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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 operational excellence.
- Qualifications: Extensive procurement experience and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with opportunities for growth and development.
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 Reading 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 Reading
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance and customer services sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about asking for introductions. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Senior Category Manager role!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching SSE’s values and recent projects. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their goals. Remember, they want to see how you can contribute to their mission of building a better world of energy!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your collaborative skills! In your conversations, highlight examples where you’ve successfully worked with cross-functional teams. SSE values strong stakeholder relationships, so make sure to demonstrate your ability to bring people together.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining SSE and ready to take the next step in your career.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Category Manager - Finance and Customer Services in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Senior Category Manager role. Highlight your procurement experience and any relevant qualifications, like CIPS, to show us you’re the right fit.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you’re passionate about category management and how your past experiences have prepared you for this role. Be genuine and let your personality come through.
Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills: Since building strong relationships is key in this role, make sure to include examples of how you've successfully collaborated with teams and suppliers in the past. We want to see your ability to engage and influence others!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the easiest way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, we’ll keep you updated on your application status after the closing date.
How to prepare for a job interview at SSE PLC
✨Know Your Categories
Dive deep into the categories you'll be managing, like finance and customer services. Understand the current trends, challenges, and opportunities in these areas. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your expertise and show that you're ready to tackle the role head-on.
✨Build Relationships
Since this role involves strong stakeholder engagement, think about how you can showcase your relationship-building skills. Prepare examples of how you've successfully collaborated with teams or suppliers in the past, and be ready to discuss how you would approach building trust in this new position.
✨Showcase Your Data Skills
Familiarise yourself with data systems like Oracle and Jaggaer, as they are crucial for this role. Be prepared to discuss how you've used data to inform decisions and improve outcomes in previous roles. If you have specific examples of successful data-driven strategies, make sure to highlight them!
✨Understand Compliance and Legislation
Brush up on UK and EU procurement legislation, as well as any relevant compliance issues. Being able to speak confidently about these topics will show that you’re not only knowledgeable but also committed to operational excellence and risk management in your category strategies.
