Category Manager

Job Introduction

Category Manager

Shape the Future of Procurement at Royal Greenwich

Are you an experienced procurement professional eager to lead high-impact projects in a forward-thinking council? Royal Greenwich is seeking three dynamic Category Managers to help us deliver innovative procurement strategies that ensure value for money, social value, and long-term benefits for our community.

As Category Manager, you’ll take charge of complex procurement projects, working with multidisciplinary teams to deliver contracts that support key council objectives. This is your opportunity to use your commercial acumen and public sector procurement expertise to make a lasting impact on the services delivered to our residents.

 This is a 2 year fixed term role.

About the Role

Reporting to the Category Lead, you will be responsible for managing procurement activities within the People Category (Adults, Children's and Public Health primarily) contributing to the delivery of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy. Your work will drive value for money while embedding social value considerations into procurement processes to benefit the community.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading on high-value and complex procurement projects, from planning to delivery, ensuring full compliance with public sector legislation such as the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Procurement Act 2023, and the NHS Provider Selection Regime 2024.
• Providing strategic advice to senior managers and ensuring that procurement activities align with wider council policies such as Social Value, Modern Slavery, Fair Tax, and Equality & Diversity.
• Managing and mentoring staff, ensuring a culture of continuous improvement and professional development across your team.
• Working with stakeholders to ensure procurement plans are aligned with their business needs while applying best practices in contract management and supplier relationships.
• Promoting compliance with key Council policies, such as Sustainability and Fair Tax, and ensuring suppliers meet London Living Wage and Modern Slavery standards.
• Offering expert technical guidance to internal stakeholders, ensuring sound procurement practices and risk mitigation across all procurement exercises.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a Category Manager with the following qualifications, skills, and experience:

Knowledge and Experience

• MCIPS qualified (or proven equivalent experience) with substantial public sector procurement experience, ideally in Local Government.
• Strong knowledge of public sector procurement regulations, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and NHS Provider Selection Regime 2023.
• Awareness of broader procurement policies like the Transparency Agenda, Social Value, Modern Slavery, Fair Tax, and Community Wealth Building.
• Experience of social care or health procurement, ideally in Local Government.

Skills and Abilities

• Expertise in procurement planning, market analysis, and contract management, with a deep understanding of Local Government categories of supply.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience managing teams through both direct line management and matrix structures.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple procurement projects and stakeholders effectively.
• Strong commercial skills along with an understanding of commissioning needs in Adult's and Children's Social Care, and Public Health.
• Proven ability to analyse risks, make informed decisions, and provide sound strategic advice.

Experience

• Extensive experience of leading procurement initiatives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, including managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in promoting staff development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and performance.
• Proven track record of managing complex procurement projects, ensuring they deliver both financial efficiency and social value.

Why Work for Royal Greenwich?

At Royal Greenwich, you’ll be part of an innovative and supportive team committed to delivering real impact for our residents. As a Category Manager, you’ll enjoy:

• An excellent working environment and culture with experienced, professional management and colleagues.
• A generous 29 days’ annual leave, plus Bank Holidays.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements with comprehensive IT support.
• A competitive pension scheme, Cycle to Work scheme, and reduced-rate gym membership.
• Continuous professional development opportunities, including mentoring and training.
• The chance to work in a vibrant borough with excellent transport links, including the Elizabeth Line and Uber Boat.

How to Apply

Are you ready to lead strategic procurement projects and make a tangible difference in Royal Greenwich? If so, we’d love to hear from you! 

Please read the attached job documents and include a supporting statement detailing how your experience aligns with the Person Specification. Be sure to indicate the service area (People Services, Place, or Resources) that interests you most.

For an informal discussion please contact Sarah Reardon, Category Lead at sarah.reardon@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

Diversity Statement: Royal Borough of Greenwich values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Advert Close: All vacancies close at midnight unless otherwise stated. 

Early Advert Close: Royal Borough of Greenwich reserves the right to close any job advert earlier than the advertised closing date where there is reason to do so (for example high volume of applications).

How Applications are Scored: Each application is scored according to how well the supporting statements addresses each point on the Person Specification for the role. Candidates will be short-listed for interview on the extent to which they meet the specific points within the Person Specification. The Person Specification is supplied with the job advert. When completing your application, please use the supporting statements section to tell us how you meet each of the points on the Person Specification. We need to have this information in order to consider your application.

Salary: Salaries advertised are for a standard working week of 35 hours unless otherwise stated. Please use this 'Salary Calculator to help you calculate a pro rata salary.

Our Staff Values: Our Staff Values are important to us. Candidates will be continuously assessed against our staff values throughout the recruitment process. Where candidates demonstrate views and behaviours that do not meet the standards of our staff values, we reserve the right to reject their application/ registration.