Category Manager

CATEGORY MANAGER - PRODUCE/DAIRY - READING/ LONDON/ FLEX - £40,000 - £50,000 + BONUS + CAR + PACKAGE

Pod Talent are excited to partner with a renowned catering and hospitality brand, who have secured some of the most prestigious contracts across the UK & Ireland. Their expertise spans across event catering, workplace cafés and restaurants, corporate finedining and hospitality, visitor attraction catering, pupil and staff feeding at: educational institutions, medical facilities, livery Hall catering, venue sales, event management and production, reception and concierge services.

The key purposes of these roles are to help identify and deliver cost reduction opportunities across the group.. In addition, the roles will support the Senior Category Managers drive and implement best practice procurement processes and significantly improveoperational stakeholder engagement whilst ensuring that the optimal balance between value for money, innovation, quality, service, and cost savings is achieved for the brands.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
- At all times, role model behaviour in line with our values; Inclusive, Inquisitive and Uplifting
- Understands Group business strategy and how it impacts Group Procurement Services.
- Participates in and implements procurement transformation throughout the Group, by working with stakeholders and responding to any issues or suggestions relating to Procurement.
- Responsible for the Cost Base Reduction in net pricing for your category
- Communicates the value of the Procurement function to the business
- Develop and execute category strategy across a range of produce categories including fresh, frozen and ambient and dairy (milk, cheese etc).

Procurement Responsibilities
- Work with Senior Category Managers to design and implement category strategies that deliver financial and other performance targets such as Cost, Quality, Delivery, Innovation and Risk Management.
- Ensure that the optimal balance between value for money and cost savings is achieved, while ensuring quality and excellent customer service for the Group in all Brands.
- Contribute and support the business in the ongoing development of the purchasing strategy for categories under review by the Senior Category Managers
- Liaise with all stakeholders to communicate on new initiatives and ensure the service given is well received.
- Ensure all procurement savings opportunities that have been identified are realised where possible.
- Full understanding of your categories with short, medium & long term objectives in place.
- Manages tactical supplier relationships and categories of expenditure.
- Use supply market knowledge and tools to drive the decision making process.
- Leads and facilitates appropriate supplier/cross-functional workshops to seek and implement innovative and value adding ideas and proposals from suppliers.

Role requirements:

- Minimum 3 years' experience across produce/ dairy - previous experience working with farmers/ growers.
- Entrepreneurial, can-do attitude.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join and industry leading business, driving cost savings and value add initiatives across the group.

For more information, or to apply, please send a copy of your latest CV to

Keywords: procurement, sourcing, purchasing, category manager, strategic sourcing, indirect procurement, direct procurement, catering, hospitality.
- Pod Talent are independent specialist recruiters in the Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Manufacturing and R&D space covering roles internationally from entry to board level. We recruit for roles including Supply Chain, Demand Planning, InventoryManagement, Direct and Indirect Procurement, Category Management, Logistics, Distribution, Warehousing, Production, Packaging, NPD and Quality Assurance. Please visit our website for all of our vacancies._