Category Specialist Assistant

www.healthjobsuk.com - jobboard; Doncaster; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust in the UK seeks a Specialist Assistant in Doncaster. This role involves supporting procurement for capital projects, requiring strong administrative skills and attention to detail. Ideal candidates will be proactive, excellent communicators, and have experience in customer service. Enjoy a collaborative team atmosphere with development opportunities and competitive salary.

Benefits

Extensive learning opportunities

NHS Pension Scheme

Generous holiday entitlement

Comprehensive health and wellbeing support

Discounts on various services

Qualifications

• Experience working in a customer centered environment.
• Knowledge of procurement processes.
• Experience in delivering savings.
• Experience with capital infrastructure schemes.

Responsibilities

• Provide a procurement service to support major & minor schemes.
• Standardize products for the Trust.
• Advise on prices and specifications.
• Analyze reports for cost improvement.
• Negotiate with suppliers for cost savings.

Skills

Excellent IT and administration skills

Customer service experience

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Ability to multitask

Education

GCSE grade C OR ABOVE in Maths & English

Job description

Employer Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Doncaster Royal Infirmary Town Doncaster Salary £24,937 - £26,598 Pro Rata Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 03/12/2025 23:59

Category Specialist Assistant

Band 3

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic individual to join our Category Management Team within our Procurement Department supporting the Capital Planning Unit at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS FT. We are a busy, supportive and friendly team. The Team is responsible for the contracting of clinical and corporate products and services for the Trust in line with Public Sector Procurement, this involves the issuing of tenders, contract negotiation and contract management. Our aim to award contracts working at times with other NHS bodies which improves the services to the Trust and achieves cost improvements.

The role we have is a procurement category specialist for the Capital Planning Unit supporting minor and major capital infrastructure projects. The role will be varied and at times challenging it will involve the collating entering of information, data analysis, preparing tender/quote documents, researching the supplier market, responding to queries and supporting the Trust's internal and external stakeholders.

We require someone who has excellent IT and administration skills who will be unfazed by learning new IT systems. The role requires a team player who is an excellent communicator and who can develop and build on new and existing relationships. The role requires accuracy and a keen eye for details as the work will at times involve complex data. You will be required to multitask, work within given deadlines and at times work under pressure.

Main duties of the job

To provide a procurement service to the Capital Planning Unit supporting the successful delivery of major & minor schemes.

Assist in the standardisation of products to the Trust.

To provide advice, assistance and information to the Trust’s customers on all supplies related issues.

Advising on prices, specification of goods, supply chain method and most relevant purchasing procedure.

To produce and analyse reports to identify supplier spend, product usage for care groups and departments and to identify areas for product standardisation and potential cost improvement/savings.

Deal promptly efficiently with customer queries and contract discrepancies.

To undertake effective implementation and monitoring of specific Trust contracts and management of Trust suppliers.

To ensure all contracted products are made available via the product catalogue. To meet with supplier representatives to gather product intelligence.

To negotiate with suppliers to establish cost savings.

Assist with the development, implementation and monitoring of e-procurement systems and processes.

Provide cover for the Category Specialists as required.

Prioritise own workload and use effective time management skills to adapt to the needs of the Department and customer.

Use judgemental and analytical skills to determine best procurement and supply chain methods.

Carry out ad-hoc duties as requested.

Working for our organisation

DBTH is one of Yorkshire’s leading acute trusts, serving a population of more than 440,000. Our services are based over three main hospital sites and several additional services employing over 7,000 colleagues.

At DBTH we have a comprehensive framework of behaviours that guide us in our daily working lives, these form the DBTH Way. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the values of We Care and now the DBTH Way builds upon these foundations, providing further clarity on what it means to embody these values in our everyday interactions.

As an organisation that supports flexible working, we want to be sure that you can work in a way is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applicants from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including those with disabilities, members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities.

We offer a range of benefits to support our people including:

• Extensive range of learning opportunities
• NHS Pension Scheme
• Generous holiday entitlement in line with Terms & Conditions
• Comprehensive health and wellbeing support
• NHS Car Lease schemes and a range of salary sacrifice scheme
• Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping and finance through external providers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached to the advert a job description and person specification for further details. Please ensure you read this document carefully.
Please note, if your application is successful you will be required to present original certificates of qualifications that are listed in the person specification under essential.

Certificate of sponsorship

Applications from individuals who require a Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applicants. For further information and to check your eligibility for this post please following the link UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK . Please note that from April 9th 2025, band 2 & 3 entry roles are no longer eligible for sponsorship.

Person specification

Knowledge & Experience

• Must have experience of working in a customer centred environment
• Knowledge of procurement processes
• Public sector Experience
• Experience of delivering savings
• Experience of supporting minor & major capital infrastructure schemes

Qualifiactions & Training

• Prepared to undertake training in procurement
• Good keyboard Skills
• GCSE grade C OR ABOVE in Maths & English

Personal Attributes & Skills

• Ability to extract data from electronic systems
• Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining good attention to detail
• Ability to organise & prioritise daily workloads and work to deadlines
• Ability to be proactive and use own initiative
• Ability to work within time constraints
• Be able to keep accurate records of all activities for audit purpose

Use of artificial intelligence (ai) when writing job applications

If you choose to use ai or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.

While ai can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.

Relying solely on ai to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by DBTH and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

1. Usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification. May come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.
2. May be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.
3. May include qualifications, skills, knowledge, or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.

• Please note that all correspondence will be sent to you via email. If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. In submitting an application form, you authorise our trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.
• We reserve the right to close down this advert early should there be a high number of applicants.
• The trust is committed to its obligations in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, and we positively encourage applications from all sections of the community.
• All employment with the trust is subject to a number of NHS employment checks being met to a satisfactory standard including verification of identity, eligibility to work in the United Kingdom, references and qualifications in addition to professional registration, a disclosure and barring records check and occupational health check if these are deemed to be a requirement for the position to be undertaken. The trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event that they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Please note that this check will be charged for in two instalments when you commence employment with Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high number of applicants, please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.