UK Sourcing Category Manager / Third Party Risk Lead

• Location: Dorking, Surrey, UK
• Job Posting End Date: November 26
• Who are we?
• We’re a specialist employee benefits provider, striving to create healthy, happy workplaces. As part of the international Unum Group, we’re on a collective mission to help the working world thrive.

The role

What will you be doing?

.

.

The UK Category Manager / TPRM Lead develops and executes category, sourcing, supplier and/or third-party risk strategies that deliver sustainable commercial value, operational resilience, regulatory compliance and strong supplier performance.

Acting as a trusted adviser, the role manages strategic and critical suppliers across the supplier lifecycle and works with business, Legal, Risk and Compliance stakeholders to ensure supplier arrangements support Unum’s objectives and regulatory obligations. As part of a global organisation, the UK Category Manager looks to collaborate/leverage/adapt global category strategies and supplier relationships in order to drive best outcomes for the UK arm of the business.

This role provides the opportunity to bring your strengths and expand breadth of skills and experience across Sourcing, procurement excellence, sustainability and third-party risk management to shape strategic supplier relationships across critical business and technology services while driving commercial value, supplier performance, operational resilience and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will be a natural collaborator and play a key role in supporting Unum's business objectives and strategy.

Category Strategy and Commercial Management

○ Develop and execute category strategies and strategic roadmaps aligned with business priorities, market conditions and future requirements.

○ Use market intelligence, benchmarking and commercial analysis to identify opportunities, shape decisions and optimise total value.

○ Lead end-to-end sourcing activity, including requirements challenge, supplier evaluation, RFI/RFP processes, negotiation, contracting and supplier selection.

Business Partnership

• ○ Build trusted relationships with business leaders and stakeholders, developing a strong understanding of their objectives, risks and priorities.
• ○ Provide clear commercial and supplier advice, influence decision-making and constructively challenge requirements to achieve effective, sustainable and risk-based outcomes.
• Supplier Management and Governance
• ○ Manage strategic and critical supplier relationships across the supplier lifecycle, ensuring continued alignment with contractual commitments, service expectations and business needs.
• ○ Establish and lead proportionate supplier governance, performance reviews and improvement plans to strengthen accountability, service quality, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Third-Party Risk, Resilience and Compliance
• ○ Ensure sourcing and supplier management activities comply with internal governance and applicable regulatory requirements, including FCA and PRA outsourcing expectations where relevant.
• ○ Lead or coordinate supplier due diligence and risk assessments, incorporating operational, financial, contractual, concentration, information security and resilience considerations into decisions.
• ○ Support the governance of material outsourcing and critical supplier arrangements, including ongoing assurance, transition and exit planning, whilst aligning with Operational teams on business continuity, operational resilience.
• ○ Partner with Legal, Risk, Compliance and other control functions to maintain effective third-party oversight and timely resolution of risks and issues.
• Performance and Improvement
• ○ Measure and report category, supplier, risk and commercial outcomes against agreed objectives, using insight to drive corrective action and continuous improvement.
• ○ Lead Procurement excellence and wider business initiatives to streamline processes, enhance ways of working, and the value Sourcing can bring to the business.
• ○ Contribute to Strategic Sourcing priorities and undertake other responsibilities appropriate to the role.
• What will you bring?
• .
• .
• Additional Locations: London, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK