Global Category Manager

Job Type:

Permanent

Build a brilliant future with Hiscox
 

Role: Global Category Manager

Reporting to: Head of Business Services Sourcing

Position Overview

Following a period of rapid growth, Hiscox has around 3,000 employees across a number of business units and countries and is deploying a new platform ‘Hiscox Marketplace’ for procurement, vendor management and payments across all regions. It is an exciting time to be joining Hiscox. With sponsorship from the Board, Procurement has a key role in supporting the delivery of the Fit for 10X program, a plan to ensure Hiscox is best placed for significant expansion over the next 5 years.

The Global Category Manager (Legal Services and Insurance) will lead the end-to-end category strategy, sourcing and commercial governance for legal services spend as well as the Insurance policies for the Hiscox Group (notably Cyber, Professional Indemnity and Directors and Officers). The role delivers measurable value through cost optimisation, demand management, service quality and innovation, while ensuring compliance with internal policies and applicable regulations.

The role will be supported with Category Analysts based in Lisbon. The role will establish relationships with stakeholders across the UK and Europe/US to ensure that procurement is aligned to deliver the benefits of Hiscox Marketplace and the Fit For 10X business objectives.

Where sourcing activity is material, high profile or high risk then the Global Category Manager will lead the procurement activity from market analysis through to contract signature.  They will also provide advice and support to the business when managing vendors on a day to day basis.

The role will be accountable for improving spend management in the Legal Services and Group Insurance categories as well as contributing to Group procurement strategy, supporting the use of Hiscox Marketplace the global procurement platform used across the business in all regions and to provide consistent and professional procurement practice. As well as maintaining and developing the Global Category Plans for Legal Services.

Responsibilities:

• Category Strategy: Develop and maintain a multi-year category strategy and pipeline aligned to business priorities, demand management, and financial plans.
• Team Contribution: Coach junior colleagues, share best practice, and contribute to procurement standards, playbooks and training.
• Stakeholders: Maintain good working relationships with key stakeholders in Finance, London Market, UK Retail, US and Europe by providing expertise on contracts and Statements of Work. Influence demand, shape requirements, and drive adherence to sourcing and spend control processes via the use of the Legal Services panel and other supplier panels as appropriate.
• Sourcing & Tendering: Plan and execute end-to-end sourcing activities (RFI/RFP/RFQ/Spot Bid), evaluation, negotiation and contract award in line with governance requirements.
• Commercial Leadership: Negotiate commercials (rates, discounts, value-adds, KPIs, gainshare), define statements of work (SoWs), and ensure clear deliverables and acceptance criteria.
• Hiscox Marketplace: embed the use of Hiscox Marketplace and policies as required to deploy best-practice based processes.
• Contracting & Compliance: Use of A.I. and partner with Legal and Risk to implement appropriate contractual terms (IP, confidentiality, data protection, liability, conflicts of interest, anti-bribery) and ensure policy compliance.
• Governance: Implement appropriate controls for legal services engagements (SoW approvals, rate cards, time & materials governance, change control, and invoice validation
• Supplier Management: Own strategic supplier relationships, QBRs, performance scorecards, continuous improvement plans, and issue resolution/escalations
• Reporting: Use of A.I. to undertake and input into the creation of procurement MI as required and reporting such as savings and volumes of requests. Carry out any other tasks or requirements as required by Hiscox from time to time.

Skills:

• Commercial acumen: Strong negotiation skills; able to structure deals, manage risk/reward, and agree measurable outcomes.
• Analytical capability: Rate benchmarking, total cost of ownership thinking, financial modelling, and data-driven decision making.
• Stakeholder influence: Credible at senior levels; able to challenge constructively and build alignment across competing priorities.
• Supplier relationship management: Balances partnership and performance; manages escalations with pace and professionalism.
• Contract literacy: Strong understanding of key legal services contract terms (IP, confidentiality, data protection, conflicts, liability, audit rights).
• Project management: Plans and executes sourcing projects to deadlines; manages evaluation, governance and approvals.
• Communication: Clear, concise written and verbal communication; able to present recommendations and business cases.
• Integrity and judgement: Applies strong ethical standards; manages confidential information appropriately.

Necessary:

• Strong leadership skills across matrix structures.
• Team player at executive level to collaborate with Business Units and functional partners in Finance, and Operations across the Hiscox Business Units.
• Solid operational management and general business skills to project manage business teams to support delivery of procurement activity as required.
• Excellent communication skills in order to get the “voice of the internal customer” and to understand the company culture and how to best communicate procurement’s value to it.
• In-depth knowledge of procurement, vendor and management principles and best practices.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience of negotiating Legal Services spend preferable.
• Experience of Supplier Performance Management to support the business with monitoring of SLA’s, KPI’s to measure and maintain highest performance standards from key strategic suppliers
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems.
• Expert knowledge of legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal risk.
• Strategic mindset and problem-solving skills with proactive, driven approach to change.
• Change management skills and self-awareness to take varying approaches with a dynamic set of stakeholders.

Qualifications and Training

• Degree (or equivalent experience) in business, procurement, finance, law or a related discipline.
• Professional procurement qualification preferred (e.g., CIPS Level 5/6 or equivalent).
• Desirable:
  • Contract management qualification and/or relevant compliance training (e.g., anti-bribery, modern slavery, data protection).
  • Negotiation Training

Diversity and flexible working at Hiscox

At Hiscox we care about our people. We hire the best people for the job, and we are committed to diversity and creating a truly inclusive culture, which we believe drives success.

Working life does not always have to be in the office so we have introduced hybrid working to encourage a healthy work life balance.

This hybrid working model is set by the team rather than the business to enable you to manage your own personal work-life balance. We see it as the best of both worlds; structure and sociability on one hand, and independence and flexibility on the other.

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Work with amazing people and be part of a unique culture