Senior Procurement Category Manager - Commercial Indirects in Reading

STADA UK Thornton & Ross is on an exciting growth journey with more than 700 employees being fully committed to our purpose of Caring for Peoples Health as a Trusted Partner. Together we are shaping the future of Thornton & Ross by living our values of Integrity, Entrepreneurship, Agility and One STADA. If you want to work in an open culture where your uniqueness is valued, join our Team.

As a Senior Procurement Category Manager - Commercial Indirect, you will drive end-to-end procurement excellence across indirect spend categories, ensuring best-in-class sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiation, and cost optimisation. The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution to identify opportunities for value creation, process improvement, and sustainable business growth.

As a key business partner, you will collaborate cross-functionally providing market insight, commercial guidance, and procurement expertise. You will also contribute to the transformation of procurement through digital tools, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions that improve visibility, efficiency, and decision-making.

• Procurement & Sourcing: Develop and implement local category and sourcing strategies aligned with global procurement strategies and wider business objectives. Lead end-to-end procurement activities including tendering, supplier selection, negotiation, contract award, and supplier onboarding. Deliver measurable cost savings, value creation, and total cost of ownership improvements across indirect spend categories. Ensure all procurement activities comply with internal governance, procurement policies, and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Supplier & Contract Management: Build and maintain strong strategic supplier partnerships that drive innovation, service excellence, and long-term value. Negotiate commercial agreements, contracts, and service level agreements (SLAs) to optimise commercial outcomes. Monitor supplier performance, compliance, and risk through regular business reviews and KPI tracking. Proactively identify and mitigate cost price increases through effective commercial and contractual negotiations.
• Stakeholder Management: Act as a trusted procurement partner to stakeholders across multiple business functions. Influence and challenge stakeholders constructively to achieve the best commercial outcomes. Support budget owners with procurement planning, forecasting, and strategic sourcing decisions.
• Commercial & Continuous Improvement: Analyse spend data and market trends to identify opportunities, efficiencies, and potential risks. Drive continuous improvement initiatives and promote procurement best practices across the organisation. Support sustainability, ESG, and responsible sourcing objectives in line with company commitments. Contribute to the development and standardisation of procurement tools, templates, and processes.
• Digital & AI-Enabled Procurement: Champion data-driven and AI-enabled procurement solutions to improve spend visibility and supplier performance. Develop procurement dashboards and reporting capabilities to support business decision-making. Partner with stakeholders to align procurement initiatives with ROI and performance metrics. Drive automation and digital transformation of procurement processes where possible.

At STADA UK Thornton & Ross, we embrace uniqueness recognising the value that diverse perspectives bring to our work. Our core values Entrepreneurship, Integrity, Agility, and One STADA guide how we collaborate and innovate. We are looking for a candidate who aligns with these values and brings the following:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent professional experience.
• CIPS qualification (or working towards certification).
• Significant procurement experience within the pharmaceutical, healthcare, FMCG, or regulated commercial environment.
• Strong experience managing end-to-end procurement and category management processes within global or matrix organisations.
• Expertise in supplier negotiation, contract management, and strategic sourcing.
• Experience using procurement systems, spend analytics, and digital procurement tools.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building capabilities.
• Strong analytical thinking with the ability to translate data into commercial insight and action.
• A proactive, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented approach.
• Strong communication and influencing skills with the confidence to engage senior stakeholders.
• A continuous improvement mindset with interest in innovation, automation, and AI-enabled procurement.

At Thornton & Ross our purpose Caring for peoples health as a trusted partner motivates us every day. And what would be a better place than starting with our own employees. Which is why we give much in return:

• Competitive salary, car allowance and annual bonus scheme.
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme offering 8% employer contribution rates.
• Hybrid working - we spend three days of your choice in the office, with the remaining days working at home.
• 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays with the potential to buy up to 5 additional days.
• Health benefits provided through our Vitality Private Medical Insurance.
• Free winter flu jab.
• Wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme and KYAN Wellbeing - offering free coaching and counselling services for you and your family.
• Electric Car Scheme through Octopus Energy, plus free on-site EV charging.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Enhanced Family Leave.
• Plus, many more employee benefits & celebration events.

STADA Group values and promotes its diverse culture, regardless of gender, age, social or ethnic origin, disabilities, religion, ideology, or sexual orientation. We use the strength of our uniqueness to develop creative ideas, expand our experience and increase innovative strength. Our focus is on equal opportunities, respectful cooperation, and the promotion of an inclusive working environment. We are looking forward to your application and welcome applications without a pharmaceutical background.