Senior Category Lead - Materials

SKILLSOOP's exclusive client is Australia’s leading construction, property, and finance company. This is an opportunity to take on a highly visible and impactful role where your strategic decisions will directly influence the cost base and competitive advantage of a major market leader. You will be empowered to innovate and drive significant commercial change within a supportive and dynamic culture.

The Senior Category Manager will be responsible for the strategic management and execution of the end-to-end procurement process for a large-scale portfolio predominantly covering building products, subcontractors, and core commodities. This role is critical in delivering substantial, sustainable cost savings and optimizing value across the ABN Group's supply chain. The successful candidate will leverage exceptional category strategy design and execution, build deep commercial acumen, and establish influential stakeholder engagement across the business.

Essential:

• Extensive experience (e.g., 7+ years) in a senior procurement or category management role, with a focus on large, complex spend portfolios (ideally $300M+).

• Demonstrable track record of designing and successfully executing multi-year category strategies that have delivered significant cost savings and TCO improvements.

• Deep commercial knowledge and technical understanding of the building products, construction, or relevant commodities market in Australia.

• Exceptional negotiation and contracting skills, with proven experience managing complex supplier relationships and contracts.

• High-level influencing and stakeholder management capabilities, with the ability to effectively communicate complex commercial concepts to non-procurement leaders.

• Strong analytical skills—adept at using data (spend analysis, market indices) to drive strategic decisions.

1. Category Strategy & Execution

• Design, develop, and implement best-in-class Category Strategies that align with ABN Group’s business objectives and growth plans.

• Conduct in-depth spend analysis, market research, and supplier performance reviews to identify and prioritize value-creation opportunities.

• Lead complex strategic sourcing initiatives from market engagement (RFI/RFP) through to negotiation and contract finalisation.

• Drive the transition from tactical purchasing to strategic category management, ensuring a unified approach across all ABN Group entities in the portfolio.

2. Commercial & Value Generation

• Accountable for delivering significant, measurable, and sustainable cost savings and total cost of ownership (TCO) reductions within the assigned portfolio.

• Develop and manage complex commercial agreements and contracts, ensuring favourable terms, risk mitigation, and performance guarantees.

• Monitor and forecast commodity price fluctuations and market trends, proactively developing strategies to mitigate inflationary risks and secure pricing advantage.

• Manage supplier relationships as strategic partnerships, driving innovation, continuous improvement, and mutual value.

3. Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Proactively engage and influence senior leaders, operational managers, and technical experts (e.g., Construction, Design, and Finance teams) to secure alignment and support for category strategies.

• Act as the procurement subject matter expert for the portfolio, providing market intelligence and commercial advice to internal stakeholders.

• Establish and lead cross-functional working groups to ensure category strategies are successfully embedded and adopted across the business.

4. Risk Management & Compliance

• Ensure the supplier base is compliant with all relevant ABN Group standards, industry regulations, and legal requirements, particularly relating to subcontractor compliance and building standards.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate supply chain risks (e.g., sole sourcing, quality control, geopolitical factors) within the portfolio.