Procurement Category Manager

Kennedys • Permanent • Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom • 1m ago

Hours Required: Full-time, Hybrid working

Kennedys' Procurement function sits within the wider Finance team and supports the firm globally through the delivery of strategic sourcing solutions, supplier management, commercial insight and procurement governance. The team plays a key role in driving value, managing risk and supporting informed business decision-making across the firm.

Working in partnership with stakeholders across practice groups and business services, Procurement leads sourcing activity, contract negotiations, supplier due diligence and category management initiatives that support the firm's operational and strategic objectives. The team is also responsible for developing procurement policies, improving supplier performance, embedding sustainable procurement practices and delivering value across the firm's global supply chain.

Kennedys operates across the UK, EMEA, LATAM, APAC and the US, and this role will play a key part in developing and delivering procurement strategies, managing key supplier relationships and supporting commercial activity across the firm's international network.

Key Responsibilities

Acting as a specialist in IT and Technology provide expert advice to all stakeholders throughout the procurement lifecycle to achieve fit for purpose, sustainable, diverse and innovative sourcing solutions.
Lead the Procurement strategy for Technology, Information Technology and AI categories with a focus on value and innovation to support the Firm's objectives and growth.
Provide expert advice to all stakeholders throughout the procurement lifecycle to achieve fit for purpose, sustainable, diverse and innovative sourcing solutions. This will include analysis, market research, identification and qualification of suppliers, preparation of tender documentation, management of sourcing processes, analysing supplier responses, project management and stakeholder management.
Influence, develop and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders; internal customers, such as Team Leaders, Divisional Heads, Directors and Local Managing Partners and external supply partners/providers
Support the development of the Global Procurement Strategy and Policies across the firm which build on our vision and goals
The Category Manager will be expected to support the Head of Procurement in establishing and strengthening the Procurement function within Kennedys. This will involve the creation and communication of governance.
Lead the supplier engagement programme to embed sustainable procurement within our supply chain, ensure adherence to our Supplier Code of Conduct and implement steps to reduce the carbon emissions from our purchased goods and services
Manage the continuous improvement of the firm's procurement processes and reporting, to track spend and supplier performance, fulfil ESG reporting requirements and provide effective commercial insight by identifying areas of risk to be addressed
Develop and deliver appropriate procurement and contract management training across the firm

Required Experience

IT and Technology procurement experience, with exposure to strategic spend categories.
Proven ability to develop and deliver long-term category and sourcing strategies.
Experience managing high-value procurement projects, including supplier negotiations and contract management.
Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and drive commercial outcomes.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 3,000 people in 45 offices across 18 countries around the world we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive, distinctive and ambitious. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.

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