Global Category Manager - Wigan

Global Category Manager jobs

Category management in the procurement field is overseeing the acquisition of certain classes of goods or materials, often those that are somehow interconnected or interdependent. In larger companies and/or those where sourcing is international, an additional layer of management, the global category procurement manager, might be inserted.

Depending on how advanced the existing procurement is, the global category manager might be required to develop an entire global category procurement strategy or manage the one that is already in operation within a set of guidelines. Either way, the aim will be to reduce costs to the company, which will be achieved by negotiating deals and rates with supplier, forming partnerships and constantly analysing the market in which he or she is working.

A general aim will be to reduce or limit costs wherever possible, both within the employing company through systems, staffing and prudent economising and through the act of procurement itself. The global category manager will have to implement a worldwide plan of action throughout the company. This can mean seeking to impose consistency internationally to meet the results of forecasting, planning and analysis. But it can also involve the exact opposite: tailoring different procurement strategies to the different market environments to take advantage of local efficiencies.

Global Category Manager Jobs in Wigan

Wigan could be the archetypal northern town, fulfilling practically every stereotype people might have of the region. It was a relatively sleepy farming and market town in between the minor cities of Manchester and Liverpool and then along came the Industrial revolution and everything changed. While most northern towns had a single trade, be it coal, mills, glass or engineering, Wigan got a bit of everything, particularly the first two. The canals and railways came to town and the population exploded, and Wigan became a real powerhouse in the region, with an estimated thousand mines running simultaneously.

And then, true to the script, the town went into decline as manufacturing went abroad or the demand for its produce waned. But the population of Wigan weren’t cowed by this. They diversified and the town is still thriving to this day. The Tote, Heinz, JJB Sports and Chinamex all have a presence here, and it’s also the home of Uncle Joe’s mintballs!

The town, which is situated between the M61 and the M6, has good shopping and employment, and has a lively entertainment sector, with revellers travelling miles for its night life. It also boasts two top-flight sports clubs: Wigan Athletic Football Club and the rugby league club Wigan Warriors. Ukulele and saucy song maestro George Formby was born in Wigan, as was 80s pop sensation Limahl (he of Kajagoogoo fame, not one of the other Limahls) and the band The Verve. Much-missed actor Roy Kinnear was born there too.

With great links to the major North West cities and towns, an active population of approaching 300,000 throughout the borough and a diverse employment status, Wigan is a great place to find a Global Category Manager position.