About the position
The purpose of the Strategic Category Manager is to lead the Tech Services procurement strategy by driving cost optimization and fostering excellent supplier relationships to achieve operational excellence in line with the business strategy.
The role also focuses on optimizing costs, improving quality, and ensuring efficient supply processes by developing category-specific sourcing strategies and managing supplier relationships to secure the best value for the organisation.
Key Performance Areas
- Lead and own all aspects of strategic sourcing and category management, including stakeholder management, spend analysis/market intelligence, and supplier management.
- Develop, document, and execute category strategies in collaboration with stakeholders to achieve functional and organizational objectives
- Conduct deep dive analysis of spend and market data, and conduct benchmarking to understand key drivers and identify top opportunities to formulate strategies
- Deliver key category performance indicators
- Craft negotiation strategies and lead the negotiation of complex enterprise agreements
- Deliver significant year over year cost savings
- Develop and manage stakeholder relationships
- Ensure all procurement activities comply with relevant policies, governance frameworks, and legal requirements
- Conduct regular reviews and audits to ensure compliance with policies and procedures and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Assess potential risk exposure and establish contingency plans to mitigate impact to the business.
Skills and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Information Technology or related qualification
- Procurement or Supply Chain certification preferred
- At least 8-10 years of strategic sourcing experience
- 5 years' experience in a procurement role developing category plans and sourcing in IT and Tech Services
- Understanding of IT hardware, software, network infrastructure, cloud technologies, services and industry standards
- Proven track record leading large, complex negotiations with strategic suppliers across indirect spend categories.
- Ability to dig deep into contract details, collaborate with internal teams to understand business requirements, draft contractual terms, formulate strategy and execute contract negotiations.
- Ability to identify potential risks and liabilities in contracts and proactively develop solutions on contractual terms in collaboration with business stakeholders.
- Experience drafting, editing, and negotiating all agreement types, including Master Agreements, SOWs, Addenda, Change Orders, Sales Orders, and Technology agreements (SaaS, End User License, Subscription, Cloud Services, Managed Services, Support Agreements, etc.)
Desired Skills:
- Saas
- Cloud
- Agreement
- Negotiation
- Contract Management
- Hardware
- software
- Network
- Supply Chain
- Strategic Planning
- Strategic Management
- SOW
- Addenda
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Stakeholder Management
Desired Qualification Level:
Employer & Job Benefits:
- Provident Fund
- Medical Aid
