Global Category Manager - Freight and Logistics

Location: Kidlington, Oxfordshire (Hybrid)

Salary: Up to £70k p.a. & pension & 25 days holiday

Our client, a UK based company, is a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items serving a global network of 28 countries.

The Global Category Manager, Freight & Logistics will be a highly astute commercial procurement individual who takes stewardship of global spend.

This is a hands-on role with real opportunity to develop how Freight and Logistics spend is managed across the organisation.

Our client is ideally looking for individuals who enjoy working as part of a close team, are passionate about what they do and who strive to make a difference. They are always looking to better themselves and are keen to recruit individuals who like to innovate and improve processes.

Responsibilities:

• Developing and delivering a strategic vision for Freight and Logistics, managing the Category across multiple Sites & Business units
• Establish and manage key supplier relationships including the development, negotiation, and management of contracts. Run value for money decision making through spend leverage, cost benchmarking and through the negotiation of favourable terms, particularly ensuring that standard payment terms are achieved.
• Establishing and then managing a structured supplier development programme within Freight and Logistics and across Procurement globally to drive incremental value, manage risk and assure quality
• Continue to embed global Procurement function's process and governance policies, working with procurement centre of excellence to improve processes and adoption through global freight & logistic spend globally
• Managing and ensuring compliance of all new supplier setup across the category, ensuring robust approvals are in place, ensuring contracts and compliance are fully setup
• Executing value for money decision making by exercising all value levers and using fact-based recommendations
• Leading sourcing and procurement activities that are driven with a global perspective to continue to maximise leverage and overall effectiveness of supply at a global, regional and local level
• Driving step change across the organisation, and, in partnership between Procurement, operational leadership and strategic suppliers, further maturing Freight and Logistics procurement
• Support the delivery of wider procurement and corporate ESG and sustainability goals
• Develop, implement and manage the make vs buy strategy and policy for Freight, Warehousing and Logistics globally
• Delivering a Global Spend Category analysis, supporting regional business units whilst developing global strategy and decision making
• Establishing reports, category updates and communicating to key stakeholders, influencing to support team delivery of saving initiatives
• Support wider procurement & supply chain initiatives not limited to Freight & Logistics spend where necessary
• Work closely with post-acquisition companies to transition the Freight and Logistics supply base into the organisation; ensuring that benefits, costs and other synergies are captured
• Look to reduce carbon footprint and emissions and identify sustainable solutions across the freight and logistics category

Required skills & experience:

• Procurement experience within a global category role
• Relevant category experience
• Experience working within a complex private sector multi-national business
• Result orientated with the ability to present results in a structured and professional manner
• Strong project management skills
• Commercial acumen and ability to influence business colleagues and leaders
• Strong analytical skills and evidenced use of data to drive informed decision-making
• Cost reduction experience and evidence
• Team player with customer service focus
• Manufacturing experience - desirable
• Procurement transformation experience - desirable
• Experience managing business critical suppliers - desirable
• Degree educated or equivalent - desirable
• Specialist Sourcing Qualification (CIPS) - desirable

What we offer:

• Attractive Salary
• Discretionary Annual Bonus, Up to 5% matched pension contribution, 4x annual salary life assurance, Personal medical cover, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme, Employee discounts platform, Eyecare Vouchers, Cycle to work scheme, Employee Assistance Programme