Job Description

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For over 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity. Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in the more than 100 countries. We connect. We inspire. Global Category Manager Role Context We are seeking two category managers with experience of any combination of the following sectors: HR, Finance (banking, payment solutions), Consultancy, Marketing and Advertising. Interested candidates can apply for one or both roles. We reserve the right to assign specific sector / category responsibility based on candidates experience. Join our Procurement Leadership Team as a Global Category Manager, where you'll oversee and drive the strategic management of a designated category on a global scale. In this pivotal role, you'll act as an expert advisor, providing essential guidance across the procurement function for your category. Your responsibilities will include leading innovative initiatives to enhance procurement strategies and processes, ensuring streamlined efficiency, and delivering cost-effective solutions. Through your expertise, you'll oversee and refine the methodologies involved in procuring the relevant category requirements, contributing to both operational excellence and financial optimization. This is your chance to make a lasting impact and advance procurement practices on a global stage. Role Purpose Step into the role of Global Category Manager and become a vital part of our Procurement Leadership Team. Our procurement function operates through clusters, serving three core stakeholder groups: English and Exams, Cultural Engagement, and Business Operations. Together, we champion commercial best practices, delivering outstanding procurement efficiency and substantial value year on year. As Global Category Manager, you will lead the development of multi-year category plans, spanning diverse stakeholder groups and countries within your designated category. You'll play a strategic role in devising, designing, and executing global and organisation-wide category strategies, unlocking value for our operations. Your expertise will drive short-term and long-term category plans, ensuring seamless collaboration with cluster support and a comprehensive global perspective. By nurturing relationships with stakeholders and external suppliers, you will enhance category planning and implementation. You'll inspire innovation, champion new ideas, and act as a strategic influencer, shaping procurement excellence for the benefit of the organisation and its customers. This is your opportunity to lead with impact and redefine procurement success. Role Accountabilities Take on the exciting role of Global Category Manager and bring your expertise to our dynamic Procurement Leadership Team. As part of the management team, you will spearhead short- and long-term strategies across a designated category, ensuring alignment with procurement's overarching objectives. Your role will involve designing and implementing innovative solutions for category needs, supporting Cluster Heads and stakeholders with both immediate remedies and future planning. You will have the opportunity to shape and execute departmental learning and development initiatives, driving continuous improvement in procurement capabilities. With your strategic mindset, you'll balance operational and long-term objectives, ensuring the commercial agenda remains impactful and relevant. Drawing on your deep functional expertise, you'll provide professional advice, guidance, and challenge to stakeholders, refining procurement governance and risk management practices. Your commitment to ongoing professional development and contribution to the training of peers will enhance procurement proficiency across the board. As a relationship-builder, you'll establish credible and effective partnerships within the network, fostering trust, inspiring collaboration, and championing knowledge sharing. Your role will influence strategic direction and encourage adherence to aligned practices, even across cross-functional and international teams. In this leadership role, you'll manage priorities, develop talent, and cultivate a team culture that thrives on enthusiasm, success, and ethical action. You'll model change leadership, inspiring others to embrace new approaches and driving transformation in alignment with organisational values. Your analytical and problem-solving skills will play a critical role in understanding complex procurement challenges and opportunities. You'll create compelling business cases to influence decision-makers and introduce significant improvements to policies and practices. You'll contribute to service improvement and corporate projects, ensuring compliance with corporate policies and championing better ways of working. Collaborating with key suppliers, you'll ensure category plans and procurement practices align with best practices, delivering tangible benefits to the organisation. This is your chance to lead with impact, combining commercial judgment and expertise to elevate procurement practices and deliver meaningful change. Qualifications & Experience: Extensive experience of working in a similar role at a similar level managing a category management team or procurement teams at a strategic level. In-depth understanding of the Category Management process In-depth understanding of own category and suppliers in each category; able to rank effectively suppliers according to category priorities Significant understanding of legal and operational risks Good understanding of Category Management provisions Good business understanding across industry Important Information: British Council Pay band: 8 Location: UK (London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester and anyone on pre-existing homeworking contracts in the UK) Contract type: Indefinite Closing Date: 24 August 2025 (10:59 PM UK Time) You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. There is no relocation or sponsorship support. British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview. A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world. Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities. The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council's Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children. If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our 'ASK HR' email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.