Head, Category Management (Project Equipment)

Your tasks

Lead and manage high-value, business-critical categories across the entire ADNOC Group companies, providing necessary support to the category management and the strategic sourcing personnel. Drive the culture of end-to-end category management across the ADNOC Group, including strategic sourcing, procurement excellence, supplier performance management support, and ICV. Guide the development of strategies to manage multiple billions of US dollars of third-party spend across the sector throughout the ADNOC Group.

Lead category management and strategic sourcing personnel managing cross-functional teams (typically comprising 5-50 members per category) resourced from ADNOC Group companies to develop and drive multi-billion-dollar commercial strategies and corresponding plans that will drive value into ADNOC’s business priorities and are consistent with ADNOC’s values.

Assist the manager in developing the sector strategy based upon a deep understanding of the evolving sector needs of the ADNOC Group and build alignment and trust with ADNOC senior management.

Coordinate with senior leaders of all procurement functions, including planning, inventory, materials management, logistics, purchase-to-pay (P2P), and ICV, as well as all relevant stakeholders to ensure full end-to-end value is considered during the development and implementation of category strategies.

Support the wider delivery of the category management team, supporting the team’s overall objectives.

Support the manager in the timely delivery of value-adding category strategies within the sector.

Guide and support the category management personnel in the development and delivery of category strategies and all related activities in the category management process.

Support the category management strategic sourcing personnel in activities relating to tendering, award, and close-out of category management contracts/framework agreements in adherence to established policies and procedures.

Job specific

• Category management
• Responsible for leading multiple complex, strategic categories in parallel, with limited supervision from the manager. Increasingly become responsible for oversight of specialists’ deliverables, providing guidance and support and assuring quality.
• Accountable for the full category management life cycle from strategy development, sourcing, implementation, and supplier management.
• Work collaboratively with other procurement functions including planning, P2P, warehousing, and ICV to identify and implement synergies across the sector in support of the manager.
• Lead collaborative efficiency workshops with selected suppliers to identify and remove waste and to identify incremental value through integrated planning, technology adoption, etc.
• Represent the sector when requested to by the manager.
• Support category managers to establish cross-functional category management teams (teams involving technical and procurement resources across the group companies) for the designated category, to develop and implement category strategies which generate value and achieve financial savings. Agree on the strategy with all relevant stakeholders and lead communication drives and rollouts prior to implementation.
• Plan, lead and execute strategies for categories in the sector which align business plans; including:
• Identification and prioritization of global (common) categories for upstream and downstream.
• Lead the historical spend and pricing approach analysis, development of demand-forecasted spend and inventory analysis.
• Support the formation of a cross-functional team of procurement and end users from the participating group companies.
• Development of category strategies to achieve overall business objectives, which reduces total cost of ownership through standardization, lowering inventory levels, enhancing supplier performance.
• Secretary of the sector steering committee where applicable.
• Support the supplier management process and manage framework level commercial concerns with suppliers.
• Generate or refresh an ADNOC category spend map and assist in the development of a 12-month and 5-year sector strategy aligned with business plan objectives, in coordination with planning teams of ADNOC and group companies.
• Direct efforts of product segmentation, simplification, and standardization for the technical specifications. Identify commonalities among the group companies.
• Perform market and suppliers analysis (e.g., cost drivers, market trends, competition, supplier profiles) in coordination with market intelligence team.
• Manage segmentation and selection of key/strategic categories and suppliers.
• Identify and select relevant sourcing levers (e.g., specification rationalization, standardization, substitution, volume bundling, and efficiency).
• Review and prioritize savings opportunities and benchmark industry standards and practices to identify opportunities.
• Guide the category manager to develop category strategy options, analyse feasibility and associated value potential.
• Review and endorse contracting strategies (call for tenders, frame agreements, long-term contracts, strategic partnership etc.).
• Direct teams to use leading practice procurement tools to develop and implement the category strategy such as Kraljic, Porter’s five forces, and purchasing chessboard.
• Support procurement team in defining potential bidders.
• Agree on clear technical and commercial evaluation criteria, considering total cost of ownership and ICV.
• Review terms and conditions and include category-specific KPIs to drive supplier performance.
• Utilize cost models, demand and market conditions to identify supplier negotiation levers.
• Support the procurement team in issuance of framework agreement and work orders.
• Monitor supplier performance and coordinate improvements at the framework agreement level.
• Cultivate and drive a strong project management focus, set goals, monitor progress, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Adapt to changing market conditions, new business opportunities, and cost reduction strategies while maintaining required quality at all times.
• Coach and mentor the ADNOC group category teams to facilitate category management implementation and activities, and develop procurement talent across the group.
• Ensure all sector related files and records are timely and accurately maintained and updated.
• Lead, supervise, and provide project management expertise for the category management teams activities.
• Integrate the procurement and technical teams to analyse total cost of ownership including life cycle and demand (volume and product usage) with standardization and substitution opportunities to reduce costs.
• Drive process consistency to meet quality expectations, meet on-time delivery requirements and leverage best practices and scale to improve operational excellence and cost optimization.
• Drive positive cultural changes, infusing value-added and knowledge, and influencing decisions at all levels of the organization.
• Identify opportunities to drive continuous improvement in total cost management, optimization and process improvements projects.
• Develop strong working relationships with the procurement and technical leaders, SVPs, vice presidents and managers in the ADNOC Group.
• Peer review with shareholders on technical specs and category management best practices.
• Drive adoption of ADNOC ESG initiatives through category management.

Tendering process and board submissions

• Ensure that the tender documents including evaluation criteria, commercial, contractual and legal aspects are aligned with the category strategy.
• Work closely to support the strategic sourcing personnel to ensure that the tendering process is carried out effectively and economically and in compliance with the category strategy and tender board recommendations.
• Assure the commercial and technical evaluation of offers is conducted in consultation with the end users in accordance with the established guidelines and approved ADNOC guidelines.
• Review and recommend on bidders lists, awards, amendments, variations etc. to management for approval.

Contract management

• Work closely and support the team to execute framework agreements in line with the company procedures and policy and to advise on the formulation and applicability of the contractual terms and conditions.
• Coordinate with the respective functions the review and evaluation of change orders and claims and to ensure the submission of the appropriate recommendations.
• Promote mutual trust and cooperation with local business community and suppliers to ensure a fair distribution of business opportunity by exhibiting transparency and sound business ethics.
• Advise and support end users on the various development stages of the respective contracts.
• Ensure execution and implementation of work orders by the group companies and build effective relationship management.

Supplier management

• Responsible for managing the relationship with the key suppliers in the categories.
• Leads the deployment of supplier management across categories and frame agreements to deliver identified value from the sourcing process and incremental value through the contract lifecycle management.
• Responsible for supplier management plan development and senior management sign off.
• Responsible for managing and preparing for supplier performance review meetings across the categories.
• Work with monitoring and control (M&C) department and provide them with data required to develop reports that support the measurement of performance against department objectives.

ICV

• Work with the ICV team to deliver ICV opportunities within the categories.
• Further identify and develop the ICV opportunities through the award of framework agreement and supplier performance plan.

Management

• Plan and supervise the activities of the personnel and resources of the section to achieve the department objectives in an efficient and cost-conscious manner while ensuring implementation of approved operational plans for the section in line with department objectives.
• Develop the knowledge, competencies and innovative spirit in the section and support the establishment of personal development plans (PDPs), succession planning and talent pipeline within the section in coordination with the human capability group to continuously develop employees with emphasis on UAE nationals to meet Emiratization targets.

Budgets and operational plans

• Compile and provide input for preparation of the department budgets and regularly monitor expenditure against approved section budget levels.
• Investigate, highlight and reconcile any significant variances to ensure effective performance and cost control.

Policies, systems, processes and procedures

• Lead the implementation of approved section policies, processes, systems, standards, procedures and internal controls in order to support execution of the department work programs in line with company and international standards.

Performance management

• Implement the company performance management system for individuals within the section in accordance with company approved guidelines and continuously monitor the achievement of the section KPIs related to the approved annual performance management contract and the balanced score card.

Organisation structure and development

• Review, develop and recommend the appropriate organisation structure for the section that will best utilise human capital while proactively incorporating sustainability into the on-going work practices to meet the business objectives.

Innovation and continuous improvement

• Encourage innovation, enhance employee motivation and support initiatives for implementation of change management to continuously improve operations and services.
• Propose improvements in internal processes against best practices in pursuit of greater efficiency in line with ISO standards in order to define intelligent solutions for issues confronting the section.

Health, safety, environment (HSE) and sustainability

• Support the institution of an HSE culture and ensure compliance with relevant HSE policies, procedures, systems and controls and applicable legislation and sustainability guidelines across the section in line with international standards, best practices and ADNOC code of practices.
• Ensure adequate HSE training and induction for all section employees to meet HSE standards.

Management information systems (MIS) and reports

• Prepare all section MIS and progress reports to provide accurate and timely reports and necessary information to company management to effectively manage the business.

Communication and working relationship

• Regular contacts with relevant stakeholders within directorates, functions and group companies.
• Regular contact with suppliers and shareholders.

Requirements

Minimum qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, finance, supply chain, business administration or equivalent.

Minimum experience, knowledge and skills

• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience, preferably in oil and gas (minimum 5 years in category management).
• Ability to collaborate across the functions and with all levels of the organization is necessary.
• High critical thinking and innovative problem-solving skills; financial and strategic.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Strong negotiation and contract preparation skills.
• Good knowledge and experience in conflict avoidance and contracts dispute resolution.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to deliver presentations persuasively to all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and programmes, deadlines, and priorities in a fast-paced, ever-changing and evolving work environment is necessary.