Category Manager - Strategic Sourcing UK

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About Us

A career at Hitachi Rail will help create a legacy. With operations in every corner of the world, our work goes to the cutting-edge of digital transformation and technology. From the multi-cultural strength of our global organisation to the sustainable and innovative ways we work to bring people together, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. And that’s where you come in.

Job Description:

Job title: Category Manager Strategic Sourcing UK

Location: Flexible but must be willing to travel when required

Salary: £60,000 - £65,000 DOE

Your New Role

Join Us as a Category Manager – Strategic Sourcing UK. We’re looking for an experienced Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing across a diverse portfolio of indirect spend categories. In this role, you’ll develop short-, medium-, and long-term procurement strategies that deliver real value—optimizing costs, driving innovation, and strengthening supplier partnerships.

You’ll be at the heart of our procurement strategy, collaborating with stakeholders to prioritize projects and resources for maximum impact. Your ability to build strong relationships and influence at all levels will help us achieve breakthrough results.

We’re looking for a confident communicator with excellent presentation and facilitation skills with proven experience in category management—whether direct or indirect sourcing, and who can think strategically combined with a hands-on approach to delivering financial benefits.

We understand the importance of work-life balance. This role offers flexibility on location, with the expectation to commute to a UK site 2–3 days per week and travel as needed.

What you’ll be doing

• Excellent communicator, committed to ensuring the procurement delivers outstanding customer service and creates value through cost and/or service improvement.

• Own the category planning cycle for a portfolio of spend categories to deliver in-year and long term commercial targets aligned to business operating plans

• Execute category management strategies for long term breakthrough value achieving competitive advantage through cost reduction, quality, compliance, sustainability, risk mitigation and innovation from existing and new suppliers

• Accountable for sourcing, benchmarking, and negotiation activities within the category, ensuring compliance to all HRE processes, continuous improvement in terms of quality, service, and total cost of ownership in-line with business requirements. 

• Ensure financial targets for all spend categories are achieved within the portfolio.

• Apply advanced procurement methods (such as gain sharing, clean sheeting, reduced cost to serve) to improve the results of strategic sourcing.

• Identify strategic suppliers and partners through segmentation of spend on the basis of risk, criticality and volume of spend allocating time to areas that derive value.

• Approval of suitable suppliers for the commodity portfolio, ensuring HRE on-boarding process is followed.

• Establish roles and responsibilities for supplier governance to improve the alignment of supplier agreements with business partner objectives

• Develop continuous improvement plans with strategic suppliers to accelerate the development of supplier capabilities through collaboration, increasing value and pursuing further cost reduction.

• Undertake contract reviews of existing agreements and exploit opportunities to make in-contract life savings.

• Be a leading example of the Hitachi Rail mission, vision and values

• Adhere to company and functional policies and procedures.

• Manage the performance of direct reports conducting regular 1:1 meetings, coaching and mentoring personal development, and provide constructive feedback through appraisals.

About you

• Experienced procurement practitioner with the knowledge of strategic sourcing, category management processes and supplier management tools and techniques (although not specifically in the rail industry).

• Excellent communication and relationship building skills to be able to negotiate directly with suppliers for all contract provisions

• Strong analytical skills and action focussed to capitalise on identified opportunities

• Robust understanding of Contract law and contract drafting for different types of Product / Services.

• Appreciation of cost saving methodologies such as should-be cost modelling, value engineering, and logistics optimisation.

• Strong commercial acumen and data presentation skills with an ability to influence and persuade stakeholders

• Strong work ethic, highly motivated and able to work with minimum supervision

• Takes commitment seriously and does what they say they will do whilst holding others to account.

• Strong influencing, networking and team working skill.

• Experience and understanding of Contract Lifecycle Management tools

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (desirable)

• Member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or appropriate professional institute or relevant experience.

What we offer

We value the importance of all of our employees, if you would like to join our fantastic organisation you could be entitled to:

• Competitive salary

• 25 days holiday

• Pension scheme with contributions up to 9%

• Private medical insurance

• Personal Accident insurance

• Group Income protection

• Group Life Insurance

• Employee Assistance Programme

We also offer additional perks for you to choose from within a flexible plan that will meet your specific needs and lifestyle.

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Thank you for your interest in Hitachi Rail. If your application is of interest, we will be in contact. Please do not hesitate to discover more about us and our latest jobs at  https://www.hitachirail.com/careers.

At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

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