Senior Category Manager (Utilities, Operations and Projects) at Omnia (Pty) LTD

• The Senior Category Manager: Utilities, Operations & Projects is responsible for effecting the most appropriate procurement processes to optimise the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to Omnia Group across a Global span at an acceptable level of supply risk, in accordance with all related policies. The Senior Category Manager will ensure alignment of Procurement Strategy and execute relevant KPI's in area of responsibility.
• Their scope of work is Global and for the Omnia Group and will be defined by a set of spend categories allocated for their management.
• The Senior Category Manager: Utilities, Operations & Projects will be responsible for area of responsibility. This will involve an in depth understanding of the market, supplier sourcing, risk and performance management.
• Analysis of current procurement expenditures, business needs both current and future, and supply markets should enable the Senior Category Manager to develop optimal sourcing strategies for review and acceptance by business and Chief Procurement Officer.
• The Senior Category Manger is responsible for attracting, retaining and engaging preferred suppliers, on terms and with relationships that are favourable to the company at competitive costs, appropriate service levels and risk exposure.
• The Senior Category Manager will establish relationships with internal customers. As part of the TCO analysis, the Senior Category Manager will question and review all elements of supply and demand, to understand internal needs and motivate innovative solutions for all elements of the TCO model.

WHAT YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
Strategy and analysis

• Identify and execute appropriate procurement channel in line with Procurement Policy.
• Perform and oversee in area of control spend analysis by collecting, cleansing, classifying and analysing expenditure data to inform current spend profile.
• Formulate, execute and maintain sourcing strategies for relevant spend groups to optimise TCO, at a known and acceptable level of risk.
• Develop or utlise TCO models to understand all costs associated with a purchase.
• Evaluate and understand market conditions in order to contribute to competitive sourcing strategies, control costs and manage risk.
• Develop sourcing strategies for consideration and approval by the appropriate leads in the business, that optimise TCO, with an acceptable level of risk.
• Contribute to business initiatives designed to improve supply chain efficiency.
• Investigate and propose innovative approaches, to meet internal demand, by questioning accepted norms and practice.
• Identify and analyze local trading demands, trends, and opportunities within the bulk services market(s). Introduce potential trading opportunities to the company's business units in area of focus, facilitating collaborations and partnerships.
• Negotiating favourable prices and terms of purchase to maximize best service sourcing practices. Develop services trading strategies to guide positions during various market trends or economic conditions. Ensuring that project-approved budgets are adhered to.

Operational

• Execute sourcing strategy, and appropriate sourcing events e.g., RFx as required per defined and approved sourcing strategy, with support of a cross-functional team.
• Ensure sourcing events are structured, transparent and fair, with a defensible process, to ensure participation which aligns with Company policies and the code of ethics.
• Lead supplier engagement by involving commercial, legal, technical and other relevant parties where appropriate.
• Report on sourcing strategy effectiveness and contract compliance, by reviewing adherence to the agreement by all parties (Supplier, Omnia Divisions, Omnia Procurement) and by raising deviation/departure, by a party.
• Execute supplier management in line with the sourcing strategy and ensure that appropriate performance and evaluations occur, and that remedial action is applied as appropriate.
• Utilise contract management processes to support in contract monitoring and maintenance.
• As a subject-matter expert, provide sourcing support as required, relating to sourcing advisory and delivery services, sourcing contracts and sourcing queries and the resolution thereof, to meet operational sourcing requirements.
• Generate reports detailing sourcing strategy key deliverables (I.e., savings, OTIF, compliance, security of supply).

Financial / Governance

• Ensure that sourcing processes and practices, across the procurement life cycle, strictly align with all governance requirements.
• Ensure and initiate steps to protect the company's assets, through appropriate insurances to mitigate risk.
• Ensure savings are tracked and auditable.
• Formally track risks in line with the business risk assessment approach.

Internal stakeholders

• Manage stakeholder expectations on the delivery of sourcing services by providing effective, open, swift communication and issue resolution.
• Utilise a mechanism to understand delivery to internal customers (i.e. VOC - voice of customer surveys).
• Use queries/ complaints to understand sourcing problems, gather appropriate information, establish root cause and seek and propose solution options.

People

• Lead and manage any subordinates/ team members on projects and tasks.
• Ensure levels of knowledge, skills and competence are in place to meet sourcing control, analysis and reporting/communication objectives, and contribute meaningfully toward departmental goals.
• Supervise the work of subordinates by allocating and delegating work, following up and/or taking corrective action.
• Support subordinates in their required learning and growth objectives and manage training and development interventions, for or on behalf of the team.
• Collaborate and support other Senior Category Managers and their teams when they are on leave.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING
Qualifications
Minimum

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Commerce, Operations Management, Business Process Management, Analytics, Information Technology, or equivalent.
• MCIPS (Chartered institute of Procurement and Supply), PMP (Project Management Professional) or SCMP (Supply Chain Management Professional) desirable.

Experience
Minimum

• 3 years' experience in Category Management.
• 7+ years of experience in strategic sourcing.

Preferred

• 3 – 5 years in a management position.

KEY COMPETENCIES
Technical Competencies

Financial

• Ability to perform spend analysis at category and spend group level
• Ability to interpret spend analysis
• Ability to use TCO Model
• Advanced business acumen
• Ability to quantify/ risk costs for TCO data
• Ability to perform RFP/ Tender evaluation
• Ability to track rebates
• Supply Chain Profitability
• Discount on Early Payment

Customer

• Ability to accurately define and articulate user true requirements (i.e., response time, specification, usage)
• Ability to develop evaluation criteria and with relevant user weightings
• Ability to develop SLA
• Ability to lead sourcing team discussions
• Understand factors driving demand (usage)
• Ability to forecast and guide customer needs to be more value focused

Supplier

• Understand Supply Market
• Ability to perform supply market analysis
• Ability to select performance measures based on sourcing strategy and business needs
• Execution of supplier management against SLA
• Ability to negotiate effectively with suppliers
• Development and Management of RFP/ Tender Document

Knowledge & Innovation

• Ability to understand the Organisation's business principles & procurement policies, procedures, targets and the application thereof
• Understand Contract Enablement Process
• Understand and apply TCO Principles
• Category strategy development
• Competence in using relevant IT systems (D365, AX, Data Warehouse etc.)
• Advanced Excel
• Risk management