Procurement Category Manager

Overview

The University of Sheffield is a world‑class university renowned for its research‑led teaching and impact. As a procurement professional you will engage stakeholders and strategically manage the university’s supply base to achieve best value for its non‑payroll expenditure.

Contract Management and Value for Money

• Analyse expenditure profiles to identify opportunities for duplication reduction and process improvement across all commodity areas.
• Prepare annual plans for approval by the Head of Procurement, focusing on commodity influence, sustainability and value for money.
• Manage delegated category plans and support related projects, monitoring KPIs monthly and reporting on exceptions.
• Conduct risk assessments, financial appraisals, life‑cycle costing and social, economic and environmental profiling to develop procurement strategies aligned with university objectives.
• Initiate, negotiate, award and manage contracts and framework agreements, and assist in creating joint university contracts.
• Provide advice on procurement processes to ensure value for money outcomes.
• Advise on contract specifications and award criteria, ensuring social, economic and environmental considerations are included.
• Manage major suppliers’ performance against contracts and maintain key relationships with their customers.
• Collaborate with faculties and departments to identify procurement trends and savings opportunities.

Compliance

• Ensure adherence to the university’s financial regulations and maintain probity in all transactions.
• Ensure legal compliance of tendering and contract award activities, managing risk across procurement operations.
• Ensure call‑offs from framework contracts follow documented procedures.
• Identify, document and manage conflicts or potential conflicts of interest throughout the procurement process.
• Ensure all contracts are monitored and modifications are managed by change control notices.
• Lead compliance with procurement legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023 and Social Value Act 2012.
• Maintain documents in line with the university’s retention requirements.

Communication

• Build collaborative relationships with strategic suppliers and maintain effective relations with other suppliers.
• Establish relationships with customers to provide a responsive procurement service and promote good practice.
• Offer advice on purchasing practice, tendering procedures, grant applications, legal aspects and best practice.
• Contribute to procurement projects within multi‑disciplinary teams and with external partners such as purchasing consortia.
• Adhere to the professional behaviours set out in the Sheffield Professional Framework.
• Make ethical decisions embedding the university sustainability strategy into activities.
• Perform other duties commensurate with the grade of the position.

Person Specification

You should provide evidence that you meet the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

• Experience in a commercial procurement environment with knowledge of the category management commercial life‑cycle.
• Responsive, innovative, and capable of creating effective change while challenging and being challenged.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal; experience of report writing and delivering presentations to stakeholders.
• Proven ability to analyse and solve problems with an appreciation of longer‑term implications.
• Ability to plan, resource and progress work activities, and manage deadlines using a range of project management approaches.
• Experience of developing and maintaining a network of contacts within your work area.
• Financial awareness enabling a focus on efficiencies and continuous improvement.
• Working knowledge of sustainable procurement issues and the ability to create added value in tendering and contract management.
• Good knowledge of support software packages such as e‑tendering software, SAP, web‑based procurement portals, Google and Microsoft Office.
• Understanding of public sector procurement, the Procurement Act 2023 and the Social Value Act 2012.

Desirable Criteria

• Aware of issues relating to the higher education sector and experience working to a defined compliance framework.

Further Information

• Grade: 7
• Salary: £38,784 – £47,389 per annum with potential to progress to £51,753 per annum.
• Work arrangement: Full‑time
• Duration: Open ended
• Line manager: Head of Procurement
• Direct reports: None
• Contact for informal enquiries: Mark Hardy, Deputy Head of Procurement – m.hardy@sheffield.ac.uk

Benefits

• Minimum of 41 days annual leave (including bank holidays and closure days) with the option to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• Wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, dining and travel.
• Staff networks providing social interaction and peer support.
• Recognition awards for exceptional performance.
• Access to learning, mentoring and development schemes.
• Family‑friendly policies: paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies, support for menopause, paid time off and support for fertility treatment.

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

#J-18808-Ljbffr…