Senior Global Category Manager - Travel and Mobility
Be part of something greater.
- Job reference: SDX/TP/1129899/150890
- Location: Remote
- Job type: Full Time - 40 hours per week
- Salary: Competitive salary depending on experience
About the role
Location
: Stevenage, UK (Preferred)
Reporting to: Global Supply Management Category Director for Indirect Services
Travel: Up to 10-20%, mainly across Europe
Join Sodexo as a Senior Category Buyer – Travel & Mobility
and play a key role in shaping our global procurement strategy. We’re looking for a commercially minded and strategic procurement professional to lead sourcing initiatives across our Travel and Car Fleet categories. This is a fantastic opportunity to manage high-impact supplier relationships, drive performance across multiple countries, and collaborate with a global network of procurement specialists.
If you’re a strategic, adaptable procurement professional with experience across multiple categories and a foundation in Travel and / or Mobility categories solutions, we encourage you to apply and help shape Sodexo’s procurement future.
Key Responsibilities
- Category Management: Own and drive category strategies for Travel and Car Fleet across defined geographies. Ensure business alignment, cost optimization, supplier innovation, and full integration of Sodexo CSR ambition.
- Strategic Sourcing: Lead end-to-end sourcing processes including RFI/RFP preparation, evaluation, supplier selection, negotiation, and implementation. Ensure robust governance and stakeholder engagement throughout.
- Supplier Relationship Management: Manage day-to-day supplier performance and act as the key point of contact for strategic vendors, ensuring service delivery and issue resolution.
- Network Animation: Lead and coordinate a network of local buyers. Share best practices, ensure consistency of sourcing approaches, and drive local implementation of strategic initiatives.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Engage cross-functional stakeholders (Finance, HR, Operations, Legal) to ensure business needs are fully integrated into category plans and sourcing decisions.
- Market Intelligence: Monitor trends and innovations in the mobility ecosystem to identify cost-saving or improvement opportunities.
- Contract Management: Negotiate and manage supplier contracts in close coordination with Sodexo Legal teams.
- Data & Reporting: Define KPIs and reporting frameworks to track category performance, savings delivery, and supplier KPIs. Contribute to management reporting and category dashboards.
Unique Challenges of the Role
The ideal candidate brings strong procurement expertise, a track record of independently managing complex sourcing projects, and the ability to influence in a matrixed and multicultural environment.
This position requires agility, strategic thinking, and strong stakeholder management to succeed in an environment marked by:
- Decentralized Procurement Landscape: Aligning diverse local practices with a harmonized category strategy.
- Data Limitations: Navigating incomplete or fragmented spend and usage data to support strategic decisions.
- Change Management: Challenging the status quo and embedding new ways of working across teams and geographies.
Profile – Key Skills & Experience
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain, or equivalent.
- Experience: Extensive experience in procurement; with proven experience leading Travel and/or Car Fleet sourcing projects..
- Leadership: Strong project leadership skills with ability to manage cross-functional teams and influence without authority.
- Autonomy & Accountability: Comfortable working independently and taking full ownership of strategic initiatives.
- Communication and Interpersonal skills: Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, capable of interacting with senior leaders and local buyers alike.
- Analytical & Strategic Mindset: Able to combine strong analytical capabilities with a long-term category vision. Skilled at working with complex and fragmented data sets to identify spend patterns, build robust business cases, quantify savings opportunities, and support strategic decision-making. Comfortable with data tools and KPIs, and able to translate insights into actionable sourcing lever.
- Language: Fluent in English; French is a plus.
Ready to be part of something greater? Apply today!
About The Company
At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.
We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities, and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be natural, and be the best versions of themselves. We recognise that we’re on a journey with regards to diversity and inclusion and would therefore welcome applications for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
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.
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KEY BENEFITS
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Advice and guidance
Get help with legal, financial, personal or work issues whenever you need it. -
Pension Plan
Save effectively for your future when you join the Sodexo Pension Plan. -
Wellbeing support
Unlimited access to online support for your mental health, 24/7. -
Generous leave
For holidays, care needs or major life events, we’ll help you rest and recharge. -
Discounts and savings
Enjoy great deals from leading retailers and use our Bike to Work scheme -
Virtual GP
24-hour access to video or phone consultations for you and your family.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At our company, we believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Roles at Sodexo are designed to empower individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an environment that values equity and supports the growth of all employees, ensuring that everyone can contribute to and benefit from our collective success.
Social Impact
Ever since we started, we’ve had a clear purpose – to do some good in our communities through helping people. Today, that purpose is still a huge part of who we are. And every one of our colleagues helps that happen.
We’re committed to volunteering our time, resources, skills and knowledge – more than 50% of colleagues contribute to thousands of volunteer hours every year. And our Charitable Foundation has now donated over £9 million to charities and good causes across the country.
Remote, United Kingdom, WC1B 5HA
Register your interest
Join us at Sodexo and explore the exciting career opportunities we offer! Whether you're interested in hospitality, facilities management, or food services, we invite you to set up a profile and become part of our vibrant team.