Company

At Vodafone Group, we build connections to all our Global operations, acting as an advisory board to drive consistency and customer excellence across 30 countries and for over 420 million customers. We constantly uncover tactics to innovate how we operate, set our global standards, or manage our strategic performance. By joining Vodafone Group, you will be part of evolving our digital world of total communications. Now is the time to get on board.
In joining the Supply Chain Management (SCM) at Vodafone Group here in Luxembourg, you will support our people in strengthening our position as an admired company in the eyes of our customers, shareholders, and employees. The team is broad; you could work within SCM Commercial Services, SCM Enterprise, SCM Networks, SCM Software & Core, SCM Sales, Development & Operations, or Cognitive & Digital Sourcing. What links us all together is that we are all customer-obsessed, innovation-hungry, and motivated! Are you?
The Global Supply Chain team in Luxembourg has been on a journey to become recognized as a global expert in everything we do. We’ve set up a landscape of advanced tools and robust processes to maintain this world-class function to facilitate smooth interaction with our suppliers. These electronic solutions make working with us faster, more secure, and simpler than ever.

What you’ll do

The Category Manager manages procurement activities across the category. Ensuring that cost savings are delivered and cost management structures are leveraged. The Category Manager focuses on the management of a team that carries out activities that deliver cost savings through effective negotiations and securing favorable terms and volume discounts, achieving measurable value for Vodafone. You will:
Impact on the Business

• Manage the delivery of global category strategy, Order Intake, and saving targets.
• Question current business thinking of requirements and how those requirements can be presented to Suppliers to Vodafone’s advantage.
• Input into reporting against targets as defined by overall SCM goals and objectives, manage and ensure the usage of Supply Chain tools, processes, policies, and standards.
• Manage cost modeling of various scenarios and manage aggregation of demand to leverage Vodafone’s global scale and scope.
• Be accountable for supporting the wider Core, Transmission & Software Team.
• Ensure the global category strategy is managed in terms of best practice operation and development.
• Responsible for ensuring budget holder's requirements are defined and reflected in the Category Strategy.
• Manage global relationships with key category suppliers.

Budget holders, Suppliers, and Third Parties

• Manage RFQ, negotiation, and conclusion of contracts with suppliers over major deals working with Legal and internal stakeholders to ensure business requirements are met.
• Accountable for managing relationships with and monitoring the performance of key suppliers.
• Identify & evaluate potential future global suppliers.
• Create and maintain a supplier database for her/his/their category.
• Joint working with Operations and Enablement teams across the SCM (Supply Chain Management) Community.

Guidance and Teamwork

• Cooperate with the local market function and Shared Service Centres.
• Support the wider Core, Transmission & Software team to ensure success is recognized, and take appropriate measures to ensure improvement of day-to-day operations.
• Develop a strong customer-focus approach extending it to the whole team.

Who you are

• Procurement Experience: Experience working within procurement either at the global or local level, technical knowledge of networks and services, and the ability to recommend/drive category transformation.
• Mobile Wallet: Knowledge and understanding of financial services and mobile wallet systems (i.e. M-Pesa, Pay Pal, Google Pay, Apple Pay).
• Negotiation Skills: Strong commercial and negotiation skills concerning multi-year agreements.
• Results-oriented: Track record of delivering against challenging targets.
• Virtual Environment: Track record of successful teamwork with virtual teams in cross-cultural environments. Management and teamwork, key focus on the collaboration of virtual teams
• Communication Skills: Well-developed written and verbal communication and executive presentation skills. Effective engagement with key stakeholders and ability to communicate and present at the senior management level
• Reasoning Skills: Proven data analysis capabilities
• Customer-focused: Customer obsessed, innovative, and embody behaviors of Speed, Simplicity, and Trust.
• Education & Experience: A higher degree (finance background would be valuable) or proven experience in the field.
• Language: Proficiency in English with strong verbal and written communication skills. Additional language skills are a plus.

Not a perfect fit?

Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? At Vodafone we are passionate about Inclusion for All and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another role, and our recruitment team can help you see how your skills fit in.

What's in it for you

We want you to feel happy and fulfilled at work, without compromising the other things in life that matter to you. Here are some of the ways we support this:
Annual Discretionary Bonus

• Rewarding your hard work and dedication

Generous Annual Leave

• 28 days of annual leave, with the option to buy an additional 5 days and the opportunity to carry over 5 days per year
• 1 additional day (Family Day) for personal milestones or special occasions
• 11 public holidays to enjoy time with family and friends
• 5 charity days per year to give back to the community

Flexible Work Arrangements

• Flexible working schedule to help you balance your professional and personal life
• 20 days to work from abroad, allowing you to combine work with travel and new experiences

Comprehensive Health and Wellness

• Lunch vouchers to support your midday meals
• Access to private AXA health insurance and a robust pension scheme to secure your health and future

Continuous Learning and Development

• Access to Vodafone University and online training resources to help you grow your skills and advance your career

Your journey to joining us

• Apply: Take the first step and submit your application. We’re excited to learn more about you!
• CV Review: Our team will carefully review your CV to ensure your skills align with the role.
• Recruiter Call: Let’s chat! We’ll discuss your experience and what excites you about this opportunity.
• Personality Assessment: Discover your strengths with our insightful personality test.
• 1st Business Interview: Meet with the team to dive deeper into your expertise and how you can contribute to our success.
• 2nd Business Interview: A final conversation to explore your fit with our company culture and long-term goals.
• Your Outcome: We’ll share the decision with you—either welcoming you aboard or providing valuable feedback.

Who we are

You may have already heard of Vodafone - We're a leading Telecommunications company in Europe and Africa. But what you might not know is that we are continuously investing in new technologies to improve the lives of millions of customers, businesses, and people around the world, creating a better future for everyone.
As part of our global family, whether that's Vodafone, Vodacom, or _VOIS, you'll feel a sense of pride and purpose as you contribute to our culture of innovation. We pursue equality of opportunity and inclusion for all candidates through our employment policies and practices. We recognize and celebrate the importance of diversity and inclusivity in our workspace and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination especially related to but not limited to race, color, age, veteran status, gender identification, sexual orientation, pregnancy, ethnicity, disability, religion, political affiliation, trade union membership, nationality, indigenous status, medical condition, HIV status, social origin, cultural background, social, or marital status.

Together we can