Category Manager

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Dorking; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust / NHS Commercial Solutions (NHSCS) is recruiting a Category Manager to support procurement across multiple NHS categories, including workforce and estates, with emphasis on value, efficiency and public sector collaboration. The role involves engaging NHS trusts, national strategies, and advisory services to improve procurement outcomes.

You will work as part of a team of Specialist and Lead Category Managers, delivering sourcing, contract

Qualifications

• Experience in managing complex procurement activities from planning to contract award.
• Ability to develop and manage contract renewal workplans.
• Experience tracking savings and quality improvements for NHS trusts.

Responsibilities

• Support the project management of complex procurement activities from initial planning to contract award.
• Produce Tender Documents and upload to tendering systems and portals.
• Develop contract renewal workplans within the Category.
• Track savings and quality improvement benefits to NHS Trusts.

Skills

Project management

Tendering

Contract renewal planning

Savings tracking

NHS procurement knowledge

Tools

Tendering portals

Job description

At NHS Commercial Solutions (NHSCS), making a difference is central to our work. If you’re motivated by delivering meaningful impact across the NHS, this role could be for you. We are recruiting a Category Manager to join our team.

Why join NHSCS?

You’ll work at the heart of public sector procurement, directly supporting the NHS. You’ll gain experience across diverse sectors, build strong commercial insight, and develop a deep understanding of how public sector organisations operate. You’ll collaborate on consultancy projects that deliver tangible value and help design high‑impact frameworks that drive efficiency and innovation.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your career and category management experience as part of our strategic category teams. This role will support a range of categories including workforce, estates, digital and corporate services. It is a critical role and vital to the NHS in supporting the ongoing service pressures across the NHS.

This strategic role will be a key driver of value for the NHS and wider public sector through delivering projects, frameworks and call off procurements for customers.

The role will include engagement with our member NHS organisations and other NHS and public sector customers, across a wide range of stakeholders, based locally, regionally and nationally.

The position will ultimately work across all procurement categories and will provide sourcing, contract management and consultancy services across a wide range of customers. You will be working as part of the team, including Specialist Category Managers and Lead Category Managers.

The role will work across multiple procurement programmes to improve value and quality for trusts.

This role will provide advisory services, collaborative solutions, supplier market expertise and work with NHS Trusts to build and retain talent.

You will act as an ambassador for NHSCS working with Trusts on procurement, aligning with national strategies. Working closely with key stakeholders and internal and external customers, you will set up and support individual and collaborative project groups working at all levels of stakeholder seniority.

Skills, experience, and a passion for this subject area are essential, together with a need for strong practical implementation experience.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Support the project management of complex procurement activities from initial planning to contract award
• Produce Tender Documents and upload to relevant tendering systems and portals
• Develop contract renewal workplans within the Category.
• Track savings and quality improvement benefits to NHS Trusts to deliver best value to the NHS.

Our offices are in Dorking, Surrey.

NHS Commercial Solutions (NHSCS) is a collaborative procurement NHS organisation providing strategic procurement services to NHS organisations within Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and further afield. We are an NHSE accredited framework host, working in partnership with trusts and with multiple stakeholders to deliver cash releasing savings, cost and quality improvements across a wide range of categories.

We are hosted by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and are based in Dorking.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We support people of all ages and are passionate about providing high quality care that is delivered at the right time as close to home as possible to help people recover and stay well.

Our Trust is an inclusive and supportive employer that offers a wide range of staff networks, flexible working, free parking and excellent health and wellbeing support. We also provide a wide range of opportunities to help staff develop and progress.

Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.

Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the role.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Business Support Job title: Business Support Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 01306646822