Category Manager

Category Manager £55,270 + Benefits 12-month FTC London - Hybrid Working

For a large UK-wide Housing Association, we're recruiting a Category Manager on a 12-month FTC. During a period of significant investment in service provision and effective category management and business partnering, the Category Manager will continue this journey of operational excellence and will develop and lead strategic sourcing, agreeing procurement strategy for several supply chain categories taking a commercial and compliant approach in development the best routes to market.

What you'll be doing:

• Work alongside the group procurement team and senior procurement manager to develop and deliver operationally excellent strategies for a portfolio of supply chain categories
• Lead on the development, procurement and implementation of category strategies, ensuring contracts awarded deliver value for money
• Identify key supply relationships to drive improvement in value for money, performance, quality, service and innovation
• Develop successful supply chain relationships though supplier visits, and understanding end-to-end supply chains
• Develop extensive market research and analysis and evaluate market intelligence to support procurement strategies
• Monitor and report on supplier performance across the group for assigned categories
• Partner with stakeholders to ensure all portfolio suppliers are monitored during their contracts, and facilitate the review and audit of spend categories
• Develop and provide management information on category spend across all budgets and procurement efficiencies
• Develop best practices to ensure regulatory and governance compliance.

What you'll offer us:

• CIPS qualified (or studying towards)
• Proven track record in applying Public Contracts Regulations knowledge to the management of end-to-end procurement activity
• Experience in IT and Technology procurement
• Experience using different routes to market including frameworks/DPS and other tender approaches
• Experience delivering high-value complex procurement solutions
• Proven experience of providing expert procurement advice to a range of stakeholders

As an employer, we are committed to ensuring the representation of people from all backgrounds regardless of their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply and would encourage you to let us know if there are steps, we can take to ensure that your recruitment process enables you to present yourself in a way that makes you comfortable.