Global Category Manager 8

We support peace and prosperity by building connections understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education arts culture language and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories we are on the ground in the more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

Role Context

We are seeking two category managers with experience of any combination of the following sectors: HR Finance (banking payment solutions) Consultancy Marketing and Advertising. Interested candidates can apply for one or both roles. We reserve the right to assign specific sector / category responsibility based on candidates experience.

Home working in a team based around Manchester / North West England

Join our Procurement Leadership Team as a Global Category Manager where youll oversee and drive the strategic management of a designated category on a global scale. In this pivotal role youll act as an expert advisor providing essential guidance across the procurement function for your category.

Your responsibilities will include leading innovative initiatives to enhance procurement strategies and processes ensuring streamlined efficiency and delivering costeffective solutions. Through your expertise youll oversee and refine the methodologies involved in procuring the relevant category requirements contributing to both operational excellence and financial optimization.

This is your chance to make a lasting impact and advance procurement practices on a global stage.

Role Purpose

Step into the role of Global Category Manager and become a vital part of our Procurement Leadership Team. Our procurement function operates through clusters serving three core stakeholder groups: English and Exams Cultural Engagement and Business Operations. Together we champion commercial best practices delivering outstanding procurement efficiency and substantial value year on year.

As Global Category Manager you will lead the development of multiyear category plans spanning diverse stakeholder groups and countries within your designated category. Youll play a strategic role in devising designing and executing global and organisationwide category strategies unlocking value for our operations.

Your expertise will drive shortterm and longterm category plans ensuring seamless collaboration with cluster support and a comprehensive global perspective. By nurturing relationships with stakeholders and external suppliers you will enhance category planning and implementation. Youll inspire innovation champion new ideas and act as a strategic influencer shaping procurement excellence for the benefit of the organisation and its customers. This is your opportunity to lead with impact and redefine procurement success.

Role Accountabilities

Take on the exciting role of Global Category Manager and bring your expertise to our dynamic Procurement Leadership Team. As part of the management team you will spearhead short and longterm strategies across a designated category ensuring alignment with procurements overarching objectives. Your role will involve designing and implementing innovative solutions for category needs supporting Cluster Heads and stakeholders with both immediate remedies and future planning.

You will have the opportunity to shape and execute departmental learning and development initiatives driving continuous improvement in procurement capabilities. With your strategic mindset youll balance operational and longterm objectives ensuring the commercial agenda remains impactful and relevant.

Drawing on your deep functional expertise youll provide professional advice guidance and challenge to stakeholders refining procurement governance and risk management practices. Your commitment to ongoing professional development and contribution to the training of peers will enhance procurement proficiency across the board.

As a relationshipbuilder youll establish credible and effective partnerships within the network fostering trust inspiring collaboration and championing knowledge sharing. Your role will influence strategic direction and encourage adherence to aligned practices even across crossfunctional and international teams.

In this leadership role youll manage priorities develop talent and cultivate a team culture that thrives on enthusiasm success and ethical action. Youll model change leadership inspiring others to embrace new approaches and driving transformation in alignment with organisational values.

Your analytical and problemsolving skills will play a critical role in understanding complex procurement challenges and opportunities. Youll create compelling business cases to influence decisionmakers and introduce significant improvements to policies and practices.

Youll contribute to service improvement and corporate projects ensuring compliance with corporate policies and championing better ways of working. Collaborating with key suppliers youll ensure category plans and procurement practices align with best practices delivering tangible benefits to the organisation.

This is your chance to lead with impact combining commercial judgment and expertise to elevate procurement practices and deliver meaningful change.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Extensive experience of working in a similar role at a similar level managing a category management team or procurement teams at a strategic level.
• Indepth understanding of the Category Management process
• Indepth understanding of own category and suppliers in each category; able to rank effectively suppliers according to category priorities
• Significant understanding of legal and operational risks
• Good understanding of Category Management provisions
• Good business understanding across industry

Important Information:

British Council Pay band: 8

Salary: Starting salary 38820 (open to discussion)

Benefits Include but are not limited to:

• 32 days annual leave in addition to public holidays
• 3 days volunteering leave
• Career average defined benefit pension scheme
• An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience youve built up working in and/or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world.

Location: Home working in a team based around Manchester / North West England

Contract type: Indefinite
Closing Date: 27th April

You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.

There is no relocation or sponsorship support.

British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion(EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from underrepresented groups in particular but not exclusively on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

The British Council iscommitted to safeguarding children young people and adults who we work with.

We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19 UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.

Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks reference checks identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Councils Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ASK HR email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.