Category Specialist/Category Buyer

Category Specialist/Category Buyer

Job Title/ Position: Category Specialist/Category Buyer

Reports To: Head, Category Management

Location: Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical, Lagos  

Job Summary

Scope of Responsibility

•    Execute sourcing and procurement activities across assigned sub-categories or spend areas 
•    Manage supplier interactions and transactional/commercial execution 
•    Support contract implementation and compliance 
•    Ensure alignment with Category Strategy and procurement policies 

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1.    Category Strategy Execution & Planning Support

• Support Category Lead in executing category strategies and sourcing plans


• Conduct spend analysis, demand tracking, and basic market research


• Maintain category data, supplier lists, and sourcing pipelines


• Identify and escalate value opportunities (cost savings, demand optimization) 

2.    Strategic Sourcing Execution

• Execute sourcing events (RFI, RFQ, RFP) in line with category strategy


• Prepare RFx documentation, evaluation models, and commercial comparisons


• Support negotiations with suppliers (pricing, terms, delivery)


• Ensure sourcing processes are compliant, transparent, and documented

3.    Supplier & Contract Management

• Manage day-to-day supplier interactions and communication


• Track supplier performance (delivery, quality, SLA adherence)


• Support supplier onboarding, qualification, and documentation


• Monitor contract compliance and flag deviations

4.    Stakeholder Engagement & Support

• Act as first point of contact for operational procurement request


• Translate stakeholder needs into sourcing requirements


• Ensure timely processing of procurement requests and purchase orders


• Support demand control by challenging non-compliant or unnecessary requests 

5.    Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, procedures, and approvals


• Identify and escalate supply risks (delivery delays, supplier issues, contract gaps)


• Maintain proper documentation for audit and compliance purposes


• Support supplier due diligence and governance processes 

6.    Performance Tracking & Reporting

• Track sourcing savings, cost avoidance, and delivery performance


• Maintain procurement dashboards and reports


• Monitor key KPIs (OTIF, cycle time, compliance, savings delivery)


• Provide regular updates to Category Lead and stakeholders

7.    Demand Management & Specification Support

• Support demand planning and validation of purchase requests


• Ensure specifications align with approved standards and contracts


• Identify opportunities for standardization and consumption control


• Escalate opportunities for value engineering

8.    Procurement Operations & Process Excellence

• Execute purchase orders and ensure timely order placement


• Manage end-to-end PR-to-PO process


• Maintain data accuracy in procurement systems (ERP)


• Drive process improvements (cycle time, efficiency, compliance)

9.    Continuous Improvement & Capability Development

• Build knowledge of sourcing processes, supplier markets, and commercial practices


• Support digital procurement tools and analytics adoption


• Participate in process improvement and cost optimization initiatives

10.    Safety, Sustainability & ESG Compliance

•  Ensure suppliers comply with HSE and ESG requirements


• Support responsible sourcing and ethical procurement practices


• Monitor and report supplier compliance issues


• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned by the line manager

Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Engineering, or related field


• 3–8 years’ experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain roles


• Professional certification (CIPS, CPSM, etc.) is an advantage


• Experience supporting sourcing events and supplier management


• Familiarity with procurement systems and processes

Functional Competencies

• Sourcing Execution & RFx Management


• Basic Commercial Negotiation


• Supplier Coordination & Performance Tracking


• Contract Compliance Monitoring


• Spend Analysis & Reporting


• Procurement Process Execution 

Digital Competencies

• ERP systems (SAP)


• Excel and basic data analysis


• Spend analytics tools (user level)


• E-sourcing tools

 
Behavioral Competencies

• Commercial awareness


• Stakeholder collaboration


• Problem-solving


• Attention to detail


• Communication skills


• High integrity and professionalism