Category Lead Manager

Right across infrastructure, there's a requirement to not only maintain, but also renew and reimagine. Whatever stage you're at in your career, with us you'll have an opportunity to grow and develop. Delivering essential infrastructure services for life, while being safety first, and client and customer centric in a friendly, fun and respectful environment where you are encouraged to thrive.

Reporting to the Senior Procurement Manager, the Category Lead Manager (Comms) is responsible for developing and achieving category strategies, managing product ranges, optimising pricing and promotions, and building strong relationships with suppliers and internal teams. This is a hybrid working role, with a requirement to be in our Warwick HQ 1 day per week.

What you’ll do:

• Accountable for managing categories of spend within a designated business unit and associated spend with a multimillion annual spend.
• Responsible for the creation and implementation of the designated commercial strategies for a designated business unit.
• Responsible for the creation of strategies for H/M/L value and complex / non-complex categories.
• Responsible for all RFx activities, managing the sourcing process, negotiation and contracting activities for H/M/L value categories and complex / non-complex categories.
• Responsible for the evaluation of suppliers as part of supplier on-boarding process and implementation of iProcurement strategy category code management in line with Category strategy.
• Responsible for on-going supplier performance and supplier relationship management throughout the contract lifetime, including inputs to risk register and risk mitigation strategies.

You’re an experienced category professional with a strong commercial mindset. You have experience in a similar role with a track record of building effective supplier and stakeholder relationships, and you collaborate confidently across teams to deliver results.

Key Requirements:

• Experience in a similar Comms related role is essential.
• Degree or equivalent in an appropriate discipline or Professional qualification MCIPS, preferably Chartered status.
• A track record in driving cost out and driving value up within a Procurement organisation.
• A successful track record of following a strategic sourcing / category management methodology.
• Demonstrable experience in category management in a procurement or commercial environment.
• Experience in developing category plans and strategy.
• Excellent negotiation skills and techniques.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to demonstrate exceptional stakeholder management approach and skills.

At Telent, we're committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued, supported, and able to thrive. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage diverse perspectives across our teams.

The additional benefits with this role:

• Car Allowance
• 34 days holiday, including public holidays, plus the option to buy or sell days annually OR 26 days holiday, plus public holidays, and the option to buy or sell days annually
• Company pension scheme
• A range of family friendly policies
• Occupational health support and wellbeing Portal
• Discounts on Cinema, Restaurants and Shopping with Telent Reward scheme.

We are guided by our values and behaviours: Be Inclusive, Take Responsibility, Collaborate, Be Customer‑focussed. Join us and help deliver critical infrastructure projects that make a real difference. It's an exceptional time to be a part of M Group.