Procurement Category Manager

About the Company

Fenergo is a globally recognized FinTech and RegTech organization experiencing rapid expansion across North America, Europe, and Asia. We offer industry-leading products, strong client trust, and robust commercial momentum as we shape the future of digital client lifecycle management and regulatory transformation.

Role Overview

We are seeking an astute Procurement Category Manager to join our newly formed Strategic Procurement & Value Management (SP&VM) team in Dublin. This key role involves generating immediate cost savings and value while also contributing to the establishment of a world-class, insight-driven procurement function aligned with legal, financial, risk, and operational governance.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies for assigned indirect spend categories, using market research and supplier benchmarking to pinpoint cost optimization and innovation opportunities.
• Manage the entire sourcing process including Requests for Information, Proposal, and Quotations (RFI, RFP, RFQ), vendor negotiations, and awarding contracts.
• Analyze category data with procurement tools to reveal optimization, supplier consolidation, and value creation possibilities, transforming data into actionable insights.
• Achieve validated savings and value initiatives with clear mapping to P&L and finance verification.
• Contribute to evolving commercial playbooks for key spending categories.
• Lead vendor negotiations securing advantageous pricing, terms, and services.
• Oversee contract lifecycles, collaborating closely with Legal and Risk to mitigate contractual risks, managing renewals, amendments, and new agreements.
• Apply cost modeling and benchmarking techniques to inform negotiation strategies based on vendor cost structures.
• Maintain a proactive contract renewal calendar avoiding lapses or unwanted auto-renewals.
• Identify contract deviations or risks for escalation to Legal, ensuring alignment with corporate commercial standards.
• Support senior managers during high-stakes negotiations as needed.
• Manage strategic vendor relationships using KPIs, SLAs, and quarterly business reviews to boost performance and resilience.
• Drive supplier rationalization and reduce supplier concentration risk.
• Develop vendor partnerships that go beyond transactions to offer pricing innovation, service enhancements, and strategic alignment.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, Risk, and business units to embed procurement into business decision making as a strategic partner.
• Advise internal teams on procurement best practices backed by business outcomes.
• Champion procurement policies, sourcing standards, and approval frameworks company-wide.
• Support governance processes including cross-functional reviews and CFO reporting cycles.
• Leverage AI and digital procurement tools to boost activity efficiency and quality, embracing our AI-enabled operating model.

Required Experience and Skills

• Minimum of 4 years in procurement, strategic sourcing, or category management, preferably within technology, SaaS, FinTech, or professional services.
• Proven success delivering cost savings and managing commercial negotiations from strategy to contract signing.
• Strong contract management skills with confidence reviewing and negotiating diverse vendor contracts.
• Ability to analyze spend data, financial models, and contract intelligence to support negotiation cases.
• Proven stakeholder management capabilities, influencing senior levels without direct authority.
• Experience collaborating with Finance, Legal, and Risk teams to align commercial outcomes with compliance.
• Adaptability to dynamic environments where procurement processes are evolving; a builder and executor mindset.

Desired Personal Attributes

• Curious intellect keen to understand business and market intricacies and pose insightful questions.
• Sharp commercial judgment to evaluate risk, make trade-offs, and defend decisions amid ambiguity.
• Business acumen enabling partnership thinking, understanding P&L and value from a CFO perspective.
• Digital savvy with enthusiasm for AI and modern procurement technologies to enhance speed and quality.
• Collaborative and empathetic, creating synergy with vendors and internal teams.
• Willingness to assertively challenge unfavorable deals, business assumptions, or risks.

Additional Qualifications (Preferred)

• Experience in regulated, high-growth technology sectors like FinTech, RegTech, or SaaS.
• Familiarity with indirect spend categories including cloud infrastructure, SaaS licenses, consulting, and professional services.
• Experience with procurement or spend management software such as Vertice or Zip.
• Knowledge of third-party risk management, information security/privacy vendor review, or regulated procurement.
• Usage of AI tools to assist contract review, spend analysis, or workflow management.

Success Metrics for the First Year

• Successful development of category strategies for assigned groups.
• Effective management of contract renewal calendars preventing surprises.
• Delivery and tracking of finance-validated savings and cost avoidance against agreed baselines.
• Established strong relationships with Finance, Legal, Risk, and business stakeholders, becoming involved early in decision processes.
• Enhanced visibility into spend and improved contract data quality in managed categories.
• Transition of vendor interactions from transactional relationships to value-adding partnerships with measurable positive impacts.
• Contributions reflected in Fenergo's EBITDA through hard savings and value creation.

Benefits Offered

• Comprehensive healthcare provided by VHI.
• Company pension contributions.
• Life assurance and income protection insurance.
• 23 days of annual leave plus 3 company closure days.
• Annual bonus potential.
• Work-from-home setup allowance.
• Opportunities to collaborate globally with a leading client lifecycle management provider.
• Flexible working hours and established work-from-home policies.
• Bike-to-work initiatives, sports and social committees, and weekly fitness classes.
• Buddy system for new hires supporting integration.
• Collaborative work culture.
• Extensive training programs available both in classrooms and online through internal university initiatives.
• Work on cutting-edge FinTech products utilizing latest tools and technologies.
• Defined training and career progression tracking.
• Active social and sports clubs.
• Modern offices situated in Dublin's Docklands featuring excellent facilities, canteen, and games areas.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Fenergo commits to equal opportunity employment fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where all employees are respected and can thrive. Hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, performance, and business needs without discrimination on any legally protected characteristic. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply and contribute to a supportive and inclusive culture.