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- Tasks: Lead strategic sourcing plans and manage high-value contracts to optimise value and sustainability.
- Company: Join L&Q, a leading housing association dedicated to quality homes and community impact.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, excellent pension, generous leave, and lifestyle perks.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in procurement while shaping the future of housing services.
- Qualifications: Experience in procurement with strong negotiation skills and market insight.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and career growth.
The predicted salary is between 47200 - 61000 £ per year.
Contract Type: Permanent, Full time, 35 hours per week
Salary: £55,270 per annum to £61,018 per annum (London weighted salary) or £47,920 per annum to £53,345 per annum (Regional salary), dependant on experience
Grade: 10
Reporting Office: London, Stratford or Manchester, Trafford
Persona: Agile Worker: 20% - 40% of contractual hours to be worked from reporting office/working location (hybrid working)
Closing Date: 2nd February 2026 at 11pm
Interview Dates: w/c 9th February 2026
Benefits include: Excellent pension plan (up to 6% double contribution), 28 days Annual Leave rising to 31 days with length of service + Bank Holidays, Westfield Health Cash Plan, non-contributory life assurance, up to 21 hours volunteering paid days, lifestyle benefits, Employee Assistance Programme and many more.
Join our Commercial Corporate Services Team at L&Q: Are you a commercially minded procurement professional with a track record of managing complex, high-value contracts across both the public and private sectors? Do you thrive in a dynamic, collaborative environment where your market insight, negotiation skills, and strategic thinking shape successful procurement outcomes? It’s an exciting time to join L&Q’s Commercial Procurement Team as we embed a new structure focused on supply chain, category management and business partnering, delivering an operationally excellent service across the organisation.
As a Category Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in developing and implementing strategic sourcing plans across a diverse range of goods and services. You’ll work closely with stakeholders to understand business needs, analyse supply markets, and deliver category strategies that optimise value, quality, service, and sustainability. You’ll lead complex, multi-million-pound procurement projects, manage key supplier relationships, and ensure compliance with legal and commercial standards. Your work will directly shape the success of L&Q’s procurement transformation, helping us deliver lasting value for our residents and communities.
If you’re a detail-oriented procurement professional with strong commercial acumen and a passion for delivering value, we would love for you to apply!
Your impact in the role:
- Shape and deliver category strategies across a wide range of goods and services, ensuring alignment with business needs and maximising value, quality, and service.
- Build deep market insight by analysing supply trends and key players, using this intelligence to inform strategic sourcing decisions.
- Collaborate with Procurement Managers to support the successful implementation of category solutions across the organisation.
- Lead complex, multi-million-pound contract negotiations with a strong commercial and legally compliant approach.
- Contribute to the transformation of procurement services through a newly structured team focused on category management and business partnering.
What you’ll bring:
- Extensive experience in managing end-to-end procurement activity, with a strong understanding of Public Procurement Regulations.
- Proven ability to deliver procurement solutions tailored to stakeholder needs across both public and private sectors and in particular, the Housing Sector.
- Experience with high value complex procurement solutions and have utilised various routes to market (inc Frameworks, Dynamic Market Places, Open tenders, Competitive Flexible procedures etc).
- Strong contract negotiation skills and commercial acumen.
- Ability to prepare detailed tender and contract documentation (e.g JCTs and use of contract templates), and produce clear, insightful reports.
- Experience in Corporate Services categories is desirable, a knowledge of Property and Estate repairs and maintenance in particularly advantageous.
- A collaborative mindset and a track record of delivering high-value outcomes in complex procurement environments.
If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage during this process, including application stage, please email lqcareers@lqgroup.org.uk
About L&Q: We’re one of the UK’s leading housing associations and developers. We were founded on a simple belief: high quality housing is vital for people’s health, happiness and security. Everyone deserves a quality home that gives them the chance to live a better life. 250,000 people call our properties ‘home’, and we’re proud to serve diverse communities across London, the South East and North West of England. People are at the heart of our business and our success depends on employing the best people and getting the best from them. The foundation of everything that we are is built on our corporate values and behavioural framework, which outlines our core expectations and should be demonstrated at all times, and all levels, when representing L&Q. At L&Q, we know that diversity and inclusion make us stronger – and they’re at the heart of everything we do. When we recruit, we look at what really matters: your skills, experience, and potential. We’re proud to be recognised for creating an inclusive workplace. We’re a Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) and we’ve introduced our own Recruitment Advocate scheme to make sure every step of our hiring process is fair, transparent, and consistent. It’s all part of our commitment to ending discrimination and making L&Q a place where everyone feels welcome. Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do. We recognise the responsibility we hold as one of the UK’s largest housing associations.
Category Manager in Manchester employer: London and Quadrant Housing Trust
Contact Detail:
London and Quadrant Housing Trust Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Category Manager in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the procurement field and let them know you're on the hunt for a Category Manager role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research L&Q and understand their values, especially around sustainability and community impact. Tailor your answers to show how your experience aligns with their mission and how you can contribute to their procurement transformation.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your negotiation skills! As a Category Manager, you'll need to lead complex contract negotiations. Role-play with a friend or mentor to sharpen your approach and build confidence before the real deal.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the L&Q team and ready to make an impact in the procurement space.
We think you need these skills to ace Category Manager in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in managing complex procurement projects. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific examples of how you've delivered value in previous roles. Quantify your achievements where possible, like savings made or successful negotiations completed.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and ensure your writing is easy to read. This will help us see your skills and experience without any confusion.
Apply Early!: We encourage you to apply as soon as possible since we might close the application process early. Head over to our website to submit your application and make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at London and Quadrant Housing Trust
✨Know Your Procurement Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of public procurement regulations and the specific procurement processes relevant to the housing sector. Be ready to discuss your experience with high-value contracts and how you've navigated complex negotiations in the past.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
Prepare examples that highlight your ability to develop and implement category strategies. Think about how you've aligned procurement solutions with business needs and maximised value, quality, and service in previous roles. This will demonstrate your strategic mindset.
✨Market Insight is Key
Familiarise yourself with current supply trends and key players in the market. Being able to discuss these insights during your interview will show that you’re proactive and well-informed, which is crucial for a Category Manager role.
✨Collaborative Mindset
Be prepared to talk about how you've worked with various stakeholders in the past. Highlight your collaborative approach and how it has led to successful outcomes in complex procurement environments. This will resonate well with the team-oriented culture at L&Q.
