Category Manager - Explosives

Location: Reading area

If you’d like to be considered for this opportunity we encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment as if applications are high the role will close before the closing date given.

Role: Category Manager - Explosives

Job Family: Commercial

Grade: C1

Additional Info:Applications are welcomed from across the business, however at this time those employees currently going through a formal consultation process will take priority for interview.

We thank you for your understanding at this time. Any questions, please speak to the Recruiter or your Senior People and Culture Partner.

Let us introduce the role

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategy across an assigned sub-group of categories, delivering value-driven activities and compliance across the commercial lifecycle. They shall possess proficient category expertise in their category and its group of sub-categories.

The role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders from across Commercial and the AWE business to ensure delivery of the commercial pipeline in line with the agreed prioritisation, whilst also ensuring their category strategies align with business requirements and support delivery of AWE business goals.

The role will also be responsible for overseeing the contract management lifecycle and supplier relationships for a portfolio of medium value and complexity contracts to ensure business operational requirements are met efficiently, effectively through the performance of supplier contracts and in alignment with business strategic goals.

This role is responsible for identifying and mitigating contractual risk and fostering positive relationships with key suppliers to drive value and performance.

The role reports to a Senior or Principal Category Manager for the respective category.

Key Accountabilities

• Manages and fosters effective relationships cross-functionally, ensuring functional and business wide alignment.
• Develops and executes category strategies which are aligned with corporate objectives.
• Conducts thorough market analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities that influence decision-making and keeps up to date with market trends and best practice for their categories.
• Establishes strong relationships with key suppliers within the category to align on shared objectives.
• Prepares, leads and supports negotiations which secure optimal terms, fostering long-term partnerships while delivering value to the business.
• Commercially manages medium value and complexity supplier contracts through the entire contract lifecycle, including renewals, amendments, and terminations.
• Collaborates with operational teams, Legal, Finance, and any other relevant teams to ensure effective implementation and management of contract and supplier relationships, ensuring all terms and performance requirements are understood and met.
• Monitors and identifies risk in the sub-category, working closely with the Commercial Enablement team to feed into the functional overarching risk management plan whilst also ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies.
• Supports the operational teams within the agreed performance-management frameworks, including KPIs and SLAs reviews, working collaboratively with operational contract management representatives in AWE.

Essential Criteria

• Compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.
• Must have proven professional experience.
• Experience of working in a Procurement / Commercial function.
• Experience in managing smaller, lower complexity categories of spend in a relevant area.
• Experience in preparing and executing procurements incorporating tender documentation, evaluation criteria, tender analysis, negotiations and contracting.
• Experience of managing contracts, contract management and SRM activities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite specifically Excel.
• Negotiation and contract management skills.
• Knowledge and application of contractual arrangements.
• Ability to interpret and analyse financial analysis.
• A natural analytical thinker with ability to align business priorities to commercial outcomes.
• Good stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable with a degree of ambiguity and changing priorities.
• All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance for this role.

Next steps

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know

We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.

You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.

We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.

Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.