Procurement Category Manager - Part Time 9 Months Contract

Job Title: Procurement Category Manager (Water Utility Services)
• Contract Type: Part-Time - 9-Month Contract
• Location: hybrid, mainly Remote
• Industry: Water Utilities (Government or Private Sector)
Role Overview:
We are seeking a highly skilled Procurement Category Manager with strong experience in the water utility industry to lead category strategy development and execution for direct/core services. This is a part-time contract role for 9 months, ideally suited for a professional with previous exposure to procurement in multinational environments across Europe, the Americas, Australia, or Malaysia. The successful candidate will bring deep knowledge of sourcing, supplier management, and contract strategy within the water sector, with a focus on operational service categories.
Key Responsibilities:
• Develop and implement strategic sourcing plans for direct service categories within the water utility industry.
• Manage the end-to-end procurement process, including market analysis, supplier selection, negotiations, and contract management.
• Engage internal stakeholders to understand service needs and align procurement strategies accordingly.
• Ensure value for money, compliance, and risk management in all sourcing activities.
• Monitor supplier performance and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Leverage industry best practices and global procurement experience to optimize category strategies.
Core Categories Under Management:
• Water and wastewater utility operations services
• NRW services
• Maintenance, inspection, and repair
• minor capital projects
• offgrid water transportation
Qualifications and Experience:
• Proven experience as a Procurement Category Manager or Strategic Sourcing Specialist in the water utility sector.
• Strong understanding of public and/or private procurement processes, particularly within utilities.
• International procurement exposure, preferably in Europe, North America, Australia, or Malaysia.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category strategies.
• Experience managing suppliers for operational and technical service categories.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and project management skills.
• Knowledge of applicable procurement regulations and compliance standards