Aspira are currently seeking a Procurement Category Manager to work for the Public/Utilities Sector in Dublin.
This is a 12 months’ contract, remote initially, with on-site presence in the Dublin office required post-restrictions.
There’s potential for the role to become permanent after the initial 12 months’ contract.

Responsibilities

• Play an active role in defining, reviewing and agreeing detailed strategies for their category in line with Supply Chain objectives.
• Develop Category Plans and Sourcing strategies by collaborating with business stakeholders, carrying out in-depth spend analysis, and supply market evaluation to define and prioritise sourcing initiatives.
• Ensure proper engagement and collaboration between Category Management team and Supply Chain Business Partners to ensure business units goals, standards, policies are procedures are being achieved.
• Prepare and coordinate strategic OJEU and stand-alone tender documentation and oversee tender process.
• Evaluate supplier responses and prepare clarifications for supplier award process.
• Carry out evaluations, organise consensus scoring sessions where relevant and supplier award processes in accordance with the company’s governance committee sign-off rules, as well as internal procurement policies.
• Maintain metrics and KPIs for key supplier performance measurement.
• Maintain and track financial and non-financial benefits by monitoring supplier performance.
• Support Business Units with ongoing management of contracts, reviewing contract variations and supplier exit plans for key suppliers, through the appropriate governance framework.
• Regular interface with Supply Chain Transaction Services with analysis and negotiation expertise during Tactical Tendering, Emergency Sourcing and Sole Sourcing process.
• Support implementation of Supply Chain policy and ensure direct reports adhere to the policy.
• Support Supply Chain performance measurement by ensuring metrics and scorecards are understood by the Category Management Coordinators and input is fed back to the Supply Chain Operations team.
• Act as a liaison for category related queries from Local Authorities (LA).
• Manage business stakeholders, participate in relevant meetings and develop strong working relationships with Supply Chain customers (within the department, Business Units, HSQE, Legal, Transaction Services, Business Delivery Partners and other organisations and suppliers).
• Lead staff and drive a ‘one team’ culture.
• Manage operational performance of Category Management reports, lead strategic sourcing activities and ensure they are run in a compliant and efficient manner.
• Perform other duties as required from time to time.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar role with previous experience, preferably in public/utilities sector.
• Relevant qualifications or experience.
• Demonstrated experience manipulating data, with ability to manipulate and analyse large data sets, including PO, AP and GL data to draw inferences about spend and suppliers.
• Market analysis skills (Porter’s 5 forces, SWOT, etc.) to identify market conditions and trends.
• An understanding of the sourcing process and the ability to think critically about ways to deliver value for the company’s spend by utilising multiple value levers and ensure the Category Management team follows the process.
• Category planning skills, with proven experience in managing categories.
• Experience delivering savings across categories, and comfortable with reading and interpreting financial information.
• Project management knowledge, with the ability to develop detailed plans and execute against them, manage stakeholder groups, develop stakeholder communication plans, and identify and manage risks and issues to execute high value sourcing projects with detailed contracts.
• Experience using e-procurement tools and contracting tools (e.g. e-tenders).
• Knowledge of developing and issuing tender documentation including PQQ/ITT, both under OJEU and independent of OJEU, with an understanding of Irish contract law.
• Negotiation skills and ability to conduct negotiations with suppliers, including the development of negotiation materials, training internal stakeholders participating in negotiations and an understanding of BATNA, LAA and MDO’s.
• Experience using MS PowerPoint, Excel and Word, with ability to structure and develop presentations (for example negotiations strategies, stage gate and governance presentations).
• Excellent communication (both written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.