Job Description

VANRATH are delighted to be partnering with a major company in Northern Ireland with the Recruitment of a Category Manager to join a growing and dynamic company based in Belfast.
This position is based in the company's Belfast office. Monday - Friday position. Hybrid working is available (80% in the office / 20% at home)
This is a Permanent position. This company has an excellent reputation.
Salary
Negotiable + other Additional Benefits (Top Company) + Fantastic work benefits and Environment + Holiday Package (25 days leave + Stats) & Progression Opportunities
Overview:
As a Category Manager, you will oversee and manage multiple categories, driving cost-effective procurement of goods and services while upholding high standards of quality, compliance, and supplier performance.
Responsibilities:

• Partner with stakeholders to understand category needs and ensure effective service delivery.
• Lead sourcing, tendering, and procurement strategies aligned with business goals and sustainability standards.
• Build strong supplier relationships, managing performance, contracts, and disputes.
• Drive cost savings, efficiency, and innovation through strategic sourcing and improvement projects.
• Monitor markets, assess risks, and implement contingency and sustainability initiatives.
• Use procurement tools (e.g., Nav, Qliksense) to enable data-driven decisions.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety regulations and promote a safe workplace.
• Support and mentor team members, pursue continuous development, and maintain flexibility for travel and changing business needs.

Requirements:

• Degree-level education in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 4 years of proven procurement and negotiation experience in a similar role.
• Demonstrable success in sourcing, supplier negotiation, and cost-saving initiatives.
• Experience in managing supplier relationships and contract performance.
• Track record of working cross-functionally with internal stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of procurement best practices and supply chain management.

Desired criteria :

• CIPS qualification (MCIPS) or actively working towards it.
• Experience managing a small team or mentoring junior staff.
• Familiarity with sustainability reporting standards or carbon reduction frameworks.
• Project management skills (e.g. Prince2 or Agile methodologies).
• Advanced Excel or data analysis skills for reporting and insight generation.

For more information on this role please reach out to Jack Groves @ VANRATH for more information.
Fabulous service. VANRATH were excellent - Can't recommend highly enough.
My experience with VANRATH was very positive and stress free. VANRATH were very professional and supportive. I would definitely use VANRATH again.
VANRATH were brilliant to work with and kept in contact throughout the process I would recommend to a friend.
Really fantastic recruitment process supportive throughout and made the process as seamless as possible. Thanks so much for all the support, very happy in my new role!
Vanrath have been great to work with and have provided a really professional service. A special mention has to go to Ross (Senior Recruitment Consultant) who helped me so much in securing a contract. Would highly recommend.
I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the outstanding support provided by Ross Stevenson from Vanrath. Thanks to his expertise and dedication, I recently secured a great job opportunity.
Ross demonstrated exceptional professionalism throughout the process and his transparent communication and constant updates made it a seamless experience.
Thanks a lot Ross for your invaluable assistance.
Everything was dealt with extremely quickly and Joseph maintain really good communication throughout the process.
Highly recommend for those looking to make a change or find a new job.

Skills Required