Senior Category Manager

Are you looking for your next opportunity supporting the NHS through Digital & IT procurement? If you’re an experienced category specialist with a passion for delivering impact, we’d love to hear from you!

As a Senior Category Manager at NHS Shared Business Services (NHSSBS), you’ll lead a high-performing team while taking ownership of a key sub-category within the Digital & IT portfolio. This includes managing associated frameworks such as Digital Dictation 2, Patient Communications 2, Audio Visual, and Intelligent Automation.

You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering strategic sourcing initiatives across our client base, driving successful outcomes within critical markets. By providing a professional, agile, and customer-focused service, your work will make a meaningful contribution to the healthcare system and the communities it serves.

This will be an exciting opportunity as NHSSBS recently launched a £900m AI procurement framework for NHS and public sector organisations. The framework covers diagnostics, predictive analytics, robotics, operational efficiency and consultancy services.

As a Great Place to Work certified organisation, we recognise the importance of flexibility in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This position is predominantly remote, with bi monthly team gatherings held at our Salford office and occasional trips for conferences or site visits as needed.

• Leading, mentoring and supporting a team of buying staff of different levels.
• Developing and implementing short and long-term category strategies.
• Analysing data and identifying key areas for cost savings and process improvements.
• Managing a portfolio of projects. Working closely with key stakeholders to influence procurement choice and drives savings and efficiencies and improve quality.
• Offering procurement support to the customer Service Directorates, Heads of Procurement and Key Leaders on a national footprint.
• Negotiating with the supplier base ensuring that all aspects are covered within the category from a product, service and stakeholder basis.

• Level 5 CIPS qualification (or working towards), or an alternative comparable qualification.
• Extensive background in public sector procurement. A solid understanding of the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015, PA23, and related policies and mentorship.
• Experience managing direct reports. Focusing on supporting their development, enhancing procurement expertise, and building overall team capability.
• Demonstrated expertise in coordinating multiple programmes and developing collaborative relationship management frameworks with key NHS and public sector suppliers.
• Proven experience leading complex projects and programmes, with the resilience to navigate challenges and drive results.
• Relevant knowledge of the category and market

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: 12 month FTC

Location: Nationwide – with bi-monthly onsite visits to the Salford Office

Security Clearance Level: DBS

Internal Recruiter: Rachel

Salary: up to £65,000 per annum depending upon experience and development needs

Benefits: £5,400 cash car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy extra days, 4 x death in service life assurance, private medical insurance, pension, 3 days paid volunteering, 5 days paid carers leave and a generous flexible benefits fund which you can take in cash.

We support many ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. So, if you’re interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) was created by the Department of Health and Social Care to deliver corporate services to the NHS. A unique joint venture with Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital services and software development, we make life easier for NHS employees, patients, and suppliers, and deliver value for money to the taxpayer. Proud members of the NHS family, we provide finance & accounting, digital, procurement and workforce services to more than half the NHS in England. Our solutions are underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and our teams’ expertise, in-depth understanding of the NHS, and commitment to service excellence.

We share common values and unity of purpose with the rest of the NHS family, are committed to being a force for good, and are dedicated and empowered to act responsibly and sustainably at organisational, team and individual level.

Would you like to join us on our journey?

We embrace difference as a source of creativity, innovation and competitive advantage and are striving to become a more diverse organisation. We welcome applications from people with a diverse variety of backgrounds and identities. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status. We have partnered with Vercida, the UK's largest diversity and inclusion focused careers site, where all our vacancies are available in an accessible format.