Category Manager jobs
The category manager will be responsible for overseeing the procurement of his or her category of goods. As well as maintaining the smooth running of the process, the manager will also need to be able to identify savings and efficiencies in the system, both from actual trading figures and from forecasts, the commission of which the manager will be in charge of, usually with the help of a team of analysts.
The manager could well have a good deal of independence when it comes to dealing with his or her category. Senior management will have come up with targets and it will be down to the individual managers to use their procurement skills and knowledge of the sector to meet those targets without impacting on the efficient running of the company’s operations.
Since procurement is an activity that takes place between, rather than within, companies, the procurement manager will also need to form excellent relationships with the suppliers. He or she must keep constant lines of communication open with suppliers to inform them of expected fluctuations in demand and to listen to any concerns they have that demands cannot be met, whether or not it is their fault. By knowing the suppliers’ businesses well (which will often require at least some contact with their suppliers), more precise plans can be made and anticipated shortfalls of supply can be mitigated by seeking secondary suppliers. A great deal of trust and understanding needs to exist between the two parties if such openness is to succeed, although good quality contracting skills will also help matters.
The skills required
Interpersonal skills are the mainstay of any management role, but procurement category managers have a particularly important need, as they will be dealing not only with people from their own company, but also those from the suppliers. Although both companies’ fortunes may well be bound by each other’s success, being able to engender trust and communication is a key trait to possess. Negotiation skills will also be required.
Many employers will request that applicants are full members of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, the recognised professional body overseeing procurement. Some will assist successful applicants with becoming full members.
Being full up to speed with procurement software will be a requirement, but aptitude with general office solutions will be essential for reporting and communication to all parties, internal and external.
Category Manager Jobs in Dundee
Dundee is an industrious city that has changed its roles many times over the centuries. Its North Sea-facing front made it ideal for whaling, and the industries that surround it, such as boatbuilding, whale oil processing and jute manufacture (it was discovered that jute could be lubricated with whale oil). Those industries are gone now, but after World War II the city was to have something of a boom. The company NCR set up in Dundee, initially making shop cash registers, and later moving on to making banks’ cash machines. The company was also a pioneer of the now-ubiquitous magnetic strips, and also made computers.
The electronics company Morphy Richards was formed and based in Dundee after a merger, and Michelin tyre factory was also established. All this time, industry worked along shipbuilding, but by the 1980s this industry was in terminal decline. Along came Timex, who manufactured Sir Clive Sinclair’s ZX Spectrum in the city; this home computer was a huge success, owing to its colour graphics and reasonable price. However the Timex factory closed in the early 1990s.
The city was also a publishing magnet, and many a child grew up reading DC Thompson’s famous output: Beano, Dandy and the gung-ho Commando comic books. And when they grew up, they played Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, developed by Dundee’s Rockstar Games. There is also a strong biomedical and biotech industry in the city.
Dundee is such a thriving place that no short article can do it justice. And of course, all this moving of materials and products, and the servicing of its 150,000 population means that Category Manager positions are regularly required.
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Cast UK’s procurement opportunities
If you’re looking for a job in procurement, whether you’re relocating for personal reasons or are simply looking for more job fulfilment, there could well be an employer who’s looking for the skills you have, so please get in touch with Cast UK. At any given time, we have jobs all over the UK, so wherever you live, or plan to live, we are well placed to find work that suits your skills.
We were founded by specialists in the logistics, supply chain and procurement trade, and our consultants are also drawn from these backgrounds, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for. Employers often approach us to find managerial and executive candidates, so if you’re in procurement, supply chain or logistics, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Category Manager for your business or find you a job as a Category Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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