Category Lead for Non-ICT Procurement

Old Mutual is seeking a strategic and experienced Category Lead to join their procurement team in Johannesburg. This pivotal role will be instrumental in shaping and executing procurement strategies for non-Information and Communication Technology (ICT) categories, driving significant value across the organisation. The successful candidate will operate at a tactical and operational level, managing a team to achieve business goals and optimise lifecycle value of key procurement initiatives.

About the Role

This Category Lead position offers the chance to influence the procurement landscape for a well-established financial services group. You will be responsible for developing and implementing multi-year category strategies that go beyond mere cost savings, aiming to maximise the total lifecycle value of goods and services procured. This involves identifying critical sourcing activities for the upcoming year in close collaboration with business stakeholders, and then translating these into actionable annual objectives for your allocated categories.

A core part of your remit will be leading complex supplier negotiations, ensuring that agreed business requirements are met while also achieving favourable commercial outcomes. You will oversee the entire strategic and operational sourcing process, with the authority to approve commitments within your delegated limits. Crucially, you will ensure that all procurement activities adhere strictly to Old Mutual's established organisational standards, policies, and procedures. Furthermore, you will manage contract negotiations and amendments, working alongside business units and legal advisors to ensure robust contract lifecycle management.

Integral to the role is the implementation of risk and compliance mechanisms, guaranteeing that procurement policies, operating procedures, and processes are consistently upheld throughout the source-to-contract lifecycle. You will also play a key role in supplier relationship management, actively supporting and utilising the provided framework, methodologies, and tools to foster productive partnerships.

The Category Lead will be expected to provide clear leadership and direction, communicating action plans effectively and motivating their team to attain business objectives. A significant emphasis will be placed on stakeholder engagement; this involves identifying key stakeholders, understanding their unique needs, and developing procurement solutions that are precisely tailored to meet those requirements. You will be a trusted business partner, facilitating seamless collaboration throughout the engagement process.

Budgetary responsibilities include developing and delivering budget plans, often with guidance from senior colleagues. Performance management is also a critical function, encompassing setting clear objectives for your team, diligently managing their performance, and implementing corrective actions as needed to keep initiatives on track. You'll also contribute to organisational capability building by identifying development needs within your team and implementing targeted actions, including coaching and training.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing multi-year category strategies and plans.
• Defining annual objectives for allocated procurement categories.
• Leading and managing supplier negotiations for significant contracts.
• Overseeing strategic and operational sourcing processes.
• Managing contract negotiations and amendments with legal and business input.
• Ensuring adherence to procurement policies, risk, and compliance frameworks.
• Facilitating effective supplier relationship management.
• Communicating action plans and motivating teams.
• Identifying and engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs.
• Developing and managing budget plans.
• Managing team performance and implementing corrective actions.
• Identifying and addressing team development needs.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will need a strong foundation in category management, with specific expertise in non-ICT spend areas. This includes considerable knowledge of facilities management, professional services (particularly those supporting human capital, finance, and legal functions), and a deep understanding of service provider practices for consultants and contractors. The ability to develop and apply rate cards across skills matrices will be highly valued.

Strategic sourcing and contract negotiation skills are paramount. You should be adept at developing category strategies and implementing plans that align with and achieve business objectives, as well as negotiating large and complex contracts. Experience in managing executive and senior stakeholders is essential to secure and maintain the necessary management support for strategic sourcing initiatives.

Project management capabilities are required to handle procurement projects that present significant business and market complexities. Adaptability and innovation are key, enabling you to respond effectively to the dynamic changes within the business environment and the supplier market. A strong financial acumen is also crucial, encompassing an understanding of company budget formulation, pricing metrics, and total cost of ownership. The ability to make data-driven decisions and analyse large, complex datasets to uncover cost-saving opportunities will set candidates apart.

Qualifications should include a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Business, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, or Finance. A professional procurement qualification, like MCIPS, is highly desirable. Candidates should possess a minimum of eight years of procurement category management experience, with at least three to five years of that specifically in a management capacity.

In South Africa, a role like this, requiring extensive category management and strategic sourcing experience, typically commands a competitive remuneration package. The specific salary will depend on the candidate's experience, the complexity of the categories managed, and Old Mutual's internal grading structure. Employers for such roles are predominantly large corporates, financial institutions, and major service providers. Career progression typically involves moving into more senior procurement leadership roles, such as Head of Procurement or Chief Procurement Officer, potentially with broader responsibility across different business units or even international operations.

Qualifications:

• Based on the categories managed, the role holder will possess a bachelor's degree in business, supply-chain, information technology, finance, or a similar sector, as well as a professional procurement qualification (such as MCIPS).

Experience:

• 8 or more years of procurement category management expertise, with 3 to 5 years of that experience coming from a managerial position.

The Recruitment Process:

• TA Interview: This will be a discussion with our Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist to give you an understanding of our business, our culture & values and more context on the role. It will also allow us the opportunity to get to know you more and ensure OMI can meet your career aspirations.

• Panel Interview: This will be with 2 members of the Senior Leadership of the Hiring Team and 1 member of the HC Leadership Team.

• Technical & Psychometric Assessments: These will depend on the role and will sometimes happen concurrently with Vetting through an external service provider & Internal Verification.

• Final Feedback.

All About OMI:

https://www.oldmutual.co.za/about/old-mutual-insure/

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/old-mutual-insure_i-work-at-old-mutual-insure-of-course-activity-7161674472469524483-w0j6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Please note that, unfortunately, we cannot accept any applications after the closing date

 

Skills

Action Planning, Contract Administration, Contract Management, Contract Negotiations, Data Controls, Data Management, Executing Plans, Financial Acumen, Global Procurement, Negotiation, Oral Communications, Presenting Solutions, Procurement Management, Project Procurement Management, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain Management Software

Competencies

Business Insight

Communicates Effectively

Drives Results

Ensures Accountability

Financial Acumen

Manages Complexity

Persuades

Plans and Aligns

Education

Bachelor Commerce: Supply Chain Management (Required), NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

16 July 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

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