Senior Category Manager, Procurement, ALX

Job responsibilities

To act as overall Senior Category Manager to the Head of Department at all levels, supporting as and when required to do so.

To develop and maintain excellent working relationships with all clinical and corporate stakeholders and to ensure that the procurement service provided to internal customers is of a consistently high standard.

To contribute to defining and delivering the Trusts Procurement Strategy that covers all appropriate non-pay expenditure.

Lead and co-ordinate cross functional contracting and sourcing teams to develop and implement high impact contract strategies. Understand total cost of ownership, supplier and industry economics.

Manage, mentor, train and develop sub-ordinates. Ensure that all staff have agreed annual objectives and half yearly and annual personal development reviews with agreed personal development plans and training programmes.

Ensure all subordinates are well motivated, appropriately trained and developed, professional in their approach and consistently perform to agreed standards in meeting individual, departmental and corporate objectives.

To ensure that the procurement team provides a high quality service to their customers. To use performance measures to identify areas for development and to implement service improvements.

To provide support to all procurement areas as may be necessary and directed by the Head of Procurement.

Responsible as a Procurement expert with corporate responsibility for ownership and leadership of supplier and category spend at a strategic level, establishing and updating a contracting and sourcing strategy in line with the operational needs of the Trust, the procurement strategy and the targets agreed with the Head of Procurement, Executive Directors and Directorate Managers.

Establish and develop long-term contracting strategies to achieve savings targets and quality improvements.

To directly manage the Trusts key (service critical) suppliers and to develop and implement business continuity plans to secure supplies of critical items during major incidents and other cases of major disruption.

Undertake audits, benchmarking exercises, detailed financial analysis of complex procurement projects and modelling to produce option appraisals and recommendations for Trust senior management.

To lead the contracting team to achieve agreed annual cash releasing and cost avoidance savings (based on influenceable spend expressed as a percentage and /or financial figure) via multiple projects and initiatives and specifically through contract demand management, supply management and negotiation.

Maintain and develop an effective contract database to facilitate proactive supplier performance review, market analysis and supplier development.

Provide guidance to the contracting team regarding supplier development across the spend categories.

Analyse category spend and implement a supply management approach appropriate to the value and risk of individual suppliers to the Trust.

Introduce systematic supplier performance systems to enable to contracting team to pro-actively review supplier performance against agreed targets.

Build relationships with suppliers at senior management/director level.

Provide professional procurement and strategic contracting services and advice to senior Trust management in the organisation at Board, Executive Director and Divisional level.

To work with other NHS Trusts and public bodies in establishing collaborative relationships where there are financial or other quantifiable benefits.

To provide expert advice and guidance to Executive Directors, Finance Managers and Directorate leads during the annual business planning round including the production of savings plans and development of business cases.

To monitor and support agreed initiatives once implemented to ensure delivery meets expectations.

To initiate and lead project work with clinicians and other colleagues to challenge the status quo, determining optimum cost and benefit outcomes in delivering embedded change.

Present project details, analysis and finding with recommendations to large groups (possibly in excess of 20) of Trust senior medical and management staff for strategic procurements.

To develop and maintain operational procedures ensuring controls assurance criteria is applied to:EU Procurement legislation; Tendering and evaluation; Contract management; Catalogue management; Price management; Cost management; Savings reporting and all aspects of agreed Trust procurement policies and procedures.

Oversee the Identification, establishment of and maintenance of purchasing strategies, policies and procedures which comply with the general principles of equality of treatment and transparency set out in the Public Procurement Regulations and provide legal guidance to the Trust on specific procurement issues as and when required. Managing risk, ensuring compliance and ensuring adherence to all local and EU policies and procedures

Provide professional Procurement and Supply chain management advice on often sensitive commercial issues to Directors, General Managers, Senior Clinicians and other Stakeholders within the Trusts, ensuring all advice conforms to EU Procurement Directives and other legislative requirements, including Trust-specific SFIs.

Provide and communicate professional Procurement Project advice, guidance and management to key Stakeholders within the Trusts, ensuring any such projects are managed and facilitated in line with expectations led by the Head of Procurement.

Ensure effective systems are in place to facilitate the flow of all communication within the department and with internal customers (handling of day to day matters to be delegated to the appropriate Procurement staff).

Promote integrative and collaborative relationships, seeking opportunities to enhance communication channels plus relationships and thereby developing mutually beneficial opportunities in support of the respective Trusts wider business objectives.

To support and communicate the objectives of the Department by contributing an active role in all major OJEU Tendering activity undertaken by the Department; by leading or mentoring other team members management of such projects.

To carry out such other duties within the Department as from time to time may be required which are commensurate with the grading of the post.

Experience

Essential

• In depth knowledge of Purchasing & Supply process with significant experience in Procurement.
• Significant managerial or supervisory experience.
• Experience of managing high value and complex procurement projects.
• Experience of capital equipment procurement in large Trust / Organisation.
• A proven track record in innovation with an ability to inspire and lead the implementation of change.
• A proven track records of procurement savings delivery in either the private or public sector.
• Evidence of strong commercial awareness and capability, and the ability to realise opportunities.
• Experience of policy implementation.
• Experience in providing advice in relation to contractual terms and conditions.
• Experience in negotiation and ability to persuade colleagues of the need to adopt best procurement practice.
• Experience in leading, motivating and supporting a group of staff, to set and achieve targets with those staff.
• Experience of writing full business cases.
• Experience of advanced negotiation.
• Experience of demand management techniques.
• Experience of introducing stock management systems.

Desirable

• Experience of procurement/category management in the NHS.
• Experience of devising and implement a Board approved procurement strategy.
• Experience of devising and presenting on procurement issues to Board level.

Qualifications

Essential

• Holds a professional procurement qualification or has relevant demonstrable senior procurement management experience.
• Proven ability to manage a team effectively producing year on year results.
• Good standard of General Education.
• Demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development and training.
• Demonstrate training which has assisted in the development of others and a positive and proactive approach to staff development.
• Project management.
• Report writing
• Negotiation training

Desirable

• C.I.P.S. or studying towards.
• Prince 2 Practitioner

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Expert knowledge of EU Procurement rules.
• Advanced Microsoft Office Skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent negotiating skills
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of Supply Chain Management, Contract processes and Contract Law.
• Thorough understanding of Contract process.
• Clear understanding of prioritising workload and how this can be achieved.
• Knowledge and understanding of staff management issues, leadership and motivation.
• Thorough knowledge of e.commerce and e.procurement.
• Knowledge and understanding of Supply Chains.
• Knowledge of Inventory Management Systems and issues.
• Knowledge and working experience of MS Excel.
• Knowledge of the Purchase to Pay process.
• Good comprehension of Procurement Strategy and Policy contents.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Ability to solve complex contracting problems innovatively.
• Ability to use both MS Office and IT Procurement systems.
• Ability to communicate effectively in terms that can be understood across all professions within the Trust.
• To be able to work effectively and communicate with other staff and customers.
• Support new staff and help all staff with their on-going development.

Desirable

• Knowledge of goods & services used within NHS.
• Knowledge of Medical and Non Medical products and the dynamics of the Healthcare market.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Professional approaches to all aspects of work, in particular the adoption of the CIPS ethical code of conduct and the Trusts Codes of Conduct and accountability.
• Ability to think strategically and deliver operationally.
• Calm influencing and persuasive skills in negotiating both internally and externally.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to cope under pressure.
• Good at building networks and alliances internally and externally.
• Proven ability to operate/think laterally and work on own initiative.
• Ability to deal with highly complex, sensitive information of a contractual nature.
• Experience of complex evaluation and market and economic analysis.
• Industrious and versatile.
• Creative, innovative and visionary mind set.
• Ability to influence, command respect and to establish credibility with Board members.
• Tactful, diplomatic and at ease with all kinds of people.
• Ability to motivate and develop others.
• Commitment to staff development at all levels, including the sponsorship of professional development.
• The drive to deliver services of high quality at low cost which is customer focused.
• Demonstrates tact and diplomacy as well as an ability to be assertive when required.
• Be hardworking, enthusiastic and committed to the outcome required by both the department and the Trust.
• To be able to work to deadlines and work under pressure to meet targets in a professional manner.
• Results driven.
• Willingness to change and implement new ideas/concepts.
• Ability to prioritise.
• Team player.
• Assertive.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).