Senior Category Manager

We are recruiting for a Senior Category Manager.This is a senior, influential role suited to a procurement professional with strong NHS or public sector experience, significant clinical category knowledge, and a passion for delivering value, compliance and service improvement.
The OpportunityYou will play a key role in delivering strategic procurement outcomes across a portfolio of clinical categories, supporting clinicians, senior leaders and finance teams to achieve value for money, service efficiency and regulatory compliance.Working at a senior level, you will lead end-to-end procurement projects, manage supplier relationships, influence stakeholders, and contribute to the development of procurement strategy across partner organisations.
Key Responsibilities

Lead and deliver complex clinical procurement projects, including tendering and contract awards.
Provide expert procurement advice to senior stakeholders, including clinical and operational teams
Ensure compliance with UK procurement legislation and internal governance frameworks
Manage relationships with key suppliers, NHS Supply Chain and external partners
Support procurement strategy development and continuous improvement initiatives
Mentor and support less experienced procurement colleagues
Manage multiple projects simultaneously, delivering to agreed timescalesAbout YouYou will be a confident, credible procurement professional with the ability to operate at senior level in a complex healthcare environment.
Essential experience and skills include:

Degree‑level qualification or equivalent significant experience in procurement
Membership of CIPS (or working towards) with evidence of ongoing CPD
Strong knowledge of UK procurement legislation and best practice
Strong NHS or public sector experience, significant clinical category knowledge
Proven experience of leading complex tenders and contract negotiations
Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills
Strong analytical ability and attention to detail
Experience of e‑tendering systems and complex clinical evaluationsDesirable:

Extensive NHS or wider public sector procurement experienceHays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at (url removed)
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed