Financial & Professional Services Category Manager

Job Introduction

As a Professional & Financial Services Category Manager at Sodexo, you are a strategic thinker and a dynamic leader. You will play a critical role in managing our professional and financial services categories, driving efficiency, and enhancing our commercial competitiveness across the UK and Ireland. Your efforts will help us identify and increase the usage of preferred suppliers, actively reducing the supply chain in the relevant categories. This role will challenge you to innovate and implement strategies that contribute to our sustainability goals and commercial performance.

Join Sodexo and be part of something greater. You belong in a team where you can act with purpose and thrive in your own way.

Why This Role Excites You:

Leading this role means devising and implementing sourcing strategies that significantly improve our commercial performance while ensuring compliance and risk mitigation. You will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with global supply management teams, ensuring seamless integration and alignment across regions. Your contributions will drive Sodexo’s leadership in sustainability through responsible sourcing practices. Building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders and suppliers will be essential, providing a platform to influence and innovate within a dynamic and inclusive environment that values your unique contributions.

• Manage the assigned categories autonomously, establishing close relationships with the supply relationship management and deployment teams.
• Ensure good alignment and onboarding of key stakeholders within the Service Operations platform.
• Generate savings and increase revenues by optimising agreements and aligning with global contracts.
• Negotiate regional agreements to secure the best net prices and improve commercial terms.
• Set up, initiate, and maintain professional relationships with the regional supplier network to reinforce Sodexo’s image and credibility, and to identify technological developments and innovations from the supplier base.
• Work with Supply Management Finance to ensure robust reporting and measurement of the Global Supply Management performance.

• Experience in Buying/Category Management (3-5 years) with a proven track record in contract negotiation.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural and matrix environment.
• Strong presentation skills, both verbally and written.
• Graduate calibre and working towards CIPS/ISM or equivalent qualification.
• Team player with excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Financial acumen and result-oriented.
• Fluency in English; French or Spanish a plus.
• Flexibility for international travel where required.
• Indirect experience is a must-have, including experience in services procurement and indirect categories such as Recruitment, Temporary Labour, consulting, audit services, payments, or financial services.
• Experience in multi-site procurement across diverse sectors such as Healthcare, Public Sector, Corporate Services, and Pharma.

• Performance-related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme 
• Life assurance
• A flexible benefits fund to utilise a range of benefits 
• Insurance (PMI), dental, gym memberships, retail / hospitality discounts, etc. 

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.