Stategic Category Lead

What you’ll be responsible for

The Strategic Category Lead drives value through comprehensive category management across the procurement life cycle. This includes developing and implementing category strategies, market insights, strategic sourcing, contracting, supplier relationship management, and performance evaluation. They shape the procurement function's strategic direction, including the Strategic Category Management Plan and Corporate Procurement Strategy.

This role embeds a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and collaboration, aligning with Welsh Water’s corporate objectives and sustainability goals. Additionally, the Strategic Category Lead advances the professional development of the procurement team and the use of best-in-class tools and techniques, such as e-auctions and data analytics.

• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with Welsh Water’s objectives to drive long-term value, efficiency, and resilience.
• Conduct market analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, influencing supply markets to drive competition, innovation, and sustainability.
• Lead high-value sourcing exercises, including tendering, supplier selection, and evaluation, ensuring optimal commercial and operational outcomes.
• Develop and implement contracting strategies that maximize value, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Lead contract negotiations to secure favourable commercial terms and align with business needs and governance requirements.
• Build and manage strategic supplier relationships to foster collaboration, continuous improvement, innovation, and value creation.
• Implement supplier performance management frameworks to ensure accountability, service excellence, and alignment with Welsh Water’s objectives.
• Oversee commercial management across the contract lifecycle to ensure cost control, risk mitigation, and delivery of long-term value.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial, operational, and regulatory risks across procurement activities and the supply chain.
• Lead and develop a high-performing procurement team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional excellence.

Who you’ll work with

Internal

• Dwr Cymru Executive Team including Managing Directors and key business stakeholders

• Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Operational Teams

• Commercial Teams

• Category Managers and Procurement Teams

External

• Suppliers and Contractors

• Industry Partners and Regulators

• Other Water Companies

• Technology and Market Insight Providers

About you

• Extensive experience in procurement and supply chain management, with a proven ability to develop and execute category strategies aligned to business needs, market dynamics, and regulatory requirements.
• Significant expertise in leading complex, high-value category management initiatives, including supplier market shaping, competitive sourcing, and demand management.
• Proven ability to manage supplier relationships strategically within a category framework, ensuring performance accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Leadership experience in building high-performing category teams, embedding best practice procurement methodologies, and developing future category leaders.
• Deep category expertise, including a comprehensive understanding of supply chain structures, key suppliers, emerging market trends, and cost drivers relevant to the assigned category.
• Expert knowledge of category-specific risk factors, including supply continuity risks, price volatility, regulatory changes, and contractual exposure.
• Advanced knowledge of contracting and commercial negotiation techniques, with a focus on securing favourable terms and risk mitigation in large, complex agreements.

Good to know

This is a hybrid working role and you will be required to be on site in our Newport or Cardiff office 1/2 days a week or on occasion when there is a business need.

Benefits

We know that if our employees are happy, our customers are happy. That’s why we offer a great benefits package. As one of the biggest companies in Wales, our reward and benefits package includes:

• Market competitive salary

• Annual incentive scheme (bonus) – maximum opportunity 15% of base salary

• Employer pension scheme up to 11%

• Flexible working considered

• Relocation considered

• Onsite carpark

• 28 days annual leave plus public holidays

• Private healthcare

• Generous range of employee benefits and discounts

• And many, many more.

Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment

Please note, we may close this role sooner if required. We may also extend the original closing date depending on interest.

Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business. For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision. This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them. The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work.

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.