Category Management Specialist

**Category Management Specialist**
- _Salary: _$138,631 - $ $162,076 (_Plus superannuation)_
- _Ongoing position_
- _Usual hours of work: Full time (flexibility may be available)_
- _Usual work location: 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 (flexibility may be available)_

**The Role**

As Category Management Specialist, you will provide direction for major spend categories including (but not limited to) ICT and Professional Services, taking the lead in understanding the supply chain for relevant categories, category strategy development and execution, and contract and risk management activities to meet business needs.

The Category Management Specialist is also responsible for providing analytical support (i.e. spend analysis) to inform category management decision-making and strategic planning. The position provides an opportunity to collaborate and to provide high quality timely advice to the procurement leadership team and stakeholders across the department and contribute to continuous improvement activities.

**Key accountabilities include**:
**Category Management**

**Strategic planning and implementation**:

- Develop and implement category strategies for major spend categories including, but not limited to, ICT and Professional Services; maximize value for money through overseeing and driving priority initiatives to achieve category vision and objectives.
- Utilising category specific knowledge to ensure the category activities are in line with VGPB requirements, industry best practice and standards, and DJSIR requirements.

**Specialist advice and analytical support**:

- Engage with senior internal and external stakeholders across all category elements, to provide specialist procurement advice, explore options to deliver strategic procurement solutions and collect feedback to drive continuous improvement.
- Oversee and own data collection and analysis of category spend to drive reporting to inform strategic decisions and continuous improvement for categories.

**Supplier relationship management**:

- Build capability and manage the performance and risk of strategic or highly complex suppliers and State Purchase Contracts (SPC) on behalf of the department.
- Own and drive strategic supplier relationships, whilst identifying, implementing and embedding continuous improvement opportunities; hold strategic suppliers accountable to meet demand forecasts as advised by internal business stakeholders.

**Stakeholder engagement and communication**:

- Prepares reports and develops briefs that provides options for decision making (e.g., Financial Delegation approval, informs executives on complex and emerging issues, etc.)
- Represents own area of work with internal and external stakeholders and effectively manages delivery commitments and expectations.

**Contract management**

**Negotiation and contract management support**:

- Provide technical SME input into contract formation and scoping of strategic and high value/risk contracts and contract management plans to ensure adherence to DJSIR policies and processes, and state legislation.
- Review and negotiate complex supplier contract terms and conditions for strategic and high value/risk contracts, making the necessary required variations and updates.
- Support management to define new / changed specifications and associated key performance indicators (KPIs), performance metrics and service level agreements (SLAs).

**The Team**

The position of Category Management Specialist will work within Finance, Investment and Procurement branch, which sits within Corporate Services group.

The Corporate Services group consists of specialist functions including strategic communications, finance, investment and procurement, performance and governance, legal and legislation, people and culture, information technology and workplace services and emergency management. These functions enable the department to operate efficiently and effectively and support the Secretary and Ministers to meet legislative obligations and responsibilities whilst actively supporting the department's portfolio groups and Ministers to create the conditions for growing Victoria's prosperity, building the productive capacity of our economy, and increasing participation.

The group works to build a safe, high-performing organisation where the department's people are supported to perform at their best. The group does this by providing strategic, operational and program delivery support services in creative and innovative ways.

**About You**

To be successful in this role you will have the following skills and experience:

- **Specialist Expertise**: Exceptionally well-developed category and contract management capability with a procurement focus. Proven ability in managing complex and high-risk contracts, taking a proactive approach to resolving issues, and focusing on continuous improvement and streamlined user experience.
- **Data literacy**: Well-developed data analytics skills, including