Category Manager

We have a great opportunity for a Category Manager within the Diagnostics team.

Our Category Manager roles are key category leadership roles with responsibility for transforming and leading nationally critical categories. You will, in collaboration with Category Lead colleagues, set the vision, direction and culture for the teams, supporting provision and growth whilst introducing best practice tools and processes for world class category management.

These roles will be a pivotal part in our future strategic delivery and will require agile thinking, a creative approach, and the ability to work under pressure and at pace to deliver our priorities within a changing demographic and enable excellent patient care.

The Category Manager will develop and implement a specific category to improve the supply chain, reduce risk, create competitive advantage and deliver savings. Through a focus on product range and how products are brought to market, and in close collaboration with key stakeholders, create product groups that maximise value both for NHS customers and NHS Supply Chain.

The Category Managers will have responsibility for building cross functional relationships with the wider organisation and externally with stakeholders, with the aim of identifying and implementing improvements in our ways of working that will create efficiencies for the organisation as well as improved value and service for our NHS customers.

Every day you will …

• Manage a category plan/program in line with the organisations’ commercial strategy ensuring realisation of synergies, like cost savings and risk-reduction, and optimisation of the category delivery, while reporting to senior colleagues.
• Explore and develop a strong understanding of external developments or emerging issues and evaluate their potential impact on, or usefulness to, the organisation.
• Resolve queries from internal or external customers or suppliers by providing information on complex processes and the related policies, referring to others where necessary for interpretation of policy.
• Set clear objectives for each category; use standard materials to make a presentation to the customer; and ask relevant questions to evaluate the customer’s level of interest and to identify and respond to areas requiring further information or explanation.
• Conduct research using primary data sources and select information needed for the analysis of key themes and trends.
• Support senior leaders to build and optimise important relationships and interactions with external and internal stakeholders, including key decision makers, regulators, public organisations, governmental institutions, suppliers, NHS providers, professional communities, and customer and patient groups. Work with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Develop own capabilities by participating in assessment and development planning activities as well as formal and informal training and coaching; gain or maintain external professional accreditation where relevant to improve performance and fulfil personal potential. Maintain an understanding of relevant technology, external regulation, and industry best practices through ongoing education, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

What can we offer you?

We want to reward you for your passion, enthusiasm, and hard work so we offer much more than a competitive salary:

• Hybrid working opportunities, giving you the flexibility to work collaboratively in the office and remotely.
• We recognise our employees’ hard work and contributions with annual bonus schemes, long service, and VIP colleagues awards.
• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days.
• We are dedicated to your development, through in-house training, support, and access to external qualifications to maximise your potential.
• A focus on your well-being offering 1 day of paid well-being leave and free access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Generous pension scheme (with us contributing 12% when you contribute 6%).
• Access to our Flexible Benefits Scheme, where you can choose from a variety of benefits such as Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection, Health Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, and additional pension contributions that suit you.
• 2 days of paid volunteering leave allowing you to give back to your community.
• Access to many discounts from the Blue Light Card to NHS Discounts.

NHS Supply Chain, who are we?

Our role is to support the NHS to save lives and improve health. We are a part of the NHS family, and our role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.

We serve every NHS Trust and operate a national network of distribution centres, managing relationships with more than a thousand suppliers and delivering more than 8,000,000 orders each year to more than 17,000 locations. Doing all of this on behalf of the NHS gives NHS staff more time to focus on their main priority of providing excellent patient care.

What skills will help you thrive in this role?

You will need to be educated to a high standard, have some experience of Category Management and be able to evidence that you have successfully co-ordinated the work of others. Candidates without CIPs (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) qualification will need to be committed to obtaining the qualification whilst in role.

In addition, we will expect you to be able to demonstrate:

• Works without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on analysing data trends for use in reports to help guide decision making.
• Works without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on analysing data from multiple sources to draw appropriate conclusions and make suitable recommendations.
• Uses clear and effective verbal communications skills without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on expressing ideas, requesting actions and formulating plans or policies.
• Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to negotiate independently while providing guidance and training to others on how to help the organisation by obtaining consensus between two or more internal or external parties who may have different interests.
• Works without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on developing appropriate plans or performing necessary actions based on recommendations and requirements.
• Communicates with other people without requiring supervision and provides technical guidance when required on speaking in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.

Want to develop your career with the NHS Supply Chain? Then apply below or reach out for an informal discussion about the role in confidence by emailing us at

Our Inclusive Commitment

At NHS Supply Chain, we are committed to building an inclusive environment where difference is not only valued, but celebrated, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive in their career. Developing our people is key to our success, so if this role sounds like the right next step in your career but your experience doesn’t match perfectly with the job advert, we encourage you to still apply.

Struggling to complete our application form, and require additional support? Reach out to our Talent Acquisition team at who will be happy to help you with alternative ways to apply.

We reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

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