Assistant Category Manager

Job Description

The Procurement and Supply Chain Management function is responsible for the interface with those third-party organisations who support our business whether that be for procurement of goods and services or the relationship management that underpins any such activities. They support project delivery teams across the sectors to ensure the strategic direction is identified and delivered

The Assistant Category Manager will have responsibility for assisting with the development and delivery of category projects and initiatives across Projects and Business Sectors within Costain Group. This role will also be involved in supplier relationship management with identified Key, Strategic and Preferred suppliers across selected category areas

The purpose of the role is to assist with the implementation of category strategy initiatives and deliver projects within a category space across the Costain Group, including make/buy assessments, whilst delivering tangible, bottom-line value and benefits to the business resulting from pan-Group Category management. The Assistant Category manager will be supporting on establishing and delivering improvements to Project, Business Unit and Sector requirements, including those driven by the future bid pipeline

This role offers an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact across the group, driving efficiency, sustainability, and innovation within the procurement and supply chain functions

Responsibilities

• Support the management of appropriate supplier relationships within the category space and assuring contract performance & value delivery
• Assist in the development and management of procurement project and functional category implementation plans and ensure effective supplier engagement with Costain site teams
• Support the Category Manager with contract negotiations to ensure that best value is delivered to Costain and ensure approval of all relevant stakeholders as well as adherence to the Delegation of Authority Manual (DAM) is maintained
• Assist in the implementation and support the management of appropriate contractual frameworks to facilitate successful supplier relationships that incentivise best practices and performance from both parties
• Maintain a good understanding of the internal and external supply markets relating to assigned category(ies) as well as best working practices
• Contribute to risk management plans relating to each key supplier and supply chain within the category and maintain such plans relating to procurement project implementation and contract performance
• Contribute to a suitable long term supplier strategy to encompass a view of areas of development, risk and potential conflict
• Support the Category Manager to undertake necessary development plans to drive continuous improvement or issue resolution
• Establish strong mutually supportive relationships with other P&SC functional teams, Sector P&SC colleagues, and other Bid Support teams through formal and informal networking
• Represent the Group Procurement function (Category Management) within the wider Costain P&SC community, sharing and adopting best practice
  
  

Essential

QUALIFICATIONS

• Awareness of the Category Management process
• Good understanding of Digital tools and technology optimising procurement and supply chain functions
• Strong experience in a similar role
• Good knowledge and experience of change and stakeholder management
• Able to deal with complexity and ambiguity in a changing environment and thrives on problem solving
• High quality communication skills, both written and oral
• Capable of, and comfortable with, instigating positive challenge to traditional ways of working
• Strong relationship-building, stakeholder management and interpersonal skills
• Ability to support on communicating vision and strategic direction
• Proven ability to use Procurement skills to unlock value for the business
• Strong numerical, financial and data analysis skills
• Excellent Microsoft Office suite proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)
  
  

Desirable

• Knowledge of Infrastructure Industry Procurement and Supply Chain Operations
• Experience of working within a matrix organisation, with the ability to influence at all levels
  
  

About Us

Costain helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK’s energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that disclose they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.

It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.

For more details please go to the Disability Confident website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign