Category Lead - IT & Automation

The Opportunity The Procurement Category Lead is responsible for the developing and execution of Strategic Sourcing Strategies for Indirect goods and/or services within a defined portfolio of CSL Enterprise wide spends. The I&T lead will be accountable for securing maximum value from the external spend of $450M+, from our suppliers and creating competitive advantage for CSL by delivering year on year multi-million-dollar savings, mitigation of associated risks, implementing supplier relationship management, identifying and delivering innovation and protecting CSL through robust contractual negotiations. This role is seen as the Global SME for categories such as Hardware, Software, Data Centers, IT maintenance, licenses etc and is responsible for creating appropriate senior level stakeholder engagement & alignment plans to ensure the current and future needs of the business are addressed. You will provide guidance to the Sourcing Managers within the team. This role will be directly involved in major global sourcing activities, driving key transformational projects, and building and maintaining relationships with key senior stakeholders internal to CSL Group and within large, external global vendors to bring leading edge and best practice innovation back into CSL to drive year on efficiency improvements. The Role Procurement Category Strategy & Development- Develop and implement annual action plans for relevant categories based on the Procurement Strategy and other relevant business strategies within CSL to ensure clear objectives and action plans for Global Category Management Lead roles resulting in the reduction of the total cost of ownership and risk, while increasing innovation, customer service, compliance, and quality. Focus on the development of operational plans in conjunction with the respective business unit with a strategic long-term focus of future operating models or processes over the next 3 -5 years. Take a leadership position and drive collaborate with the respective business unit on complex problem resolution, investigative data analytics, process reengineering and establishment of a sustainable program that will fill a global need while being consistent within all Company areas affected. Analyze spend, market trends and supply risks to effectively manage procurement activities to ensure cost efficiency and optimal supplier performance. Provide strategic direction and operational support to Sourcing Managers to execute procurement activities Lead, motivate and develop employees within the Procurement organization including effective long-term talent development, succession planning and performance managing with a focus on supporting employees to meet or exceed performance expectations while demonstrating CSL Values. Supplier relationship management- Drive value from the global category(s) by defining and implementing effective strategy category management; establishing and managing Councils for business-critical commodities aligned with the evolving business requirements and are effectively leading key sourcing activities, including negotiations, that to deliver lower cost of ownership, lower risk, higher quality, and better supply performance across the short and long term. Facilitate supplier business performance reviews and ensure alignment with contractual and CSL needs and priorities and establish supplier performance management (KPIs, scorecards, reviews) to drive year on year improvements Lead supplier risk management and continuity planning within the categories of responsibility. Lead complex and business negotiations with major key suppliers and provide advice for regional sourcing as required. Develop long term strategies to ensure supplier sustainability and continuity while implementing a partnership with the supplier to drive year over year continuous improvement Conduct business with integrity, in accordance with the highest ethical standards and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and anti-bribery requirements and supports diversity and inclusion by promoting utilization of small, disadvantaged and/or diverse suppliers. Ensure that Conflicts of Interest are not present with supplier selection and the sourcing process is free from all potential Conflicts of Interest. Execute sourcing and procurement activities- Engage with internal stakeholders across CSL to align procurement initiatives and saving opportunities. Ensure compliance with procurement policies and governance frameworks and ethical sourcing standards Maintain accurate documentation and reporting of procurement activities and supplier engagements. Monitor category performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide insights to facilitate better, faster decisions to the Category Director and key stakeholders across Commercial and Finance. Identify and manage procurement-related risks within assigned categories. Lead the Tendering process, negotiations, and contract awards for activities over $500K. Drive total cost of ownership (TCO) improvements, cost reduction, and value creation. Stakeholder Collaboration - Build and maintain effective professional relationships with senior, internal stakeholders and senior external executives within large vendors to deliver upon Procurement’s objectives by ongoing discussions and participation in formal teams and groups with senior leaders in CSL and external vendors to manage supplier performance, issues, procurement improvement initiatives and other broader business issues. Partner with internal stakeholders (I&T, Finance, Legal, etc.) to translate business requirements into sourcing and contracting strategies. Act as the primary procurement point of contact for assigned categories. Cost analysis and budget management - Conduct detailed cost analysis and benchmarking to identify savings opportunities and ensure procurement activities align with financial objectives. Monitor and report category performance against budget using KPIs and data-driven insights to support cost optimization and compliance. Additional Responsibilities Risk management. Training and development. Market intelligence sharing. Support change initiatives. Stakeholder engagement. Skills & Experience Bachelor’s degree in Procurement / Supply Chain Management preferred or related field Post graduate business degree, MBA highly regarded Minimum 7+ years’ experience in procurement, sourcing, or category management roles. Demonstrated success in developing category strategies and managing supplier relationships. Experience in performance monitoring, risk management, and cross-functional collaboration. Experience of multi-site organizations. Ability to develop and implement long-term category strategies that align with organisational objectives and drive measurable value. Expertise in building and maintaining strong relationships with suppliers to enhance collaboration and performance. Ability to turn insights into action and make decisions based on data and analysis provided by the COE. Strong negotiation abilities to secure favourable terms and conditions. Ability to work effectively with internal stakeholders across various departments to ensure alignment on procurement initiatives. Ability to work across time zones and manage global stakeholder relationships Travel Requirements (Domestic, International, frequency) - 20% travel expected Equal Opportunity Employer CSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 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