Category Manager - Digital

Digital Category Manager
Location: Berkshire – Hybrid
Hours: 36 hours per week

Our client, a major organisation undergoing digital transformation, is seeking a highly capable Digital Category Manager to lead strategic procurement efforts across the Cybersecurity, Networks, and Telecoms space. This role plays a vital part in the commercial success of key digital initiatives, including high-impact technology programmes.

About the Role

The successful candidate will act as a subject matter expert for the digital category, developing and executing long-term sourcing strategies that align with the organisation’s future-focused vision. The role requires the ability to provide commercial leadership across complex projects and supplier relationships, ensuring that value creation, compliance, and innovation are central to procurement activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Creating and delivering end-to-end strategic category management.
• Providing extensive category knowledge and market insight, including identifying/managing category-level risk.
• Responsible for managing a portfolio of suppliers to ensure contracted expectations continue to be improved throughout the contract life cycle and to support these suppliers in delivering added value to Thames Water.
• Lead and evaluate competitive tenders and proposals for the supply of goods and services.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on projects using available reporting tools.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Experience in end-to-end strategic digital category management.
• Ability to influence, engage and inspire internal and external stakeholders to drive meaningful change.
• Ability to challenge industry norms and proactively seek out opportunities to deliver sustained improvements in performance.
• Capable of leading complex supplier negotiations up to £100m in value.
• Some understanding and experience of operating in complex supply chain environments.
• Skilled in prioritisation and managing risk and complexity effectively.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a pivotal time to join our client as they embark on a significant digital transformation programme. The successful candidate will play a key role in helping to shape the commercial direction of critical digital infrastructure.

Benefits Include:

• £55,000 - £60,000
• Annual bonus scheme
• 26 days of holiday (rising to 30 with service), plus bank holidays
• Private medical insurance (Family)
• Generous pension contribution (up to 12%)
• Annual health assessments
• Access to a comprehensive benefits platform supporting wellbeing and financial savings