Category Manager 12 Month FTC

We are looking for a dynamic individual, with proven experience of working in a fast‑paced environment, ideally from within the luxury Cosmetic or Personal Care industry, with a large global focus on e‑commerce.

The Category Manager will be responsible for sourcing and cost reduction within the Indirect categories, with a specific focus on Store Design, permanent fixtures.

This global role will liaise with regional teams across the UK, EMEA, US and APAC, to deliver the Store Design category strategy plans, while supporting sourcing for global contracts.

Travel will be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the Store Design sourcing strategy and category plan in agreement with the Global Procurement Director.
• Map all associated spend and conduct deep‑dive analysis of spend across all geographic regions.
• Lead the development of a local sourcing plan and project roadmap.
• Project‑manage regular supplier cost‑initiative meetings with internal and external stakeholders and manage regional supplier relationships.
• Identify risks and consolidation opportunities in the supply base, specifying “needs” versus “wants”.
• Analyze the current supply base with operational stakeholders; present alternative solutions to optimize business growth and efficiency, phase out poor‑performing suppliers and onboard new ones that better support aggressive growth plans.
• Own, in agreement with the Head of Indirect Procurement, 12‑month cost‑initiative reduction targets; forecast, monitor and report on all cost initiatives monthly, including tracking rebates.
• Develop and monitor a full 12‑month supplier sourcing and tendering pipeline.
• Negotiate terms and conditions for supplier contracts, liaise with the legal team to ensure timely execution, and include legacy suppliers not currently under terms.
• Implement regional procurement/sourcing processes to minimize “maverick” spend.
• Set up and manage a credit‑checking programme as part of risk‑management policy.
• Support the global Procurement Excellence team in rolling out key procurement/sourcing policies.
• Key Qualifications and Skills
• Thorough knowledge of the cosmetics market, supplier capabilities within Store Design and competitor activity at a regional level.
• Previous procurement experience within the Cosmetic or Personal Care business.
• Experience supporting the Store Design Indirect category (absolute must) and ideally one other category such as Marketing, PR & Events, Tech, Influencer Agencies, Creative Production or Travel.
• Developed and implemented Indirect category strategy reviews.
• Experience setting quarterly KPIs and performing supplier monitoring as part of the QBR process.
• Proficient in creating strong tender briefs for large‑value complex projects.
• Strong data‑analysis capability to support category strategy development.
• Sound legal contract knowledge and experience.
• Comfortable working with ambiguous or incomplete information to secure significant cost‑benefit results.
• Proven use of source‑to‑contract e‑sourcing tools.
• Excellent negotiation skills and a track record of consistent cost savings.
• Capable of managing multiple high‑value, ROI‑focused projects with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to quickly absorb operational data and develop actionable sourcing plans.
• Project‑management experience with sourcing tenders/RFP processes and value‑engineering (VAVE) projects.
• Additional Information
• Global role with regional collaboration across the UK, EMEA, US and APAC.
• Travel required.

We celebrate and support diversity, encouraging the inclusion of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, voices, beliefs and perspectives into our growing global workforce.

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