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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape category strategies in finance and customer services while ensuring compliance and value.
- Company: Join SSE, a leader in energy transition and infrastructure development.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, and wellbeing perks like free online GP access.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainable procurement and collaborate with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Extensive procurement experience and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to equal opportunities and career growth.
The predicted salary is between 58100 - 87100 £ per year.
Base Location: Glasgow, Perth, Reading or Havant
Salary: £58,100- £87,100 + performance-related bonus + a range of benefits to support your finances, wellbeing and family.
Working Pattern: Permanent | Full Time | Flexible First options available
About The Role
As Senior Category Manager - Finance & Customer Services, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping category strategies that balance commercial rigour with long-term sustainability. You’ll lead category management approaches across key portfolios, ensuring compliance, resilience, and value for money - while reducing risk and optimising total cost of ownership. You’ll work across diverse categories including finance, metering, banking, and insurance, creating clear Category Management Plans and sourcing strategies that reflect real business needs. Through strong stakeholder relationships and thoughtful supplier engagement, you’ll help deliver outcomes that support both operational excellence and stakeholder experience.
Responsibilities
- Build strong, trusted relationships by working in close partnership with internal teams, suppliers, and external collaborators to co-create successful and resilient category strategies.
- Enable cross-functional collaboration by bringing people together, encouraging open dialogue, and fostering positive engagement between departments and the category team.
- Guide stakeholders with confidence and care through consultative processes that reflect genuine service needs and support sustainable, long-term outcomes.
- Champion operational excellence by ensuring sourcing and procurement activities are clear, consistent, and aligned with agreed supplier lists and buying channels.
- Support supplier success and sustainability by nurturing supplier relationships, monitoring performance, and strengthening reliability across the supply chain.
Qualifications
- Extensive hands-on procurement experience, with a strong track record of delivering detailed category management activity in comparable sectors.
- Proven capability managing complex and challenging categories, with CIPS qualification preferred, but not essential.
- Strong commercial and legal insight, including a solid understanding of UK and EU procurement legislation and statutory compliance.
- Collaborative leadership skills, with the ability to influence, inspire, and bring cross-functional teams and suppliers together.
- Confidence using data and systems such as Oracle and Jaggaer to inform decisions, improve outcomes, and strengthen supply chains.
About SSE
SSE’s purpose is to provide energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in electricity infrastructure and businesses needed in the energy transition. Our Transforming for Growth investment plan sees us investing £33bn in critical electricity infrastructure across the five years to 2030. Our Procurement & Commercial teams help us get the best service and value from partners, while ensuring suppliers meet compliance, contractual and business obligations.
Flexible Benefits To Fit Your Life
- Enjoy discounts on private healthcare and gym memberships.
- Wellbeing benefits like a free online GP and 24/7 counselling service.
- Interest-free loans on tech and transport season tickets, or a new bike with our Cycle to Work scheme.
- Generous family entitlements such as maternity and adoption pay, and paternity leave.
Work with an equal opportunity employer
SSE will make any reasonable adjustments you need to ensure that your application and experience with us is positive. Please contact janet.gossman@sse.com / 01738 351816 to discuss how we can support you. We’re dedicated to fostering an open and inclusive workplace where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We create equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and especially welcome applications from those who may not be well represented in our workforce or industry.
Ready to apply? Start your online application using the Apply Now box on this page. We only accept applications made online. We’ll be in touch after the closing date to let you know if we’ll be taking your application further. If you’re offered a role with SSE, you’ll need to complete a criminality check and a credit check before you start work.
Senior Category Manager - Finance and Customer Services in Aldershot employer: SSE PLC
Contact Detail:
SSE PLC Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Category Manager - Finance and Customer Services in Aldershot
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance and customer services sectors. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching SSE’s values and recent projects. Show us how your experience aligns with our mission to provide energy for today while building a better tomorrow.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how you can shape category strategies and foster strong supplier relationships. Confidence is key, so rehearse your answers to common interview questions.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to follow our process.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Category Manager - Finance and Customer Services in Aldershot
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Category Manager role. Highlight your relevant experience in procurement and category management, and show how your skills align with our needs at StudySmarter.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific examples of your successes in previous roles. Use metrics where possible to demonstrate how you’ve delivered value and improved outcomes in category management.
Be Authentic: Let your personality shine through in your application. We want to get a sense of who you are beyond your qualifications. Share your passion for procurement and how you can contribute to our mission at StudySmarter.
Apply Through Our Website: Remember, we only accept applications made online. So, make sure to hit that 'Apply Now' button on our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into our hands!
How to prepare for a job interview at SSE PLC
✨Know Your Categories Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the categories you'll be managing, like finance and customer services. Research current trends, challenges, and best practices in these areas so you can speak confidently about how you would approach category management.
✨Build Strong Relationships
Since this role involves collaboration with various stakeholders, think about how you can demonstrate your relationship-building skills. Prepare examples of how you've successfully worked with teams or suppliers in the past to co-create strategies that deliver results.
✨Showcase Your Data Savvy
Familiarise yourself with data systems like Oracle and Jaggaer, as they are crucial for informed decision-making. Be ready to discuss how you've used data in previous roles to optimise procurement processes and improve outcomes.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that ask you to solve hypothetical problems related to category management. Think through potential scenarios you might face in this role and how you would navigate them, focusing on compliance, risk reduction, and stakeholder engagement.
