Assistant Category Manager

Transformationunitgm; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in the UK is looking for an Assistant Category Manager to support procurement activities. This role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and providing mentorship to team members. Ideal candidates will have CIPS qualifications and relevant experience in public sector procurement. This position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to work within a dynamic healthcare environment, supporting the Trust's innovative aims in healthcare delivery.

Qualifications

• Experience in negotiation and managing supplier contracts.
• Exposure to Public Sector Procurement and contract management.
• Computer literate, familiar with e-enablement.

Responsibilities

• Support the Senior Category Manager in managing contractual agreements.
• Promote stakeholder relationships to enhance sourcing strategies.
• Mentor and coach team members in procurement practices.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Project management

Commercial awareness

Interpersonal skills

Education

CIPS Associate Membership or equivalent

Full CIPS Membership

Tools

Contract management systems

Job description

Employer University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Yeomans House Town Dorset Salary £38,682 - £46,580 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 21/01/2026 23:59

Assistant Category Manager

Band 6

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

In support of the Trusts Corporate, Operations, Clinical Services and Non Clinical SLA's procurement programme, a vacancy has arisen within the Commercial Services department for an Assistant Category Manager at University Hospitals Dorset on a fixed term contract to cover Maternity leave.

If you are compassionate, commercially astute with a can do attitude and can demonstrate relevant procurement experience then this is an exciting opportunity. You will need to be a dynamic individual with the ability to build strong relationships and support the aims and vision of the organisation.

Interested individuals should make their application setting out how they will fulfil the requirements of the role profile and why they should be considered for the role.

Interview Date: 8th January 2025

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

• Directly supports the Senior Category Manager in establishing and managing effective and “fit for purpose” contractual agreements which comply with UK public procurement and the respective Trust regulatory requirements
• Promotes and engenders effective stakeholder relationships, leading and influencing change affecting commitment based & collaborative approaches to strategic sourcing, supplier development & management to address Trust strategy, customer requirements and sustainable cost improvement strategies.
• Work with Category Managers and cross functional teams to deliver innovative solutions to support care pathways as part of strategic direction in support of Senior Category Manager.
• Act as mentor and undertake development and coaching of other team members as required; develop and manage ongoing business review programmes with key vendors/stakeholders to ensure compliant, effective and ongoing management of contracts allocated; engender continuous improvement ethos taking a lead role to establish robust product and market intelligence for portfolio of products and services allocated, and acts as an ambassador for the department, providing specialist advice to internal customers.

Working for our organisation

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued team mates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

In some cases this means that a services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have at interview.

Please note if the role or service is relocated as part of a planned move, employees will not be eligible for excess mileage reimbursement. Travel from the postholder's home to the new work base will be considered a normal commute. Any other changes not related to this relocation will be managed according to the relevant Trust or National terms and conditions.

For UHD employees, this fixed-term post will be offered as a secondment in line with the Trust’s Secondment Policy. Please speak with your line manager before applying.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Associate CIPS Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or equivalent professional experience: usually by completion of Advanced Diploma (Level 5)
• Full membership (MCIPS) of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or equivalent professional experience

Experience

• Exposure to and management of Procurement & Sourcing strategies
• Exposure to project management implementing change
• Experience of negotiation, contracting and supplier management with an understanding of the rules governing public sector Procurement
• Experience in negotiating and closing complex contract deals delivering measurable savings
• Experience of Public Sector Procurement
• Experience in managing a team
• Knowledge of inventory/ materials management
• Computer literate, including the use of e-enablement and contract management information systems
• Able to undertake detailed and complex commercial cost & risk analysis and to use such data to make decisions and to translate such analysis into a sound argument and recommendation
• Good problem solving ability, business acumen and ability to manage commercial opportunities
• Ability to plan & coordinate purchasing & contract workplans including operational time factors
• Proven ability to implement and manage strategy and strategic change

Knowledge

• Knowledge of EU & UK public Procurement legislation and knowledge of leading-edge procurement practices
• Good negotiation techniques and the management of supplier contracts
• Knowledge of professional procurement principles and techniques
• Researches markets and suppliers to make informed commercial decisions
• Understanding of resource accounting and budgeting
• Supply chain management strategy, Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) and Just in Time (JIT) systems/processes

Other requirements specific to the role

• Well developed inter-personal and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively at all levels and across all disciplines including senior clinical and non-clinical managers
• Good interpersonal and negotiation skills to discuss detailed contractual issues with NHS staff and suppliers, gaining customer support and cooperation to contentious or sensitive recommendations
• Able to foster internal relationships and influence colleagues, interpreting their needs and embedding into professional procurement arrangements
• Able to communicate with non-commercial staff conveying procurement concepts clearly providing advice & guidance on statutory financial and procurement regulations
• Ability to raise difficult issues and influence key players

Personal Attributes

• Credible and able to influence key stakeholders towards the wider Trust picture
• Able to undertake complex procurement and contracting for high value and diverse product and service offerings on behalf of specialist technical stakeholders
• Responds positively to challenging performance targets, manages priorities and maintains focus on outcomes and deliverables
• Acts as role model for team members
• Using appropriate resources to maximise output and to maintain delivery against targets and ability to recommend new methods of operation
• Able to provide leadership and mentoring to team members and effectively tackle barriers to communication internally and externally

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

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