Category Manager

Role Overview

Category Manager at Al Ghurair. The role leads and directs strategic procurement services across the Mobility and Taxi business categories, managing the end-to-end procurement lifecycle to deliver measurable commercial and operational value.

Role Purpose

Procure materials and services through strategic approach by choosing the right vendor while ensuring quality control and adhering to company policies and procedures. Manage the purchasing team and process, including sourcing, negotiation, supplier identification, new project mobilization, delivery, and supplier management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Development

• Perform spend analysis and plan long-term purchasing agreement and tender categories based on priority and needs.
• Identify and pre-qualify new potential suppliers.
• Prepare tender documents with necessary scope, technical and commercial evaluation.
• Arrange samples for approval from potential suppliers.
• Arrange e-auction to choose the right supplier.
• Prepare supplier contract agreements.

Operational Task Management

• Oversee and supervise the team and ensure timely purchase by adhering to company policies and procedures.
• Verify and approve purchase orders, authorisation request forms, and transport indents in the portal.
• Assess and source quotations from potential suppliers.
• Negotiate contracts, improved prices, payment and delivery terms with suppliers.
• Review opportunities to make business savings.

New Project Mobilization

• Understand the needs of the new project and formulate material and service delivery plan as per requirement and deadlines.
• Regularly update operation heads on the progress of mobilization and resolve any issues faced.
• Monitor and track spends within the allocated budget.

Supplier Performance Management & Evaluation

• Monitor suppliers and subcontractor performance in conjunction with store and site personnel.
• Evaluate performance of the contract and address any non-compliance.
• Evaluate supplier performance based on cost, quality of goods and services, competency, and consistency reports.
• Prepare reports on purchase order spend, open purchase orders, pending indents, and savings and present to management.
• Liaise with internal and external auditors during the auditing process to review different contracts and contracting processes.
• Determine the completeness, efficacy, and accuracy of procurement process to determine the success and failures while administering the procurement contracts.

Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Communicate with stakeholders regularly and arrange or attend internal and external meetings to address issues faced.
• Ensure that a professional and consistent approach is taken in relation to all supplier relationships.
• Strengthen the supplier relationship by earning their trust with honest communication, listening to their concerns, and involving them in the processes.
• Resolve any escalated issues.

Employee Engagement

• Engage employees in decision making and encourage them to take ownership.

Continuous Improvement

• Continuously perform market research by attending industry-related expos, conducting online research, and attending seminars.
• Identify and meet new potential suppliers and products.
• Identify areas of improvement to continually drive performance.
• Research and evaluate areas of opportunity and reduce costs where possible.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Engineering.
• Eight years of experience in soft service procurement.
• Strong automotive industry knowledge and hands-on experience in taxi and fleet procurement.
• Knowledge of sourcing and procurement techniques.
• Market intelligence on sources and trends.
• Experience in collecting and analyzing data.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Ability to manage high-value vehicle and fleet-related spend.

Skills & Competencies

• Soft services procurement and strategic sourcing.
• Category management.
• Analytical and critical thinking.
• Negotiation.
• Market intelligence.
• Procurement enterprise resource planning system and vendor portal.
• Cost benefit and price analysis.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Result-oriented.

Additional Information

• Develop strategic supplier relationships.
• Deliver measurable commercial and operational value to the business.
• Manage procurement risk across the Mobility and Taxi business categories.