Category Head - Laboratories, Medical & Veterinary Medical in Edinburgh

We are now looking for great people to join our award-winning procurement team. We are looking for people who make things happen, who challenge the status quo, are excited about working in a diverse, dynamic environment and really want to make a change. This is a great opportunity to join one of the key strategic teams in the University, in the role of Category Head of Laboratories, Medical & Veterinary Medical (Labs). Be part of our new Procurement journey.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Strategic Procurement, the Category Head (Labs, Med & Vet Med) role is to lead, develop and manage a small, professional and high-quality procurement team, delivering procurement excellence for the University within the Laboratories (Labs), Medical (Med), Veterinary (Vet) and Agricultural Category. This will include both (i) improving the service and value delivered to our internal stakeholders, as well as (ii) improving external supplier performance, to successfully achieve our strategic procurement ambitions and support the University in achieving its overall strategic objectives.

Some of the main responsibilities include:

• Prepare and deliver annual commodity plans to achieve best practice indicators, focusing on improving category influence, value for money, deliver the University procurement capability and influence whole life costs and sustainable procurement.
• Develop the Labs procurement category in a strategic and operational nature, working in collaboration with Operational Procurement and Contract & Supplier Management teams, to ensure value for money and efficiencies are achieved across the University.
• Deliver commercial value to internal stakeholders and projects for their Labs, Medical and/or Vet Medical requirements, in line with the strategic ambitions of the project/department and University.
• Develop strategic and creative approaches to market through agreed commodity procurement strategies, in collaboration with key stakeholders, to support the University in achieving its strategic objectives.
• Provide valuable supply market advice to stakeholders for current and future requirements with the aim of delivering additional commercial value for the University, achieving sustainability and social responsibility objectives, improving competition, and delivering efficiencies.
• Manage, maintain and develop supply agreements for the University, carrying out contracting, tendering and sourcing exercises where required, and in line with relevant legislation.
• Deliver and embed appropriate contract and supplier management for the University’s supply relationships/agreements, ensuring that optimal value is obtained throughout the life of the contract and that supply risks are mitigated.
• To reduce both capital and recurrent costs through effective routes to market against an agreed cost-savings targets.
• To manage, plan and demonstrate procurement leadership and good governance for a wide category of goods and services.

The ideal candidate for the Category Head (Labs, Med & Vet Med) post will be a talented, well-rounded leader with the following characteristics:

• A Professional Diploma (MCIPS), relevant degree or substantial experience in a procurement environment.
• Existing category knowledge within Laboratories, Medical and/or Veterinary Medical industry.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering procurement excellence and value for money in line with agreed targets.
• Several years’ experience delivering a relevant procurement service, showing knowledge appropriate to this high value technically diverse environment.
• Outstanding and highly responsive customer management skills.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, along with the ability to make astute business decisions in collaboration with others.
• Ability to effectively lead and motivate a team of procurement professionals influencing.
• Strong influencing skills to build trusted and successful relationships, as well as contributing to business strategies/cases and projects.
• Experience evaluating and establishing framework agreements and contracts.
• Have good knowledge of all legal aspects of general public procurement legislation and policies.

This role is ideal for an ambitious person who would like to develop a career within one of Edinburgh's most prestigious organisations and make a key contribution to its ongoing success.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• A competitive salary.
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options.

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from candidates currently underrepresented in the School of Mathematics.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages.

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

The closing date for applications is 1 September 2026 at 12pm.