Category Manager (fixed-term)

Join Us

At Vodafone, we’re not just shaping the future of connectivity for our customers – we’re shaping the future for everyone who joins our team. When you work with us, you’re part of a global mission to connect people, solve complex challenges, and create a sustainable and more inclusive world. If you want to grow your career whilst finding the perfect balance between work and life, Vodafone offers the opportunities to help you belong and make a real impact.

What you’ll do

Your Role in the VP &C 

As a Global Category Manager & Supply Chain Business Partner, you will act as a strategic partner to regional stakeholders across Vodafone Business International entities and Sales teams. You will lead sourcing, supplier selection and commercial negotiations, including contracts and pricing, to support Vodafone’s global strategy and customer solutions. 

Your role is critical during the bid phase, where you will shape competitive supplier propositions, and continues through the full contract lifecycle to ensure strong supplier performance, governance, compliance and value delivery. You will deliver optimal contracts on time, maximise B2B contract value and margin, create savings, centrally manage spend targets and ensure delivery aligns with Vodafone’s global standards, including ethical purchasing, health, safety and wellbeing requirements. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, innovative and self-driven procurement professional with a track record of delivering ambitious targets. You will provide a single interface between Supply Chain Management and Enterprise account teams, ensuring seamless collaboration across sourcing, contract management, supplier governance and customer delivery. You will also support the Sales team in winning Vodafone Business customer bids, linking procurement activity directly to revenue growth, margin and customer experience. 

You will:

Lead supplier selection and commercial strategy

• Develop and execute sourcing and negotiation strategies to deliver cost efficiencies and value creation.
• Lead supplier selection for customer bids and shape competitive commercial propositions.
• Align business requirements with Vodafone’s global category strategies.

Drive end-to-end supplier lifecycle management 

• Manage supplier relationships across the full contract lifecycle.
• Ensure contractual compliance, performance management and risk mitigation.
• Monitor supplier KPIs and minimise value leakage through robust contract management.

Act as a strategic business partner 

• Serve as the key interface between SCM and Vodafone Business stakeholders.
• Build strong, credible relationships with internal functions and account teams.
• Influence demand, challenge requirements and drive demand management excellence.

Contribute to category strategy and market insight 

• Support global category strategies, sourcing decisions and supplier roadmaps.
• Provide insight on market dynamics, supplier ecosystems and commercial models.
• Contribute to product, partner and alliance roadmaps.

Support revenue growth and customer delivery 

• Enable successful customer bids through strong supplier propositions.
• Support delivery of global enterprise solutions with compliant and competitive supplier contracts.
• Ensure alignment with revenue growth, customer experience and margin objectives.

Leverage tools, governance and innovation 

• Use BI and procurement tools, such as SAP and AVA, to identify opportunities and track performance.
• Apply Design-to-Cost and global sourcing initiatives.
• Drive SCM governance, programme assurance and benefits tracking.

Work agile and collaboratively 

• Operate across a global matrix organisation.
• Lead and participate in cross-functional and cross-category initiatives.
• Collaborate effectively across regions using digital tools.

Who you are

Core Competencies 

• Business Partnering: Build strong stakeholder relationships to drive performance and value.
• Commercial Contract Management: Protect Vodafone’s interests and ensure contractual value delivery.
• Demand Optimisation: Analyse and influence demand in line with strategy and budgets.
• Procurement Negotiation: Deliver optimal outcomes through effective negotiation.
• Market Insight & Strategy: Apply industry knowledge to support sourcing and category strategy. 

You must have 

• Bachelor’s and/or Engineering degree.
• Minimum of 3 years’ procurement experience.
• Strong communication, analytical and conceptual thinking skills.
• Ability to work across cultures, hierarchies and international matrix environments.
• Ability to prioritise and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Flexibility to manage varied projects, tasks and ambiguity.
• Excellent written and spoken English. 

It would be nice if you have 

• Solid experience in an Enterprise or B2B resell environment.
• Strong business acumen beyond procurement, with the ability to advise stakeholders on supplier markets. 

Not a perfect fit?

Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? At Vodafone we are passionate about empowering people and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to still apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another opportunity.

What's in it for you

We want you to feel happy and fulfilled at work, without compromising the other things in life that matter to you. Here are some of the ways we support this:
Annual Discretionary Bonus
•    28 days of annual leave, with the option to buy an additional 5 days and the opportunity to carry over 5 days per year
•    1 additional day (Family Day) for personal milestones or special occasions
•    11 public holidays to enjoy time with family and friends
•    5 charity days per year to give back to the community
Flexible Work Arrangements
•    Flexible working schedule to help you balance your professional and personal life 
•    20 days to work from abroad, allowing you to combine work with travel and new experiences
Comprehensive Health and Wellness
•    Lunch vouchers to support your midday meals
•    Access to private AXA health insurance and a robust pension scheme to secure your health and future
Continuous Learning and Development
•    Access to Vodafone University and online training resources to help you grow your skills and advance your career

Who we are

We are a leading international Telco, serving millions of customers. At Vodafone, we believe that connectivity is a force for good. If we use it for the things that really matter, it can improve people's lives and the world around us. Through our technology we empower people, connecting everyone regardless of who they are or where they live and we protect the planet, whilst helping our customers do the same.

Belonging at Vodafone isn't a concept; it's lived, breathed, and cultivated through everything we do. You'll be part of a global and diverse community, with many different minds, abilities, backgrounds and cultures. ;We're committed to increase diversity, ensure equal representation, and make Vodafone a place everyone feels safe, valued and included.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey, for example, extended time or breaks in between online assessments, please refer to https://careers.vodafone.com/application-adjustments/ for guidance.

Together we can.