Job Description

About The Role
Role: Senior Category Buyer REF 372229
Contract Length: Until 31/03/26
Location: Exeter or Winfrith
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: 29.24 per hour
Spinwell is recruiting for a Senior Category Buyer for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SENIOR CATEGORY BUYER
The principal responsibility of the Senior Category Buyer is to lead on the South West Police Procurement Department (SWPPD) approach to managing and delivering successful regional procurement in identified key sub-categories, especially the complex / high value procurements which will involve the full engagement of key stakeholders (including operational and technical experts in each of the forces,) and building effective and productive relationships with specific suppliers, as well as leading a procurement team. The role will focus on four key areas of activity.
In particular to:
SWPPD Development and Management

• Actively engage regional and national groups for specific categories of spend
• Manage one or more Category Buyers
• Develop individuals and teams to enhance performance

Category Strategy

• Understand key supply market drivers, market conditions and trends for their category areas
• Understand how to access supplier data and information. Understand the analysis process and how to apply it to new situations
• Understand available internal and external data, complete spend analysis and provide insight
• Understand potential changes to the future requirements for their category areas
• Support the process to generate robust category strategies with the correct level of analytical rigour
• Engage with the senior stakeholder community and help gain buy-in for recommendations
• Ensure the strategy delivers 'best value' based on a combination of quality of product, service and cost, and that the strategic sourcing process is applied consistently and appropriately
• Achieve Procurement savings

Category Sourcing

• Lead on complex and high value / high risk procurements
• Select appropriate procurement route and assessment criteria
• Quality assure advertisements for the letting of contracts, particularly for publication in the Official Journal of the European Union
• Quality assure tender documents
• Develop user specifications with key stakeholders
• Ensure that all procurement contracts and awards comply with standing orders and financial regulations, central government directives, and all relevant national and European legislation
• Manage the implementation of multiple new contracts across the region
• Utilise e-procurement tools

Category Management

• Develop and implement appropriate tools and criteria to objectively measure supplier performance in terms of cost, risk, stakeholder satisfaction, supplier performance and continuous improvement
• Manage and develop operational relationships with key suppliers to maximise value to the business

This list of duties is not restrictive or exhaustive and the post-holder may be required to carry out duties from time to time that are either commensurate with/or lower than the grade of the post. In some posts this might include the ad-hoc provision of guidance and informal training of new colleagues.
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE SENIOR CATEGORY BUYER

• Graduate Level CIPS qualification (MCIPS), a Business Qualification e.g. MBA, or significant commercial experience with a proven track record of success in a similar discipline
• Proven capability in business requirements/supply market analysis
• Proven procurement ability, ideally in category management with a sound knowledge of Public Procurement Law
• Excellent negotiating and influencing skills
• Demonstrably capable of effective stakeholder and supplier management
• Experience of working in a multi-organisational partnership
• Financial / commercial awareness
• Demonstrable literacy and numeracy skills
• Proven planning and organising skills
• IT skills
• Ability to work under pressure delivering a complex and demanding workload
• Ability to work within strict timescales and deadlines
• Ability to deliver results using own initiative, with minimal direct hands-on supervision

If you are a Senior Category Buyer, apply now or send your CV to Spinwell!
We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Applying to this or any other vacancy advertised by Spinwell Ltd constitutes an agreement for Spinwell Ltd to hold your details for 24 months for the purpose of assessing suitability for the advertised position and to make you aware of any other positions deemed suitable of which You will make you aware by means of either email, text or phone. In line with GDPR regulations you are able to request your details be removed from the company data at any time by emailing us

Skills Required