Category Manager Network Support

**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 lead 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 committed 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.

**Role Purpose**:
Working for Vodafone Procurement Company involves developing, learning, and driving successful business outcomes in an ambiguous and entrepreneurial environment. As part of the Network Operations and Analytics team, your first responsibility will be to take category ownership of the spend in the Operational Support Systems (OSS) /Network Management category, working in partnership with Local Market SCM & Vodafone Group Technology to ensure alignment of Category Execution. Working in a centralized procurement environment, you would engage and build strong relationships with stakeholder groups worldwide.

You will be responsible for:

- Inputting and executing the OSS/Network Management category strategy
- Executing OSS Simplification Program
- OSS Category Management methodology
- Delivering optimal total cost of ownership for all OSS Systems for all Vodafone Markets
- Delivering savings OSS targets, in line with Vodafone Savings methodology
- Securing the delivery of OSS projects, goods, and services across the OSS category

Procuring world-class OSS Solutions and Services for Network Operations, rollout, performance, optimization, and analytics; ideally, you will have some experience in either pre-sales or procurement of Networks OSS solutions for Network Operations Centre (NOC), Network Support, Element Network Management, Performance Management, Fault Management, Network Fulfilment, and Network Inventory. You will also have experience and track record dealing with suppliers who have monopoly/and or are single-source suppliers (where you have little leverage), but you secured successful outcomes.

Joining us as a Category Manager, Network Operations, and Analytics, OSS Support Systems Network Infrastructure, you can be part of our empowering global procurement function.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Be accountable for providing input to and execution of global category strategies.
- Support the development of local category strategies as required.
- Meet savings targets and continually push to exceed expectations while ensuring a commercial perspective.
- Deliver and build category cost insights, cost modeling, and reference costs.
- Lead negotiations with Vodafone suppliers.

**Core Competencies**:

- Good stakeholder engagement and clear communications.
- Ability to manage relationships with category stakeholders and suppliers, including performance management.
- OSS and Network Management experience in either pre-sales or procurement would be an advantage
- Strong business acumen with solid experience in working with Supply Chain.
- Some technical category knowledge.
- Experience working within the Telecommunication industry.
- English language proficiency (both written and spoken).

**It would be nice if you have...**:

- University degree or equivalent level qualification. MCIPS qualification is an advantage.
- Ability to deal with an international, functional matrix environment with a certain degree of ambiguity and across different cultures.
- Knowledge of additional languages is an asset.

**What's in it for you?**:
**Learning & Development**
- Gain real experience in the field of global sourcing and contract management.
- Opportunity to learn in an energetic and professional team about partner communication and supply chain management.
- Long-term full-time career opportunities in the field of Procurement.
- Access to Vodafone University and LinkedIn Learning.

**Flexibility & Leaves**
- Flexible working schedule.
- 29 days holiday (with the option to buy 5 days) plus 11 public holidays.
- 5 paid days leave for charity projects.

**Benefits**
- Stat