Global Category Buyer

Job Introduction

Are you looking for a position with huge potential and opportunity? We have opened a Global Category Buyer for ambitious, passionate and highly capable Buyers who have operated on a global scale to join our team.

You will drive, implement and execute Category Management, Strategic Sourcing and Supplier Relationship Management within an assigned group of spend categories with the ultimate objective of leveraging and securing Sodexo supplier base to support its current and future business requirements, whilst mitigating risks.  

You’ll be stretched and challenged in this role to ensure you perform at the highest levels but with this comes substantial opportunity to develop and further your career in a global organisation.​

You'll work from home, but some travel will be required to Stevenage office (ones a month).

Role Responsibility

Category Management 

• Contribute to the development and drive the implementation of category strategies to deliver cost effective and risk management category solutions for assigned categories, whilst maintaining compliance to company policies and supporting delivery of the CSR commitments. 

• Business intelligence and benchmark activities, including supplier and market commodities analysis in support of category development and management.  

• Ensure a good alignment and on boarding of stakeholders within Food Platform, Segments, Regional SM, Quality and CSR teams. 

• Build and facilitate a strong “Category Network” across the regions.

Strategic Sourcing 

• Lead cross regional and functional sourcing teams with joint accountability for technical and quality performance. 

• Prepare and execute the RFx process in collaboration with stakeholders including supplier evaluation and selection. 

• Contribute to the long-term business performance by delivering competitive total cost of ownership. 

Supplier Relationship 

• Manage and monitor suppliers’ performance in accordance with Sodexo’s supplier segmentation criteria. 

• Collaborate with suppliers to identify efficiency opportunities, technological developments, or innovations from the supply base to be introduced to Sodexo. 

• Monitor and manage supplier risks, including financial performance and Health and Safety. 

Work with SM Finance to ensure robust reporting and measurement of the Global Supply Management financial performance 

The Ideal Candidate

• Bachelor’s degree with CIPS / ISM or equivalent qualification. 

• Procurement experience of >5 years acquired within or outside of Sodexo group. 

• Proven record of developing and delivering category management and sourcing strategies. 

• International experience in a matrix multi-cultural organization. 

• Experience of working with cross-functional stakeholders. 

• Leads for high performance. 

• Negotiation skills. 

• Stakeholder focus. 

• Builds engagement. 

• Team player. 

• Leads change. 

• Project management skills. 

• Proactive approach. 

• Results driven. 

• Communication and presentation skills. 

• Analytical skills. 

• Proficiency with MS Office, including Power BI. 

Package Description

Competitive salary + great benefits and bonus package

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.

Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx); employee engagement and recognition services (Sodexo Engage) and personal home services through Prestige Nursing + Care and the Good Care Group.

Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are.

Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer; we welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.

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 are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process