IT Category Manager

**Company Description** The Rank Group is growing rapidly within both our Venues and Digital businesses. If you’re not sure who we are, you may be more familiar with us through our iconic brands; Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casino.

We have most recently acquired Stride Gaming, which, together with our existing Digital business, forms Rank Interactive. We employ circa 8,000 people globally, with our UK office functions being located in Maidenhead (Head Office), Sheffield (Customer SolutionsHub), London (Digital) and a further office in Gibraltar, which is home to our existing Rank Digital function.

We are evolving as a business and are adding some exciting new brands and concepts to our venues and digital offering. By joining an office-based or operational function with us, you’ll instantly be part of a high-performing and inclusive culture, whichworks closely to support our Customer-facing teams.

**Job Description** As the IT Category Manager, you will lead sourcing activities for large contracts across multiple areas of Information Technology with responsibility for a category budget value of £25m.

You'll be responsible for developing the category sourcing strategy to capture real savings through pooling company-wide purchasing volumes, negotiating TCO contracts with suppliers and leading other TCO cost reduction initiatives.

Taking a holistic view of your category and you'll have the ability to make improvements and develop flexible and creative solutions to support business strategies and the IT senior leadership team.

As part of this multi-disciplined role, you will need to challenge and influence senior stakeholders within the business to ensure value for money in the Group's external spending and deliver real cost savings to the bottom line supporting the profitabilityof Rank Leisure Holdings.
- **This opportunity offers the chance to work from home twice weekly as well as an onsite gym. **_

**Responsibilities: **

**Strategy development**
- Developing effective procurement, and cost reduction strategies and implementing plans tailored to the category based on internal assessments of current and future needs, market trends and competition.
- Identifying and prioritising sourcing projects within the category across different spending areas.
- The ability to influence, manage and direct senior internal stakeholders and key external service partners, to deliver business change, process innovation and new and innovative IT services around key IT products and services to drive increased profit tothe bottom line.

**Strategy implementation**
- Driving initiatives to deliver significant cost reductions and year-over-year productivity improvements in TCO.
- Ensure strategies are implemented and TCO reductions secured according to implementation plans.

**Supplier management**
- Leading the vendor selection and negotiation process and define supplier standards (RFQ, Tendering process, Master contracts).
- Maintaining contractual and business relations and drive negotiations with all assigned suppliers, as well as monitor supplier satisfaction.
- Solve operational issues with vendors (e.g., quality, delivery and service issues).

**Performance management**
- Measuring and tracking internal key performance measures, defining the data collection process and forecasting budgetary impact and actual savings.
- Assessing performance of operational purchasing, identify key issues and fix with permanent solutions.

**Qualifications**:

- MCIPS qualified or studying is desirable
- Demonstrable experience in technology/IT category management/procurement.
- Ability to develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of the supply market, covering all relevant markets and supplier base, including the relevant legislation and policies.
- Detailed knowledge of contract law, structuring & documentation of agreements.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence internal stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong analytical skills coupled with excellent negotiation skills.

**Additional Information** Soft skills:

- Team player who can work collaboratively with others across the business
- Good commercial mindset and confidence with numbers
- Ambitious, self-starter who is focused on delivering highest quality outputs
- Must be a strong problem solver to be able to formulate new ideas and get around blockers