Senior Category Manager

Senior Category Manager

£56,000 to £75,000

Warwick (Hybrid, 3 days office, 2 days remote)

About us

National Gas is securing Britain’s energy. We transport gas throughout Great Britain, repair and maintain gas pipelines, and manage the meters that allow millions of homes and businesses to access the energy they need. We are the national gas network, providing secure energy to power Britain, achieve net zero, and maintain our industrial competitiveness.

About the role

Are you passionate about driving strategic change and making a tangible impact on how a business secures its future? At National Gas, we’re looking for a Senior Category Manager to lead the way in our Physical Security category, delivering innovative sourcing strategies and building supplier partnerships that keep our operations resilient and ahead of the curve.

This is a pivotal role where your expertise will directly influence the safety, efficiency, and value delivered across our supply chain. You’ll set the strategic direction for high-value, high-complexity spend areas, ensuring our sourcing and supplier management not only meet today’s needs but anticipate tomorrow’s challenges.

What you'll be doing

• Developing and executing category and sourcing strategies for complex, high-value spend areas.
• Leading strategic sourcing projects: market analysis, supplier identification, tender management, negotiation, and contract award.
• Managing supplier performance and driving continuous improvement through a centrally coordinated supplier relationship programme.
• Collaborating with regional and central teams to align supply chain strategies and share best practices.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key suppliers, ensuring National Gas is a client of choice.
• Supporting governance, risk, and compliance management to mitigate business risks.
• Coaching and mentoring colleagues, sharing your expertise to elevate the whole team.

About you

You’re a confident communicator and a natural collaborator, able to build trust and influence at all levels. Your analytical mindset and proactive approach mean you thrive in dynamic environments and are always looking for ways to add value.

Key requirements & experience

Essential:

• Proven experience in strategic sourcing or supply chain management, with a track record of delivering results and driving continuous improvement.
• Deep understanding of category spend analysis, sourcing processes, and supplier management.
• Hands-on experience in procurement activities: requirement definition, sourcing planning, supplier management, competitive bidding, negotiation, and contract management.
• Strong commercial acumen, stakeholder management, and advanced negotiation skills.
• Experience working with UCR2016 and PA23.
• A desire to get out and about meeting suppliers, getting to site and learning about the business and category.

Desirable:

• Category experience (Physical Security).
• MCIPS Chartership.
• Knowledge and understanding of construction contracts (preferably NEC4 ECC/ECSC).

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

• Annual bonus of 15% based on personal and company performance 
• 28 days’ holiday plus statutory holidays - option available to buy extra or sell days 
• Overtime at x1.5 normal and then x2 on Sunday
• Double-match pension scheme - for every £1 you put in, we'll add £2 (max company contribution 12%) 
• Opt-In flexible benefit scheme, including salary sacrifice private healthcare, dental insurance, technology plans and more 
• Financial protection with 10x salary death in service and financial support if you're unable to work due to long term illness or injury 
• Excellent family friendly provisions - maternity/paternity/adoption/surrogacy/shared parental leave 
• Career progression, professional training and development – including access to LinkedIn Learning 
• Employee assistance programme offering free confidential professional counselling 24/7 
• Financial support to help you cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions 
• Flexible working hours 
• Free gym and exercise classes, subsidised canteen and coffee shop onsite at our Warwick office 
• Free parking 

Inclusive recruitment

At National Gas, we are disability confident and we are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve. We celebrate the different experiences our colleagues bring to our organisation, and strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply. Please let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need to perform your best.

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