Head of Category (Health)

Thrilled by an opportunity to deliver a highly professional and responsive client service approach, making a difference to everyone touched by the healthcare system?

Do you have good knowledge of the procurement lifecycle together with a specialist understanding the opportunities and challenges?

The Head of Category will be responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of our Health category team, acting as the SME to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy! Driving efficiency, consistency, and quality through transformational activities, you will focus on building strong relationships with clients and suppliers.

Using outstanding leadership skills, you will drive the entire portfolio of frameworks, including their ongoing operation and renewal. Developing strategic sourcing programs and leading key projects, you will establish project delivery excellence from your team.

What you'll be doing:

• Leadership: Lead, coach and develop the team to differentiate NHS SBS within the marketplace. Delivering high standards of team performance and cross-team collaboration at all times.
• Procurement vision & strategy: Supporting and contributing to a progressive commercial strategy for the specification, procurement, and management of all contracted and outsourced activity.
• Business awareness and commercial focus: Seeing opportunities for improved service delivery, savings, and "value add projects”, delivering against key performance and financial targets.
• Managing complexity: Delivering best-in-class procurement and contract management processes. Leading category plans, ensuring they are actively progressing, handled, updated, and delivered.
• Decision making and risk management/governance: Securing procurement excellence through the implementation of efficient and effective procurement projects within key markets. Acting as an SME to all clients, serving as an inspiring leader in the field.
• Framework management: Proactively identifying areas of growth and risk and develops plans to be implemented across the Framework portfolio.
  
  

What you’ll bring:

• CIPS Level 6 Diploma in Procurement and Supply.
• Experience of operating within a Public Sector Buying organisation environment.
• Working background with the NHS and/or Public Sector.
• Sound understanding of UK Public Contracts Regulations, The Procurement Act and Provider Selection Regime.
• Experience of the Health market and its supply chains.
• A leadership background
  
  

It would be great if you had:

• Working background with NHS Terms and Conditions.
  
  

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Location: NorthWest Hub (ideally a 2 hour commute)

Security Clearance Level: DBS

Internal Recruiter: Katie

Salary: circa £80,000 per annum (depending upon experience and development needs)

Benefits: £6,600 car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private medical (couple), life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund

Although this role is advertised as full-time, we believe that flexibility at work can promote work/life balance, increase your motivation, reduce stress and improves performance and productivity. We support different ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. So, if you’re interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) was created by the Department of Health and Social Care to deliver corporate services to the NHS. A unique joint venture with Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital services and software development, we make life easier for NHS employees, patients, and suppliers, and deliver value for money to the taxpayer. Proud members of the NHS family, we provide finance & accounting, digital, procurement and workforce services to more than half the NHS in England, and our solutions are underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and our teams’ expertise, in-depth understanding of the NHS, and commitment to service excellence.

We share common values and unity of purpose with the rest of the NHS family, are committed to being a force for good, and are dedicated and empowered to act responsibly and sustainably at organisational, team and individual level.

Would you like to join us on our journey?