Category Manager

£43,391 to £53,994 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £62,093 per annum). Hybrid. This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better. The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious, we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

The Finance and Procurement teams play a crucial role in enabling the University to deliver on its strategic aims. This involves managing and maximising the University’s financial resources while providing expert financial advice and support to the wider University community.

Our responsibilities encompass a wide range of essential functions, including providing strategic business partnering, delivering value from supplier relationships, managing effective working capital and cashflow, and providing key financial support for our students. Additionally, we oversee all aspects of payroll and pensions management, and deliver comprehensive support for financial systems, tax compliance, and audit needs. Through these activities, we provide assurance to the University community around the financial health and efficiency of the University, supporting its mission and operations.

This key role sits within the University’s central Procurement team, supporting a wide range of devolved purchasing activity across the main Kedleston Road campus in Derby and our sites in Buxton and Chesterfield.

As Category Manager, you will be an integral part of our category led strategic procurement function, supporting and managing several procurement categories with a high annual spend. You will shape and implement a strong, forward-thinking category management approach that reflects our core values, promotes sustainable and responsible procurement, and delivers exceptional value for the University and its partners.

This is an opportunity to help develop category strategies with a focus for value for money, supporting key stakeholders and enhancing the student journey.

We are looking for a professional who is Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) qualified or actively working towards the qualification, or who brings equivalent relevant experience with a commitment to completing the qualification within an agreed timeframe. You will have a strong track record in defining and managing a portfolio of spend categories, applying best practice approaches to understand demand and supply to deliver measurable benefits.

You will also bring experience of managing risk across a diverse stakeholder community and a broad range of contract portfolios, ensuring robust, compliant and value-focused procurement outcomes. Additionally, you will be confident in influencing staff at all levels, driving positive change and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the organisation.

• Develop and execute the category management strategy for your designated category.
• Apply best practices for supplier relationship management and contract management.
• Employ category management toolkits as necessary to ensure practices are effective and compliant with regulation and policy.
• Provide training and support to your stakeholders and wider communities, to drive best practice and compliance into these communities.
• Apply category management toolkits to inform decision making and deliver savings and value as agreed.
• Ensure tenders and contractual obligations are managed in a sustainable and ethical fashion incorporating Social Value and Modern Slavery requirements.
• Engage with key people from across the University and its associated businesses to ensure best practice in stakeholder management.
• Represent the University and the Procurement team, working with senior management at both internal and external events and meetings (appropriate to the role grade) as and when required.
• To provide a professional, effective and compliant support service to the University across all categories and in all matters.
• Maintain and review various procurement systems and processes to ensure these remain effective and compliant with regulation.
• Prepare, analyse and evaluate tenders for goods and services as directed by the Senior Procurement Team, ensuring transparency and fairness in compliance to the University’s Purchasing Policy and Procedures.
• Engage with key suppliers in the category portfolio to help deliver benefits to the University in an ethical and sustainable way.
• Ensure contracts resulting from procurement activity are appropriate to the nature of the requirements, contain sufficient and appropriate provisions for risk management and value delivery.
• Give advice and support to the Purchasing Team to ensure compliance to regulations, policies and procedures.
• Adopt a pragmatic approach to Continuous Improvement by learning from our past experiences with a view to making things better for future projects.

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) qualified or evidence of actively working towards (or equivalent relevant experience with a requirement to complete the qualification within an agreed timescale).

Experience:

• Demonstrable experience of defining and managing a portfolio of spend categories using appropriate best practice to build knowledge of demand and supply and ensure realistic strategies are in place and delivering expected benefits.
• Experience of planning and delivering tender projects under Public Procurement Regulations using electronic tendering platforms.
• Knowledge and experience of using Framework Agreements.
• Experience of managing risk across a broad community of stakeholders and contract portfolios.

Skills, knowledge & abilities:

• Able to effectively prioritise, managing several tenders and stakeholders concurrently.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, able to build positive relationships with colleagues, customers and key stakeholders and effectively lead project teams.
• Good understanding of UK Procurement regulations and procedures.
• Capable of influencing and working with staff at all levels to drive change.
• Knowledge of trends and best practice in Procurement.
• Highly competent/computer literate with a number of Microsoft Office applications and relevant software packages.

Business Requirements:

• Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University and external sites in a cost-effective and timely manner.
• Flexible approach to workloads, work patterns and variety.

Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata). Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme. Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers. Discounted onsite gym. Holiday purchase. Cycle to Work scheme. A flexible working environment. A commitment to personal and professional development.

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Karen Barber, Head of Procurement via k.barber@derby.ac.uk.

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates.

Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system. The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University’s strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University’s objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

Apply today to invest in your career with University of Derby.

How to apply: You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

The University reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy. The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.