Junior Category Specialist

Essentra; Lincoln; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary Annual Bonus

Pension matched up to 5%

Life assurance 4x salary

25 days annual leave + holidays

Birthday day off

Volunteer day

Employee discounts

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Holiday purchase scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Essentra is seeking a data- and process-driven Procurement Analyst to support strategic initiatives across direct categories. You will collect and cleanse spend data, maintain supplier records, and generate dashboards to track savings and supplier performance.

The role supports RFQ activity and onboarding, with governance across sites and business units. Hybrid role based in the UK with 2–3 days in the Jarrow office.

Qualifications

• Strong attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Proficient in Excel (pivot tables, lookups, basic analysis).
• Organised with administrative and coordination capabilities.
• Clear communication and willingness to learn.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Commercial outlook.
• Degree educated or equivalent (& proven track record).
• Specialist Sourcing Qualification (CIPS).
• Prior experience in manufacturing.
• Prior experience of managing business critical suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and coordination support to Category Managers and Category Specialists across direct procurement categories.
• Collect, cleanse, and maintain spend data, supplier information, and contract records to support category activity and reporting.
• Produce regular procurement reports and dashboards, including spend tracking, savings tracking, and supplier performance data.
• Support sourcing activities by assisting with RFQs, tender documentation, and bid comparisons, ensuring data accuracy and completeness.
• Maintain procurement systems and databases, ensuring supplier and contract data is accurate and up to date.
• Assist in monitoring supplier performance by updating KPIs, scorecards, and tracking actions from supplier review meetings.
• Support the implementation of procurement processes, policies, and governance standards across sites and business units.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to gather requirements, data inputs, and updates required for sourcing and reporting activities.
• Support onboarding of new suppliers and ensure documentation, compliance checks, and system setup are completed.
• Assist with ESG and sustainability data collection, including supplier certifications, emissions data, and compliance records.
• Provide general administrative and project support to procurement and supply chain initiatives as required.

Skills

Attention to detail

Data analysis

Excel (Pivot, lookups)

Organised / administrative

Communication

Multi-tasking

Commercial awareness

Manufacturing experience

Supplier management

Education

Degree educated or equivalent

Specialist Sourcing Qualification (CIPS)

Job description

Supporting the delivery of strategic procurement initiatives across multiple regional and global Good for Resale spend subcategories with an annual spend of c.£50M.

Providing robust data, analysis, and reporting to enable category optimisation, sourcing activity, and supplier performance improvement, supporting the delivery of commercial value, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide administrative and coordination support to Category Managers and Category Specialists across direct procurement categories
• Collect, cleanse, and maintain spend data, supplier information, and contract records to support category activity and reporting
• Produce regular procurement reports and dashboards, including spend tracking, savings tracking, and supplier performance data
• Support sourcing activities by assisting with RFQs, tender documentation, and bid comparisons, ensuring data accuracy and completeness
• Maintain procurement systems and databases, ensuring supplier and contract data is accurate and up to date
• Assist in monitoring supplier performance by updating KPIs, scorecards, and tracking actions from supplier review meetings
• Support the implementation of procurement processes, policies, and governance standards across sites and business units
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to gather requirements, data inputs, and updates required for sourcing and reporting activities
• Support onboarding of new suppliers and ensure documentation, compliance checks, and system setup are completed
• Assist with ESG and sustainability data collection, including supplier certifications, emissions data, and compliance records
• Provide general administrative and project support to procurement and supply chain initiatives as required

Education, Qualifications and Experience:

• Strong attention to detail and data accuracy
• Good Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, basic analysis)
• Organised with strong administrative and coordination capability
• Clear communication and willingness to learn
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• Commercial outlook
• Degree educated or equivalent (& proven track record)
• Specialist Sourcing Qualification (CIPS)
• Prior experience in manufacturing
• Prior experience of managing business critical suppliers

What we offer:

• Discretionary Annual Bonus
• Up to 5% matched pension contribution
• 4x annual salary life assurance
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Extra paid day off for your birthday
• Paid day off for volunteering
• Employee discounts through MyDiscounts platform
• Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

This is a hybrid role, with 2-3 days per week based in our Jarrow office.

Essentra plc is a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Essentra's global network extends to 28 countries worldwide and includes c.3,000 employees, 14 manufacturing facilities, 26 distribution centres and 37 sales & service centres serving c.64,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.