Category Buyer in Luton

Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

At Innovus, we are committed to delivering market-leading solutions and professional services. As a Category Buyer, you will contribute to our vision to be recognised as the market-leading provider of services to the UK’s property sector. We are proud to employ highly skilled, experienced, and innovative people who deliver business expertise and service across the property industry.

Main Purpose of Job

The purpose of the job role is to develop, improve, and implement category strategies which demonstrate value for money and a high-quality solution. Through this, you will provide peace of mind to our clients that the supply chain is managed effectively, through suppliers that can meet the clients' needs.

Position in Organisation

The Category Buyer role sits within the Procurement team in the Business Services division. The role will report into the Procurement Manager and there will be no direct reports.

Main Responsibilities

• Support the Procurement Manager, acting as a Procurement & Supply Chain advisor and subject matter expert on each category.
• Develop relationships with stakeholders to understand the needs of the business and maintain appropriate stakeholder maps.
• Support the Procurement Manager in developing and implementing agreed category strategies/plans, mobilising successful framework suppliers, and demobilising non-framework suppliers in agreement with Operations in line with business needs and objectives.
• Develop and document implementation plans that include comprehensive business requirements analysis and quantified value for money, cost reduction/improvement targets.
• Work with Legal, Technical, Health & Safety, and Operations key stakeholders and the Category Manager to develop and implement rigorous contracts for all critical, strategic, and preferred suppliers within the category, incorporating service level and continuous improvement targets including SLAs/KPIs.
• Conduct supplier segmentation and develop, maintain preferred supplier listings with an approved product/service list for their category, effectively communicating this to the business.
• Manage supplier contracts and conduct regular performance management with preferred suppliers.
• Proactively identify, monitor, and resolve strategic/critical and preferred supplier issues for the category.
• Regularly engage stakeholders and suppliers to understand their issues or concerns; feedback to Category Managers and Procurement Operations; and seek to improve procurement practices.
• Support internal stakeholders by providing subject matter expertise, guidance, and information on categories.
• Develop and maintain stakeholder and communication plans on behalf of the category teams.
• Conduct procurement activity in accordance with company procedures, Health & Safety, compliance, regulatory, stated ethics, and CSR policies.

Key Interfaces

• Internal departments and key executives.
• External businesses and organisations, particularly key suppliers and clients.
• Key influencers (internal and external).

Qualifications

Member/Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). Studying towards MCIPS and/or Graduate.

Experience

• Experience of category management and can develop category strategy, manage sourcing events, negotiations, contract management, deployment, and supplier relationship management.
• Experience of managing/supporting communications across multiple business functions/stakeholders.
• Experience working within a changing and fast-paced environment with demanding business objectives.
• 1-3 years procurement/procurement operations/category experience.
• Supply market knowledge and experience of spend category.
• Demonstrated track record in supplier selection, negotiation, and contract management delivering value for money, cost, and/or revenue targets.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and maintaining stakeholder and supplier relationships.
• Experience of organising/managing data and producing performance analysis.

Technical Skills

Ability to chair meetings. Excel.

Working at Innovus

At Innovus, we recognise that people come to work to do a great job, and we actively support this through our internal employee reward platform and a culture that celebrates contribution. We’re passionate about helping our people grow and progress, and we encourage ongoing personal and professional development. We also understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance, offering flexibility where possible depending on role requirements. Everything we do is guided by our core values: Trust, Respect, Integrity, Innovation, and Delivery.

What We Offer

At Innovus, we believe our people deserve the best, just like our customers. That’s why we provide the tools, training, and support you need to thrive, alongside a competitive salary and a great range of benefits. We are committed to creating a supportive, inclusive workplace where everyone can succeed.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Innovus, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and recruit based on merit. We welcome applications from everyone, including those interested in job share opportunities. As an inclusive employer, we provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates. If you have any accessibility requirements or need adjustments at any stage of the recruitment and selection process, please contact our team; we are happy to support you.

Ready to apply

Click the ‘Apply’ button to begin your application. You’ll be asked to upload your CV and answer a few short questions. As part of the process, you may also be invited to complete online verbal and numerical reasoning tests. Please note that, due to the nature of our sector, all roles are subject to an Enhanced DBS check. If you meet the criteria for the role, we’ll be in touch to arrange a brief telephone interview. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to a first-stage interview with the hiring manager and a member of our team. Due to the high number of applications we receive, we may not be able to contact everyone individually — but we truly appreciate your interest in joining Innovus.