Senior Category Manager - Products & Payments

Job Description

At OVO, we are on a mission to solve one of humanity's biggest challenges, the climate crisis. And we know it takes all of us to change the world. That's why we need diverse people from all abilities, gender identities, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, life experiences and backgrounds to join us.

Teamworking for the planet

Everything we do here spins around Plan Zero. So, naturally, the team you’ll be joining plays a gigantic role in making that happen. Here’s how:

As an enterprise business OVO’s supply chain presents large risk but great opportunity when it comes to sustainability and wider ESG initiatives. Procurement & Supply play a vital role when contributing to OVO’s wider Plan Zero aspirations ensuring we’re working with the right partners and managing risks appropriately.

This role in a nutshell

We’re hiring for an exceptional Senior Category Manager to drive the strategic management of the procurement categories of Products (supporting OVO’s Electric Vehicle and Solar & Heating Franchise Business Units) and Payments (including Merchant services, Fintech & Consumer Financing). You’ll oversee the creation and execution of category strategies, foster supplier relationships, and ensure procurement processes deliver maximum value. You’ll also be responsible for mentoring and empowering your small team, setting high standards, and ensuring alignment with OVO’s Plan Zero ambitions, focusing on sustainable and ethical sourcing practices. You’ll be a key business partner with the Commercial Leadership Team (CCO organisation).

You’ll report to the Category Department Lead and play a critical role in setting objectives, ensuring results delivery, managing change, and establishing a high-performing culture across the team.

The Category Management Team’s objectives include:

• Driving significant commercial benefits to support OVO’s EBITDA targets.
• Reducing risks, driving compliance, and maintaining agility across procurement operations.
• Procuring goods and services sustainably, in alignment with OVO’s Plan Zero.
• Becoming a knowledge base of relevant supply markets, products, technologies, and trends.
• Leading supplier relationships through the contract lifetime, ensuring delivery expectations are met, maintaining governance & rectifying any issues.
• Continuously improving commercial value, process efficiency, and risk mitigation.
• Effectively partnering with internal stakeholders.
• Supporting the implementation of procurement systems to underpin opportunities while reducing risks and improving compliance.

Your key outcomes will be

• Develop OVO’s supplier ecosystem to drive the growth of the business in these key assigned categories, sourcing and developing the right supplier partners to scale in line with the maturity and complexity of the propositions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of two Category Managers, fostering professional growth and ensuring best-in-class procurement practices as we transform into a high-performing Category Management function.
• Oversee the development and implementation of robust category strategies to maximise value and mitigate risks in the Products and Payments space - fully aligned to business stakeholder objectives.
• Collaborate with your team to ensure successful execution of end-to-end procurement processes for all assigned categories.
• Drive supplier negotiations, ensuring optimal terms to support long-term partnerships in collaboration with business counterparts.
• Establish and maintain a culture of continuous improvement within the team, embedding innovative approaches to category management.
• Monitor supplier performance across all categories, ensuring compliance and addressing escalations as needed.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and alignment across categories to standardise processes and ensure consistency.
• Act as a key point of escalation for critical supplier or category issues, driving timely resolutions.
• Align team objectives with OVO’s sustainability goals, championing ethical and environmentally responsible sourcing.
• Provide strategic direction to the team, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and long-term plans, including supporting transformation activities.

Additionally, you will:

• Identify and mitigate risks, overcome barriers, and deliver sustainable solutions that balance cost, quality, and speed to market in these growth areas.
• Use data-driven insights to inform team strategies and decisions, maintaining an updated view of category spend and supplier performance.
• Lead by example during RFx exercises, supporting your team in adhering to project management best practices.
• Present material commercial initiatives and procurement outcomes to the C-suite / VP / Director level in collaboration with your team.
• Deliver effective Supplier Management strategies. In life contract management, reducing risk, scope creep, supplier performance and contract exit
• Lead the continuous development of procurement tools, processes, and systems to enhance team efficiency, utilising KPIs to good effect.
• Align the team’s efforts with OVO’s Plan Zero objectives, demonstrating measurable contributions.

You’ll be a successful Senior Category Manager at OVO if you…

• Navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities by applying sound judgment, adaptability, and creative problem solving.
• Are adept at strategic thinking but able to execute hands-on when needed, with at least 5 years of experience in procurement or category management.
• Engage and influence stakeholders across multiple levels of the organisation to align priorities and secure buy-in.
• Excel in managing supplier relationships at a strategic level, driving performance and fostering innovation.
• Are an experienced leader with a track record of managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Use data and analytics to make informed decisions, driving value and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Are committed to sustainability and demonstrate leadership in ethical procurement practices.
• Thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and are able to work effectively in environments of uncertainty, shaping clarity where needed.
• Are a team player with a pragmatic approach, balancing leadership and collaboration effectively.
• Have or are working towards a CIPS qualification (desirable).
• Demonstrate proficiency in procurement systems (e.g., Workday Strategic Sourcing).
• Bring deep expertise in sourcing across key categories, with exposure to the energy sector as an advantage.

You won’t like this role if you…

• Are uncomfortable leading on initiatives with high corporate exposure (c-suite).
• Are unable to effectively and reasonably challenge the status quo.
• Are uncomfortable giving and receiving constructive feedback (radical candor).
• Do not possess strong technical understanding of Procurement best practice.
• Are unable to work effectively across a wider team and influence multiple stakeholders constructively.
• Do not possess strong commercial acumen and an eye for a deal.
• Are unable to effectively sell and promote the benefits of Procurement to your colleagues and peers.

Let’s talk about what’s in it for you

We’ll pay you between £60,000 and £80,000, depending on your specific skills and experience.

We keep our pay ranges broad on purpose to give us, and you, flexibility to match your experience to our zero carbon mission.

You’ll be eligible for an on-target bonus of 15%. We have one OVO bonus plan that focuses on the collective performance of our people to deliver our Plan Zero goal.

We also offer plenty of green benefits and progressive policies to help you feel like you belong at OVO…and there’s flex pay. We'll give you 9% Flex Pay on top of your salary – 4% of this is auto enrolled into your pension, and the remaining 5% is yours to do what you like with. You can use this to buy from our extensive range of flexible benefits, including our green benefits which we've put at the heart of our offering, add to your pension or even take it as cash.

Here’s a taster of what’s on offer:

For starters, you’ll get 34 days of holiday (including bank holidays).

For your health
With benefits like a healthcare cash plan or private medical insurance depending on your career level, critical illness cover, life assurance, health assessments, and more

For your wellbeing
With gym membership, travel insurance, workplace ISA, will writing services, dental insurance, and more

For your lifestyle
With extra holiday buying, discount dining, home & tech loans, and supporting your favourite charities with give-as-you-earn donations

For your home
Get up to £400 towards any OVO Energy plan, plus great discounts on solar, smart thermostats and EV chargers

For your commute
Nab a great deal on ultra-low emission car leasing, plus our cycle to work scheme and public transport season ticket loans

Want to hear about our full range of flexible benefits and progressive people policies? Our People Team can tell you everything you need to know.

For your Belonging

To find better ways to support our people, we need to listen to each other’s experiences and find ways to build a truly inclusive and diverse workplace. As part of this, we have 8 Belonging Networks at OVO. Led by our people, for our people - so when you join OVO, you can play a part - big or small - with any of the Networks. It's up to you.

Oh, and one last thing...

We’d be thrilled if you tick off all our boxes, yet we also believe it’s just as important we tick off all of yours. And if you think you have most of what we’re looking for but not every single thing, go ahead and hit apply. We’d still love to hear from you!

If you have any additional requirements, there’s a space to let us know on the application form; we want to make the process as easy and comfortable for you as possible.