Senior Category Manager - NHS

Would you be excited to play a key role in the delivery of a framework agreement at the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence technology?

If so and you have experience managing public sector agreements, ideally with Procurement Act 2023 knowledge, then we have an opportunity for you!

Here at NHS Shared Business Service, we are running a tender for our Healthcare AI Solutions (HC AI) Framework. This framework is at the cutting edge of products and services from suppliers in the market who are participating for the opportunity to provide their goods nationally across the NHS and healthcare sectors. Your role will be to lead the procurement through the critical stages of tender activity and then manage the onboarding and go-live activities. You may also get a chance to play a pivotal role in supporting the marketing and promotion of the framework; aligning this with the needs of the NHS and promoting increased digitisation and innovation across the NHS and wider public sector.

As a Senior Category Manager (FTC) at NHS SBS you will also lead a high performing team and take on the sub-category responsibilities within the Digital and IT portfolio – under the Digital Applications & Services (DAS) sub-team alongside the Head of Category. This includes providing leadership to a dynamic and experienced team; and providing leadership and direction on a host of new and existing framework agreements and projects in the pipeline.

As a Great Place to Work certified organisation, we recognise the importance of flexibility in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This position is predominantly remote, with bimonthly team gatherings held at our Salford office and occasional trips for conferences or site visits as needed.

What you will be doing:

• Be responsible for the management of the HC AI tender ensuring successful completion of all procurement activities; governance, stakeholder management, and go-live activities
• Providing leadership and support for the team alongside the Head of Category for Digital & IT
• Managing a portfolio of projects. Working closely with key stakeholders to influence procurement choice and drives savings and efficiencies and improve quality.
• Offering procurement support to the customer Service Directorates, Heads of Procurement and Key Leaders on a national footprint.
• Negotiating with the supplier base ensuring that all aspects are covered within the category from a product, service and stakeholder basis.

What you will bring:

• Level 5 CIPS qualification (or working towards), or an alternative comparable qualification.
• Extensive background in public sector procurement. A solid understanding of the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and related policies.
• Experience providing mentoring and support to a dynamic team. Focusing on supporting their development, enhancing procurement expertise, and building overall team capability.
• Demonstrated expertise in coordinating multiple programmes and developing collaborative relationship management frameworks with key NHS and public sector suppliers.
• Proven experience leading complex projects and programmes, with the resilience to navigate challenges and drive results.
• Relevant knowledge of the category and market

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: 12-month FTC

Location: Nationwide – with bi-monthly onsite visits to the Salford Office

Security Clearance Level: DBS

Internal Recruiter: Rachel

Salary: up to £65,000 (plus benefits)

Benefits: £5,400 cash alternative car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy extra days, 4 x death in service life assurance, private medical insurance, pension, 3 days paid volunteering, 5 days paid carers leave and a generous flexible benefits fund which you can take in cash.

We support many 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. 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?

We embrace difference as a source of creativity, innovation and competitive advantage and are striving to become a more diverse organisation. We welcome applications from people with a diverse variety of backgrounds and identities. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status. We have partnered with Vercida, the UK's largest diversity and inclusion focused careers site, where all our vacancies are available in an accessible format.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, please let us know when completing your application.