Who are we?
We’re a specialist employee benefits provider, striving to create healthy, happy workplaces. As part of the international Unum Group, we’re on a collective mission to help the working world thrive.
The roleWhat will you be doing?
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The UK Category Manager / TPRM Lead develops and executes category, sourcing, supplier and/or third-party risk strategies that deliver sustainable commercial value, operational resilience, regulatory compliance and strong supplier performance.
Acting as a trusted adviser, the role manages strategic and critical suppliers across the supplier lifecycle and works with business, Legal, Risk and Compliance stakeholders to ensure supplier arrangements support Unum’s objectives and regulatory obligations. As part of a global organisation, the UK Category Manager looks to collaborate/leverage/adapt global category strategies and supplier relationships in order to drive best outcomes for the UK arm of the business.
This role provides the opportunity to bring your strengths and expand breadth of skills and experience across Sourcing, procurement excellence, sustainability and third-party risk management to shape strategic supplier relationships across critical business and technology services while driving commercial value, supplier performance, operational resilience and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will be a natural collaborator and play a key role in supporting Unum's business objectives and strategy.
Category Strategy and Commercial Management
○ Develop and execute category strategies and strategic roadmaps aligned with business priorities, market conditions and future requirements.
○ Use market intelligence, benchmarking and commercial analysis to identify opportunities, shape decisions and optimise total value.
○ Lead end-to-end sourcing activity, including requirements challenge, supplier evaluation, RFI/RFP processes, negotiation, contracting and supplier selection.
Business Partnership
○ Build trusted relationships with business leaders and stakeholders, developing a strong understanding of their objectives, risks and priorities.
○ Provide clear commercial and supplier advice, influence decision-making and constructively challenge requirements to achieve effective, sustainable and risk-based outcomes.
Supplier Management and Governance
○ Manage strategic and critical supplier relationships across the supplier lifecycle, ensuring continued alignment with contractual commitments, service expectations and business needs.
○ Establish and lead proportionate supplier governance, performance reviews and improvement plans to strengthen accountability, service quality, innovation and continuous improvement.
Third-Party Risk, Resilience and Compliance
○ Ensure sourcing and supplier management activities comply with internal governance and applicable regulatory requirements, including FCA and PRA outsourcing expectations where relevant.
○ Lead or coordinate supplier due diligence and risk assessments, incorporating operational, financial, contractual, concentration, information security and resilience considerations into decisions.
○ Support the governance of material outsourcing and critical supplier arrangements, including ongoing assurance, transition and exit planning, whilst aligning with Operational teams on business continuity, operational resilience.
○ Partner with Legal, Risk, Compliance and other control functions to maintain effective third-party oversight and timely resolution of risks and issues.
Performance and Improvement
○ Measure and report category, supplier, risk and commercial outcomes against agreed objectives, using insight to drive corrective action and continuous improvement.
○ Lead Procurement excellence and wider business initiatives to streamline processes, enhance ways of working, and the value Sourcing can bring to the business.
○ Contribute to Strategic Sourcing priorities and undertake other responsibilities appropriate to the role.
What will you bring?
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Experience and Qualifications
○ Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, relevant professional qualification or equivalent practical experience.
○ Typically 5–8 years’ relevant experience across either procurement, category management, supplier relationship management and/or third-party risk management.
○ Experience developing and delivering category, sourcing or supplier strategies in a complex organisation.
○ Experience managing strategic or critical suppliers in a regulated environment is desirable.
○ Experience in technology, professional services, marketing, business services or other indirect categories is desirable.
Commercial, Supplier and Risk Expertise
○ Proven experience leading complex commercial, contractual and risk negotiations and gaining alignment with business stakeholders, Sourcing, Legal, Risk and Compliance stakeholders.
○ Strong knowledge of third-party risk management, including due diligence, ongoing monitoring, supplier assurance, operational resilience, material outsourcing governance and exit planning.
○ Ability to balance commercial value, service quality, supplier performance, regulatory compliance and third-party risk when developing and executing strategies.
○ Experience establishing or operating supplier governance, performance management and executive review forums.
Capabilities and Behaviours
○ Excellent communication, relationship management and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage, challenge and advise senior stakeholders and suppliers.
○ Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with a track record of delivering measurable outcomes.
○ Ability to manage a varied portfolio of sourcing, supplier and risk initiatives in a complex matrix environment.
○ Ability to communicate complex commercial and risk matters clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing.
○ High levels of initiative, judgement, accountability and commitment to continuous improvement.
○ Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
Location
Hybrid working. 3 days in office, 2 days from home. From office locations in Dorking, London or Basingstoke.
Benefits
○ Bonus scheme
○ Pension scheme
○ Protection benefits
○ Wellbeing support
○ Holiday allowance
○ Electric vehicle scheme
Why join us?
At Unum, we’ve created a workplace where people feel supported to progress and grow, and can see their ambitions coming to life.
As a part of our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace, we actively encourage applications from those with disabilities and those with long-term health conditions.
If you meet the essential criteria for the role and choose to opt in to the scheme during your application, you will be offered an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected].
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer.
Company:
Unum UKSkills Required
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree, relevant professional qualification, or equivalent practical experience
- Typically 5–8 years of relevant experience in procurement, category management, supplier relationship management, or third-party risk management
- Experience developing and delivering category, sourcing, or supplier strategies in a complex organization
- Experience leading complex commercial, contractual, and risk negotiations
- Strong knowledge of third-party risk management, due diligence, supplier assurance, operational resilience, material outsourcing governance, and exit planning
- Experience establishing or operating supplier governance, performance management, and executive review forums
- Excellent communication, relationship management, influencing, strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
- Ability to manage a varied portfolio of sourcing, supplier, and risk initiatives in a complex matrix environment
- Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
- Experience managing strategic or critical suppliers in a regulated environment
- Experience in technology, professional services, marketing, business services, or other indirect categories
Unum Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Unum and has not been reviewed or approved by Unum.
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Healthcare Strength — Benefits are described as starting day one and include medical coverage along with employer-provided life, short-term disability, and long-term disability. On-site amenities like a gym and café are also part of the health-and-extras package in some locations.
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Retirement Support — The retirement offering is positioned as a standout through a high employer 401(k) contribution. This retirement support is repeatedly framed as a key draw within the total rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is characterized as generous, with additional personal days and company closure days also described. The time-off program is presented as broader than many peers on paper.
Unum Insights
What We Do
Unum is a company of people serving people. A Fortune 500 company, we help millions of people gain affordable access to disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental and vision benefits through the workplace — benefits that help them protect their families, their finances and their futures. Our products and services meet the needs of a diverse workforce that includes four generations, growing ethnic diversity and changing family dynamics. A strong commitment to social responsibility is one of Unum's core values. In fact, we place particular emphasis on contributing to positive change in the communities in which we live and work. Helping our communities become better is a natural extension of the commitment we make each and every day to our customers — to help employers manage their businesses and employees protect their families and livelihoods. We look forward to sharing industry news, community involvement, recognition and other info we hope you find interesting and informative. We encourage your comments and feedback so we can be a valuable resource for you and get to know you a little better.
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