Category Manager

Equans is looking for a Category Manager to join our team on a permanent basis. This is a full-time role working 37.5 hours per week. On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus and benefits package.

This is a hybrid role

The Category Manager role is within the Central Procurement team and is responsible for managing key procurement soft and hard service categories across our facilities management, projects and regeneration businesses. The role involves creating and implementing a long-term sourcing plan for the development of the categories to achieve the best value for Equans. The role involves identifying opportunities and leveraging the combined category spend in negotiating strategic frameworks with key suppliers in ensuring Equans achieves the best outcome for its external spend.

The Category Manager will own the category structure that allows the company to segment its supplier base. Using the segmentation, the Category Manager will create a category strategy in coordination with a network of internal stakeholders belonging to operations, sustainability and health & safety, identifying key focus areas for the year by leveraging company-wide spend.

The role requires building and driving relationships with key suppliers to improve quality of service and generate savings for the company by collaborating with operational stakeholders including operational procurement teams in implementing the overall category plan and realising saving targets. The role acts as the interface between the supplier market and EQUANS in providing access to market intelligence to support our supply chain planning and improve our service proposition to clients. The role also requires delivery of category expertise across all service lines driving a tangible link to profit improvement with a strong focus on optimising best business practice, fiscal performance, risk management and compliance.

We are looking for an individual with previous experience within a procurement/category role dealing with wholesale. An excellent communicator, commercial acumen, excellent stakeholder management and strong analytical skills. Strong analytical abilities, and the ability to analyse complex category data to drive supply chain selectivity and risk mitigation

What will you deliver?

• Creating long-term category plans following a gap-analysis and assessing future procurement requirements
• Negotiating and management of key strategic Frameworks
• Creating an internal stakeholder network around key categories with representation from all business lines. Develop the central category strategy supported by targets and KPIs for implementation in all areas of the business
• Build and Maintain Excellent Supplier Relations
• Conduct commercial negotiations with new strategic suppliers including but not limited to pricing and offering (scope) besides support on key strategic topics of innovation & sustainability
• Monitoring category spend and compliance within the category across all businesses
• Identifying and allocating and monitoring local category actions for operational teams
• Identify risks and potential ESG considerations related to the categories and create adequate controls through available channels to address such risks
• Communicate industry / supplier related information to all relevant stakeholders in a timely manner to manage business risks
• Organise periodic business review meetings with key preferred and strategic suppliers
• Liaise with key suppliers to introduce new ideas, innovations to the business that may result in internal business process improvements or improving our business offering to our clients
• Challenging status quo within sourcing projects and driving collective efforts to harness additional value for the business
• Maintain and publish regular and accurate reports to demonstrate the effectiveness of our preferred supplier agreements
• Supporting any Group category management initiatives and transversal actions
• Support Business Development teams and wider Procurement team in order to align bidding activities and improve mobilisation process
• Act as a point of escalation for supplier disputes for strategic suppliers under the allocated categories
• Identify and highlight process improvements to relevant internal stakeholders

What can we offer you?

On offer is a competitive salary, car or car allowance, bonus and benefits package, which includes;

• 25 days annual leave (+ public holidays)
• Life Cover equivalent to 2 times annual salary
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Holiday purchase scheme
• 2 corporate social responsibility days per year
• Broad range of learning opportunities, such as professional qualifications, collective/individual training, and personalized support programmes
• Attractive Employee Referral Rewards Scheme
• Access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), WOMEN TOGETHER (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app

Who are we looking for?

• Previous experience in a senior procurement/category role
• Experience in procurement with a proven track record of delivery of savings and team management
• Experience in change management and implementation
• Experience in Soft Services Category Management is a plus
• Category understanding from a Facilities Management & Construction industry perspective
• Strong and established network of category suppliers and subcontractors and the ability to make informed supply chain selection decisions based on project scope
• Strong analytical abilities, and the ability to analyse complex category data to drive supply chain selectivity and risk mitigation

Who are we?

Equans is a world leader in energy services with nearly 100,000 employees working in more than 50 countries, with an annual turnover of over 17 billion euros.  

In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of technical, FM, regeneration and energy services – with specialist capabilities in smart buildings, green mobility, district & embedded energy and decentralised renewables.

Equans’ 13,500 UK & Ireland employees combine these activities to help businesses, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero, and also the digital & industrial transitions that are redesigning the way we move, work and live.

Equans is a Bouygues group company.

What’s next?

If this role is of interest to you, please click below to register, apply, and track your progress! A member of our Resourcing Team will review your application and be in touch. 

As part our commitment to better reflect the markets within which we operate, we encourage applications from women, ethnically diverse individuals and people with disabilities, along with all candidates who identify with protected characteristic groups under the Equality Act 2010. 

At Equans we’re committed to delivering a culture where everyone’s voice is heard and supported. We know the value a diverse workforce creates, delivering better results for our people, customers, and stakeholders. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of what we do, should you join Equans you’ll find a welcoming and open workplace where you’re supported and encouraged to be your true self at work. 

You’ll also have access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), WOMEN TOGETHER (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.

For this role, you must have evidence of the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a re-location package with this job role.  Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a Disclosure check, as noted in the role requirements.

The Equans Resourcing Team supports this job advert. Agency involvement is not required. All related enquiries must come to the resourcing team not direct to Equans Managers.