Category Manager

NWSSP Legal & Risk Services; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization in Wales is seeking a Category Manager for the National Medical Sourcing team in Cardiff. This role offers the opportunity to develop your procurement career in a dynamic environment. Key responsibilities include delivering a National Sourcing Category Strategy and ensuring adherence to procurement policies. A demonstrated track record in procurement projects and strong negotiation skills are essential. The position allows for hybrid working arrangements after induction.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Agile working approach

Learning organization

Qualifications

• Experience in delivering complex procurement projects.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Strong influencing and negotiating skills.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic direction alignment of NHS Wales organizations.
• Deliver National Sourcing Category Strategy for Medical Devices.
• Drive continuous service improvement initiatives.

Skills

Commercial skills

Negotiation

Relationship management

Problem-solving

Education

CIPS Level 5 (Advanced Diploma)

Procurement or business related Degree

Job description

If you are looking to join NWSSP, please see the additional information below that may be of interest to you: -

Our “Benefits” video has been created to highlight and showcase some of the benefits of working for the NHS and NWSSP:- https://youtu.be/zX3x046SDhg

The “Tops Tips – Be Yourself” video has been designed to support candidates applying for roles with NWSSP. We have outlined 8 key steps to help candidates articulate their capabilities and experience when completing applications with NWSSP. https://youtu.be/qe3ibY8b6m4

Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh. Any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English

The salary scale above has been agreed as part of the NHS Agenda for Change pay award for 2025/2026 and will be implemented in August 2025 with arrears backdated to 1st April 2025 where applicable.

Job Overview

NWSSP is responsible for the full Procure to Pay process for all Health Boards, Trusts, and Special Health Authorities in Wales. A vacancy has arisen for a Category Manager within the National Medical Sourcing team.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your procurement career in a dynamic, challenging, and high-profile environment. Candidates must be able to demonstrate the application of commercial skills, negotiation; relationship management of internal and external stakeholders

To be successful in this post, the candidate will be of a continuous improvement mindset; need to be flexible and responsive to changes in priorities; be of a resilient personality; demonstrable track record in delivering creative and innovative service improvement solutions; manage heavy workload at pace; ensure policies and procedures are adhered to ensuring strategic and operational targets are delivered.

Although preferred, it is not essential to have experience of this category, as this learning can be provided as part of 'on the job' training and procurement/commercial skills are transferable.

The organisation recognises the challenges of recruiting high calibre candidates and has a number of bases across Wales. Whilst the base would be Cardiff, hybrid working is a benefit of this role after a period of induction, ideally the successful candidate will be office based/home based 3/2 days per week and discussions may be held in this regard with the successful candidate.

Main duties of the job

Supporting the teams understanding of the strategic direction of all NHS Wales organisations and the alignment with the NWSSP strategic objectives as part of the Integrated Medium-Term Plan (IMTP).

Supporting the leadership of the Assistant Head of National Sourcing in the delivery a National Sourcing Category Strategy for Medical Devices.

Work with the team to develop and deliver a comprehensive and maintained sourcing plan, focussed on delivering prioritised customer needs and cash releasing savings from non-pay budgets.

Apply commercial acumen and utilise skills to deliver in a complex changing environment throughout NHS Wales.

Apply innovative and strategic thinking to continuous service improvement initiatives and be prepared to challenge historical practice when appropriate, ensuring best practice is adopted which improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the National Medical Sourcing Team.

Ensure the operational management and performance monitoring of the whole Procurement team in line with departmental Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s).Support the Assistant Head in responding to FOI and Audit and Assurance queries.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Working for our organisation

At NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership we expect everyone to embrace our values of Listening and Learning, Working Together, Taking Responsibility and Innovating.

Our organisation encourages an agile working approach and we pride ourselves on being a learning organisation motivated by continuous improvement.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values equality, diversity and inclusion, focussing on the wellbeing and belonging of our people.

Excellent customer service is something we strive for, for both our internal and external customers.

Offering a comprehensive benefits package, there is something for everyone. To find out more about working for us, the benefits we offer and guidance on the application process please visit https://nwssp.nhs.wales/working-for-us/

NWSSP work in an agile way where possible, all posts will have a contractual base but as part of agile ways of working that may mean working from home and other locations. We also look at how we balance flexibility with community, and how to manage opportunities to learn from each other.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.

Person specification

Qualifications And Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Qualified to CIPS Level 5 (Advanced Diploma) OR Procurement or business related Degree
• -Strategic sourcing -Performance improvement -EU Procurement -What the business needs are across the procurement services -Delivering value for money -The whole supply chain process -Best practice principles / benchmarking -E-procurement -The impact of sustainability in supply chains -The importance of compliance -Process improvement / operations management -Legal requirements of a contract
• An understanding of the external influences that could impact Procurement Services in NHS Wales
• To be able to articulate the value that Procurement Services deliver for NHS Wales Health Boards and Trusts
  
  

Desirable criteria

• ILM Level 4 or other management qualifications
• Knowledge of Health Boards and Trusts Procurement processes/ procedures
• Awareness of how a Shared Services organisation delivers its key functions – specifically NWSSP
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Proven experience of delivering complex procurement projects: -assessment of business need -evidence of tendering -specification writing -evaluation criteria -contract award reports -contract management -implementation of contracts -engaging key stakeholders
• Experience of managing multiple projects simultaneously - ability to effectively plan, meet demanding deadlines, balance complex stakeholder needs.
• Demonstrate experience of dealing with contract legislation, compliance and probity issues.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering savings against targets, non -financial benefits and other key performance indicators – which include experience of understanding business needs and implementing improved solutions.
• Experience of people / staff supervision / management – preferably management experience within a procurement or supply environment.
• Experience of managing risk, establish mitigating action and managing issues to deliver a positive conclusion.
• Experience of category management and developing team work plans
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Awareness of Quality standards and working with ISO policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate experience of contributing to the business planning processes; assisting development of a contract plan and savings plan
  
  

Skills and Attributes

Essential criteria

• Ability to drive and manage comprehensive data gathering on products and suppliers.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively to multidisciplinary groups of staff and customers at all levels.
• Strong influencing and negotiating skills with customers and external parties, a good builder of productive relationships and the skill to be able to maintain effective business partnering relationships.
• IT proficiency particularly in the use of MS Office; complex spreadsheets, bespoke complex databases and use of web-based systems.
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Ability to be able to understand a range of complex category product knowledge that is relevant to NHS Wales customers
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Welsh
  
  

Other

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate how your personal qualities match against our NWSSP core values: -Working Together -Innovating -Listening and learning -Taking Responsibility
• Ability to access transport (public and/or private) to travel off site for meetings (as appropriate) throughout Wales and other parts of the UK
• Deliver excellent customer service to our internal and external customers, helping us to maintain the customer service excellence standard
  
  

We are committed to flexible working and equal opportunities.

If you are short listed for interview you will be contacted by email using the email address with which you registered. Please ensure that you check your email account regularly.

Prior consideration for this vacancy will be given to staff awaiting redeployment. We therefore reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any stage.

When applying for this post it is essential that you read the Job Description and Person Specification (where available) and demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the person specification. Only candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted.

To work in the UK, all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship to obtain either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa, unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply should self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship by visiting Work in the UK. If you are eligible for the Health and Care visa, application costs are lower and you do not need to pay the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.

Applicant requirements

Welsh language skills are desirable

Documents to download

• JD&PS English (PDF, 472.4KB)
• JD&PS - Cymraeg (PDF, 472.4KB)
• OH Functional Requirements Form (PDF, 720.5KB)
• NWSSP Recruitment Services Privacy Notice (PDF, 696.3KB)
• NWSSP - About Us (PDF, 6.6MB)
• NWSSP - Our Benefits 2023 (PDF, 487.5KB)
• NWSSP - Buddion (PDF, 491.0KB)
• PCGC -Amdanom (PDF, 6.7MB)
• Guidance Notes for Applicants April 2024 (PDF, 278.7KB)
• IMTP Summary 2024-2027 (PDF, 13.7MB)
• IMTP Summary 2024-2027 - Cymraeg (PDF, 13.7MB)
  
  

Further details / informal visits contact

Name Vicky Evans Job title Assistant Head of National Sourcing Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 02921 500498