Category Manager

Nottingham City Council

  • Leicestershire
  • £43,860-47,829 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 14 days ago
Job Category: Non-TeachingJob Description:Organisation: Leicestershire County CouncilWork Location: ESPO, Grove Park, Barnsdale Way, Blaby, Leicestershire LE19 1ESWorker Category: Hybrid Worker, working from ESPO's offices for 2 days a week.Salary: Grade 12 £43,860 - £47,829Working Hours: Full timeContract Type: PermanentClosing Date:12 September 2025Interview Date(s): w/c 25 SeptemberIf you're looking for an exciting and challenging opportunity to work within the public sector for an organisation with a commercial edge, then ESPO is the place for you. We are looking for a highly motivated procurement professional looking for an opportunity within our Corporate Solutions category team.ESPO is a public sector professional buying organisation and we return the surplus we make to our local authority owners to invest in the public services we all rely on. We are a successful and growing organisation with ambitious plans for the future.About the RoleAs a Category Manager with ESPO, you will take overall responsibility for the day to day management and performance of a small team of procurement staff to ensure procurement projects are delivered on time and to plan. You will be responsible for a portfolio of framework solutions in the category of professional services (including but not limited to consultancy, language services, insurance and banking) ensuring they are managed, publicised, marketed, and that usage is monitored to achieve targeted income.Key to the role is to ensure that team members carry out their duties in an effective and professional manner and that all procurement and contract activities comply with the organisation's processes, procedures and the latest public procurement regulations. In managing the portfolio, you will be developing and maintaining relationships with key suppliers and customers.About YouTo apply for this post, you must:
  • Have a degree or equivalent qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience
  • Be a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPs) or be committed to working towards
  • Have evidence of a commitment to continuing professional development
  • Possess experience of procurement at an influential level in a medium/large complex organisation
  • Have a range of experience in purchasing and supply procedures and processes, including sourcing, tendering, evaluation techniques etc
  • Possess knowledge of procurement processes and public procurement legislation, sufficient to advise colleagues, customers and suppliers
  • Have an ability to communicate with a range of customers, suppliers and colleagues at all levels, using written and verbal means, including making presentations
You must also have an understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.In addition, we expect you to share and will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the interview process.Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability.This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement for this role.What we offer:
  • Flexible working opportunities and access to an employee benefits portal
  • 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing to 33 days after 5 years' service), and a scheme to buy additional leave.
  • Local Government Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution.
  • Opportunities for learning and development
  • Great office location next to Fosse Park, with free on-site parking and easy access to M1 and M69.
Interested in Flexible Working?We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below. This may include requests for term-time working, part-time hours, compressed hours, flexible start and finish times, home/remote working, etc.Every role within the Council has a defined working style which determines where they can work. The worker category applicable to this post is detailed in the above advert. You can find out more about our worker categories in the page on our career site.For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:Enter name and job title Richard Skelton - Procurement Service ManagerEmail:r.skelton@espo.orgHow to ApplyLeicestershire County Council is an inclusive organisation which is on a journey to embed and celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion at every level. We warmly welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, as having a diverse workforce with different perspectives and ideas is fundamental to our values and enriches the services, we offer our communities. We particularly welcome applicants from Ethnically Diverse and LGBTQ+ communities and people with disabilities to create a balanced workforce and one that reflects the communities we serve. Applicants with a disability who meet the criteria listed in the 'About You' section above will be offered an interview under the Disability Confident Employer Scheme.To apply for this job, please click on the apply button. You will need to upload a supporting statement as part of your application which explains how you meet the criteria listed in the 'About You' section above. For more information, see the section on our career site.We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: .By applying for this post, you agree to ourAbout Us:About ESPOWe're a unique organisation, owned by the public sector and sharing their values and ethos, but operating with a commercial edge. As a specialist procurement body, we pride ourselves on establishing procurement solutions that save money for the public sector. View to find out more.We have modern, open-plan offices with excellent transport links and a friendly workplace environment. We offer flexible working, a generous holiday entitlement, a contributory pension scheme, training (including professional CIPS qualification) and opportunities to develop your career.ESPO is supported by wide range of roles across many different disciplines including sales, marketing, IT, procurement, finance, operations (warehouse management and transport planning) and customer services. So whether you are interested in a public-facing role or playing your part behind the scenes, ESPO could be the place for you.To learn more about working for ESPO please visit .

Nottingham City Council