Job Description

Salary - 42,147 - 47,465 (This will be pro-rata for part-time)

Preferred Location: Wallingford, Oxfordshire

Alternative Location/s: Lancaster, Edinburgh, Bangor (Gwynedd)

Hybrid working (50/50)

12 month FTC

Part time - 2-3 days a week

We will be reviewing applications upon receipt. We reserve the right to close this advert if we find the right candidate, so we encourage you to apply early.
Join UKCEH as a Part-Time Procurement Category Manager on a 12-Month Fixed Term contract. Are you ready to make a real impact through procurement? We're looking for a proactive and strategic Procurement Category Manager to join our dedicated procurement team at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).
As part of a small but effective procurement team your focus will be on collaborating with key stakeholders and proactively identifying areas to add value. This is an exciting time in procurement with the launch of the Procurement Act in early 2025, we're navigating some changes together as well as supporting our stakeholder colleagues. As a result there's of opportunities to get involved with a number of transformation projects and consultations with the wider organisation. As such, you will be vital to the development of the UKCEH procurement vision and strategy, acting as a positive ambassador for sustainable procurement.
Your main responsibilities will include:Leading supplier engagement and sourcing activities end to end from definition of business requirements, sourcing, tender analysis and negotiation and ongoing supplier performance and life cycle management Ensure that procurement projects are efficient and compliant and that any associated procurement activities are run in accordance with UKCEH internal policy Procurement Act 2023 Supporting and contributing to the procurement strategy for ESG and EDI initiatives that align with the wider corporate strategies for our environment and sustainability. Developing and then delivering a pipeline of Procurement activities for your category area(s) considering the business objectives and priorities, contract renewal dates and budget plans. Ensuring that all expenditure is identified, routes to market are defined and maverick spend is measured and controlled, running regular spend analysis reports. Taking responsibility for the ongoing management of suppliers that fall under your category area, optimising and rationalising the category suppliers and ensuring that they're fit for supply. Acting as a Procure to Pay (P2P) champion and working with your category areas to ensure compliant spend and reducing/minimising retrospective spend. Continuously seek realistic ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness in your role, to help the department, and UKCEH achieve its goals. Participate in learning and development activities that develop personal effectiveness and assist in improving performance in the role


We have several exciting initiatives and science projects that will require collaborative procurement support within the immediate procurement team.
For the role of Procurement Category Manager, we're looking for somebody who has:An understanding/experience of sourcing strategies especially in public sector procurement The ability to negotiate and influence at all levels Project management - delivering projects or supporting delivery of projects Experience of category management A keen customer service focus and a high level of attention to detail A collaborative approach to problem solving and building relationships with stakeholders at all levels.


If you are a category buyer looking to make your next step, we'd still really like to hear from you, we could potentially support you in working towards your CIPS Certification, following a successful probation.

Working at UKCEH is rewarding. Our science makes a real difference, enabling people and the environment to prosper, and enriching society. We are the custodians of a wealth of environmental data, collected by UKCEH and its predecessors over the course of more than 60 years.

As a valued member of our team, you'll get:27 days annual leave (pro-rata) 10% employer pension contribution Enhanced maternity and paternity leave 24 hour, 365-day access to support with physical, mental, social, health or financial issues Flexible working opportunities


You'll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute that's committed to recruiting talented people like you, progressing your career and giving you the support you need to thrive at UKCEH.

Whilst we do invite applications from international candidates, we are currently unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position
If we've just described you, we'd love to meet. Apply now.

About Us


Here you can explore the kind of roles we recruit for, search our latest vacancies, learn more about what it's like to work at UKCEH, and find out about the many benefits of joining our team.
Every one of our 600+ staff and 50+ postgraduate students plays a vital role in delivering our ambition to understand the environment and the human impact on it, so that together people and nature can prosper.

How we work is just as important as what we achieve. We want UKCEH to be a welcoming, inclusive, engaging and collaborative place to work. We embed our values - excellence, integrity and teamwork - into everything we do.