Senior Category Manager

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Job ID:

Posted:

Closing date:

Location: London

Salary: From 66,274 (per annum)

Job type: Permanent

Working pattern: Full time

Industry: Government & Public Services / Procurement

Company: Hays

Consultant: Rody Merheb

Hays office: London-Central — 4th Floor, 107 Cheapside,

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We are recruiting for a Senior Category Manager.

This is a senior, influential role suited to a procurement professional with strong NHS or public sector experience, significant clinical category knowledge, and a passion for delivering value, compliance and service improvement.

The Opportunity

You will play a key role in delivering strategic procurement outcomes across a portfolio of clinical categories, supporting clinicians, senior leaders and finance teams to achieve value for money, service efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Working at a senior level, you will lead end-to-end procurement projects, manage supplier relationships, influence stakeholders, and contribute to the development of procurement strategy across partner organisations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver complex clinical procurement projects, including tendering and contract awards.
• Provide expert procurement advice to senior stakeholders, including clinical and operational teams
• Ensure compliance with UK procurement legislation and internal governance frameworks
• Manage relationships with key suppliers, NHS Supply Chain and external partners
• Support procurement strategy development and continuous improvement initiatives
• Mentor and support less experienced procurement colleagues
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, delivering to agreed timescales

About You

You will be a confident, credible procurement professional with the ability to operate at senior level in a complex healthcare environment.

Essential experience and skills include:

• Degree‑level qualification or equivalent significant experience in procurement
• Membership of CIPS (or working towards) with evidence of ongoing CPD
• Strong knowledge of UK procurement legislation and best practice
• Strong NHS or public sector experience, significant clinical category knowledge
• Proven experience of leading complex tenders and contract negotiations
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills
• Strong analytical ability and attention to detail
• Experience of e‑tendering systems and complex clinical evaluations

Desirable:

• Extensive NHS or wider public sector procurement experience

# - Rody Merheb