Title:  Category Manager

Senior Commercial Supplier Manager

Are you ready to make a real impact in Australia’s energy transition?

At AusNet, we play a key role in the energy transition and providing essential energy to Victorian households and businesses. 

Help us lead the way, while enriching your career with real people who encourage you to bring your best and make real impact – for your career, our communities and Australia’s clean energy future.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Commercial Supplier Manager, in this pivotal role you’ll unlock maximum value from strategic suppliers and high-value spending by leveraging market intelligence, insights, and best-in-class category management practices.

You won’t just focus on cost, you’ll deliver new sources of value such as innovation, faster time to market, and robust risk management, ensuring ongoing category satisfaction across the business. As a trusted advisor, you’ll proactively influence critical decisions on external expenditures and help shape the future of our network’s strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvement in procurement processes, digital tools, and reporting frameworks for smarter, data-driven decisions.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships, influence senior leaders, and promote early procurement involvement for better commercial outcomes.
• Develop and execute category strategies, sourcing plans, and negotiation frameworks to maximise value and manage risk.
• Lead strategic sourcing events, establish supplier panels, and maintain total cost of ownership models.
• Foster innovation and collaboration with suppliers and internal teams to unlock new value and accelerate delivery.
• Monitor category performance, supplier KPIs, and compliance while identifying synergies and corrective actions.
• Champion a culture of care, curiosity, and connection through actionable feedback and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Deliver on SLAs and customer satisfaction while ensuring compliance with safety, cyber security, and AusNet policies.

What You’ll Bring

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Business, Supply Chain, Commerce, Engineering, or similar).
• Master’s degree or MBA highly regarded.
• Professional certifications: Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) is an advantage.

Experience:

• 10–12 years of procurement experience with a strong track record in category management, strategic sourcing and commercial management.
• Expertise in designing and embedding procurement frameworks, governance, scalable processes, and commercial tools that drive organisational capability and early engagement.
• Proven ability to lead complex commercial negotiations in capital-intensive industries or major project environments.
• Knowledge of the utilities industry is highly regarded.
• Strong background in project management and problem-solving.
• Solid understanding of contract law and regulatory compliance (mandatory).
• Tech-savvy, with:
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with ERP systems and e-Procurement tools (advantageous).

Please note, we will not be engaging Recruitment agencies for this role, please apply directly!

A real place to belong.

We celebrate unique voices, refreshing perspectives and diversity in our team. Engage and connect through our social club, wide range of events or by joining one of our Employee Network Groups.

We believe in more than just competitive pay. Here’s what sets us apart:

• Leave: more than typical personal leave and a generous 14 weeks of paid parental leave, with no minimum service.
• Community giving: a paid day to volunteer with our social impact partner, Foodbank, or for a cause that matters to you.
• Perks: we offer all the other perks you’ve come to expect like purchased leave, income protection insurance, novated leasing, corporate discounts, private health cover discounts and more.

As an industry in transformation, we’re excited by the possibilities ahead.

So, if you’re passionate about our purpose and committed to making real progress, bring your energy and join AusNet. Together, we can shape a new way forward.