy Head of Procurement when required
• Work with the Global Technology Procurement Team via the WB Technology Procurement lead, to ensure relevant global strategies and projects are implemented within UK (and supported areas such as the Middle East)
• Be part of the Global Technology Procurement Community, representing UK (and possibly WB when applicable) and vice versa to the UK (and WB countries)
• Build and maintain strong relationships with the support functions of ING such as Finance, Legal, Compliance, Risk, IT Security etc.
• Building and maintaining professional relationships with the supplier network of ING.
• Mentoring of other members of the Procurement Team to support the work above
• Directly assist the Head of the Procurement in design and implementation of procurement strategies and tactics which significantly improve the commercial performance of ING at local UK level whilst maintaining compliance to ING global category strategies, risk management, compliance and procurement policies and standards and mitigating all related risks.
• To significantly contribute to the team’s KPIs (examples include P&L Savings, Benchmark Savings, managed spend coverage, specific regulatory delivery, use of market intelligence, use of internal tools/systems)

How to succeed

Essential: Experience of working in a Procurement department within a regulated business, ideally banking, insurance, financial services, PE, hedge funds etc. Although the role will have focus on technology procurement, an ability to manage projects in other categories is also required.

Desirable: European headquartered banking experience. Full knowledge of the regulatory aspects of Banking Procurement such as EBA Sourcing Guidelines, DORA, AI Act, etc.

Essential: Flexibility, adaptability, proven influencing skills, ability to quickly and easily build relationships at all levels, working at pace when required, understands procurement processes and systems.

Desirable: Team leadership experience or potential.

Qualification/Education

Essential: Degree level educated, ideally in a business or research-based subject.

Desirable: Procurement qualifications are not essential, but a true understanding of strategic and tactical procurement, contract development and negotiation and category management and related principles is highly desirable.