Category Manager

Job title: Category Manager Location: Ealing, London W5 - Hybrid working, with one to two days per week in the office depending on business needs Salary: £59,000-£63,000 per annum Contract Type: Permanent Weekly Hours: 35 hours per week

Job Purpose

We are recruiting for an experienced Category Manager to join the Strategic Procurement team of a leading housing organisation based in Ealing. The role will involve developing and delivering category plans, taking ownership of allocated subcategories and leading end-to-end procurement exercises. You will also support procurement transformation, contract management and supplier performance across corporate and professional services.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and regularly review category plans.
• Translate category plans into effective sourcing and procurement activity.
• Lead end-to-end public procurement and tendering exercises.
• Take ownership of corporate and professional services subcategories.
• Manage framework agreements and other procurement projects.
• Support procurement transformation and improvements to systems and processes.
• Ensure a consistent and compliant approach to procurement and contract management.
• Oversee contract implementation and attend supplier review meetings.
• Monitor supplier performance against agreed SLAs and KPIs.
• Work with stakeholders and suppliers to resolve contractual and performance issues.
• Support the commercial and risk management of the supplier portfolio.
• Develop effective relationships with stakeholders, suppliers, partners and framework operators.
• Identify continuous-improvement and efficiency opportunities.
• Monitor procurement activity through D365, P2P and tendering platforms.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience developing and delivering category plans.
• Experience leading a range of public-sector procurement procedures.
• Strong knowledge of public procurement legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023 and relevant legacy regulations.
• Experience delivering corporate or professional services procurements.
• Previous involvement in procurement transformation.
• Strong contract-management and supplier-performance experience.
• Experience monitoring contracts against SLAs, KPIs and commercial requirements.
• Sound understanding of commercial contracts, terms and conditions.
• Experience with pre- and post-contract commercial administration.
• Strong stakeholder-management, communication and influencing skills.
• Good working knowledge of procurement systems, tendering portals and Microsoft Office.
• MCIPS qualified, or of graduate calibre with a willingness to complete the professional CIPS qualification.
• Project-management experience.

For further information, contact Lewis at Service Care Solutions on or email .