Category Manager - Cargo Operations/ Freight Forwarding

Entity: Technology Job Family Group: Procurement & Supply Chain Management Group Job Description: Job Description Working Hours: This role operates on a shift basis and requires flexibility. Candidates must be flexible to work either: Shift A (ASPAC/EU): 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM MYT, or Shift B (ASPAC/US): 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM MYT. Role Synopsis The Freight Forwarding and Cargo Operations Logistics Senior Advisor provides category leadership for their global category of spend. They undertake category management and global supplier relationship management, driving end-to-end spend management to mitigate supply chain risk and maximize value delivery, including sustainability, within their category. They do this through collaborating across and beyond procurement, including with regional, business, and FB&T resources. They know their categories intimately and support development of innovative strategies which deliver business objectives and strong category guidance which ensures efficient end to end category execution. They work with regional and FBT resources for optimal, compliant, and competitive procurement outcomes, collaborating across and beyond procurement. Problem solvers with good commercial acumen, they create solutions to category challenges, they cultivate senior stakeholder relationships and work with businesses to understand their evolving needs alongside developing deep insights into supply markets, including disruptors and technological advances. They create value through orchestrating development of transformational strategies in support of bp’s strategy, collaborating cross-functionally to realize identified value and working with delivery teams to ensure that their global strategies are executed locally. Key Accountabilities Category Strategy leadership: Collaborate to develop competitive category strategies that address business needs, both globally and regionally, supply chain risk and sustainability. Analyze market factors to inform strategy excellence, remaining attuned to market dynamics, balancing needs with proactive transformational strategies. Category excellence: Data led management of end-to-end category performance by working with the organization to understand demand and ensure strategies that can be executed effectively in partnership with business and other procurement teams. Skillfully navigates bp’s multifaceted operational frameworks, guaranteeing consistent strategy delivery and uninterrupted supply flow to make procurement easier for suppliers and stakeholders to work with. Consider regional factors like laws, taxes, and market conditions in category management planning. Cultivates purpose-driven partnerships and robust supplier relationships to navigate business challenges and unlock triple bottom line (people, profit & planet) value Transformation and Change Management: Implement transformation initiatives, which deliver incremental business value. Ensure supplier performance, in a dynamic business environment, and implement change across diverse stakeholder landscapes. Leverage digital solutions to drive innovation, enhancing efficiency, effectiveness and value creation Partner with internal discipline teams to drive category excellence Use influencing, storytelling and communication to encourage adoption Team integration: Work within a team of category managers, embracing culture of collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement. Acts as an SME and advocate for their category, sharing category knowledge across teams to ensure business needs are met. Builds category knowledge across the wider procurement organization to ensure strategy execution Develops their technical capabilities in order to deliver category operational excellence Embraces accelerator skills; curiosity in external markets, innovation and technological disruption, digital fluency, data-driven insights, and strong collaboration with both suppliers and stakeholders Embraces an environment of psychological safety as a foundation for collaborative learning, ideation and innovation Supplier & Stakeholder Management: Uses storytelling to communicate with stakeholders and external partners, respectfully challenging to achieve the right outcomes, resolving conflict and focusing on priorities. Leads and influences through complexity and ambiguity, managing virtual relationships with stakeholders in multi-discipline, multi-cultural environments Unites diverse stakeholders, ensuring both advantageous supply avenues and collaborative solutions to business challenges Builds stakeholder relationships, bringing market insights and championing supplier value whilst taking time to understand business needs. Becomes a trusted advisor and critical partner to stakeholders Prepares documentation and relevant stakeholder communication to enable key decision forums Essential Education: Degree educated - something related to Procurement preferred - or equivalent relevant professional experience Post graduate qualification re