Category Manager - ICT

Who we are

In Melbourne, water is essential to our way of life. As caretakers of Melbourne’s water cycle and catchments, we care for water, life, and land across the city. From protecting storages and preparing for floods, to restoring waterways and supporting thriving communities, our work shapes how Melbourne lives.

At the same time, we plan for the future, preparing for climate challenges in a growing city and ensuring it remains resilient for generations to come.

If you want your work to make a real difference, are willing to dive into complex challenges, and believe in doing what is right, you will find your place here.

About the Role

Join Melbourne Water in a pivotal role where you will help shape the strategic direction of our ICT procurement portfolio within a significant and complex operating environment.

As the Category Manager – ICT, you will lead the development and delivery of ICT category strategies and Category Management Plans across Melbourne Water’s external spend portfolio. Working as a trusted business partner, you will collaborate with senior stakeholders, sourcing teams and contract management professionals to identify procurement efficiencies, generate value and strengthen commercial outcomes.

A key focus will be supporting strategic category planning associated with a major ICT services provider. You will use spend analytics, market intelligence and supplier insights to develop robust sourcing pipelines, optimise the supply base and identify opportunities for consolidation, innovation, improved supplier performance and sustainable value.

• Develop and manage strategic category management across the ICT categories in order to identify and maximise addressable spend procurement efficiencies, value generation, and market insight strategy for the procurement process, and to build the overall effectiveness of the Procurement and Contract Management function.
• Contribute to the development and management of the annual and 5 year (Price Determination) procurement strategic opportunities plan for the ICT categories.
• To act as business partner with business stakeholders to support and plan procurement activity category strategies across the ICT categories, including market and supply insight development, to maximise innovation, value generation, ESG, and risk managed procurement outcomes.
• Provide advice to procurement and contract management professionals and stakeholders on strategies to maximise value generation and efficiency outcomes and build the overall effectiveness of the Procurement function.
• Providing guidance and leadership in the development of Category Management Plans (CMPs).
• Contribute to procurement efficiency outcomes and reporting in line with the procurement strategy and provision of reporting outcomes to support the Head of Procurement & Contract Management objectives to senior leadership, and agency obligations.

For more information, please refer to the attached Role Mandate

This opportunity will suit an experienced ICT category planning professional who can confidently navigate competing priorities, compliance requirements and complex stakeholder relationships.

About you:

You will bring a practical, delivery-focused approach, along with the resilience and adaptability required to work through ambiguity and contribute effectively within a collaborative team environment.

• Extensive experience in developing ICT category strategies and Category Management Plans
• Strong strategic planning capability within a complex ICT procurement environment
• Experience supporting significant supplier arrangements or large-scale spend categories
• Well-developed commercial acumen, market research and spend analytics capability
• Strong stakeholder management, collaboration and influencing skills
• Experience in supplier segmentation, category bundling and supply-base optimisation
• Sound knowledge of sourcing, tendering, contract management and negotiation
• The ability to prioritise competing business requirements and progress outcomes within established governance and compliance frameworks
• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent commercial and procurement experience
• MCIPS qualifications and public-sector procurement experience, including knowledge of VGPB requirements, will be highly regarded

Why join us:

At Melbourne Water, we care deeply about water and the life it sustains.

Our team is inspired by passion and purpose, with an unwavering commitment to safety. We are on a mission to protect every Melburnian’s way of life, one drop at a time.

We do not just talk about flexible working - we live it. Our culture of purpose, safety, results, and learning flows through everything we do. We're dedicated to doing what's right, and this commitment extends to the meaningful work we do in a supportive and inclusive culture that encourages you to make the most of your talents.

Our long-standing commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ individuals, Neurodivergent Individuals, people living with disability, mature age and young jobseekers from all cultures can apply with confidence knowing they are safe, affirmed, and celebrated.

If you’re curious, action-orientated, outcomes-focused, and enthusiastic about public resources, community, and the environment, we'd love to receive your application and learn if you could be a great fit.

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button below and complete our online application form.

Closing date: Tuesday 29th September 2026 at 11:55pm AEST