Category Manager

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will have professional and technical responsibility for the analysis and review, identification, and delivery of clinical and non-clinical procurement opportunities to the Trust that can demonstrate best value, deliver cost and process efficiencies, and maintain the required quality standards. At the same time, ensure the service is effective, flexible and meets the changing needs of the healthcare community.

Develop/provide a range of reports identifying how and where financial savings or other value for money changes have been identified for the Trust through contract renewal or other procurement related changes. If required, develop and present simple business cases to request support for changes to be made. If such opportunities are not taken up, provide a quarterly report detailing what has not been followed through, and why (missed opportunities).

Provide advice on quality, effectiveness and value for money of products and services, including monitoring the performance of the Trusts major suppliers to ensure they remain cost effective and efficient. Continually review major products and services used by the Trust, keeping abreast of new products and managing trials where appropriate.

Research the market and give commercial/contractual advice on the procurement options available to the Trust.

Lead on the development, negotiation or re-negotiation, implementation, monitoring and management of contracts for goods and services procured by the Trust.

Formulate and coordinate procurement contract activity that is undertaken in accordance with all relevant legislation, the Trusts Standing Financial Instructions, Trust Procurement Policy and Best Procurement Practice. Such activities to include: preparing specifications, managing tenders/quotations, undertaking negotiation of contracts in respect of identified approved opportunities.

Interpret and implement changes to statutory and regulatory requirements to contract specifications.

Develop an effective system to communicate and cascade details to relevant Trust staff of all information pertaining to contract awards.

Keep updated contract supply lists detailing all contract information for the Operational Buying and Finance Teams.

Develop and maintain comprehensive record keeping systems to support effective contract management including work plans and contract timetables. Utilise specialist information of IT word processing, spread sheets, databases, etc. in maintaining accurate records, producing tenders and contract documentation, and report management information.

Maintain and report to the line manager an outlined workload report containing the current status on contracts and workload and their delivery and present this information during regular 1:1 meetings

Monitor and manage the performance of suppliers within an agreed contract portfolio and action as appropriate (e.g. contract reviews, performance monitoring and resolution of disputes).

Conduct periodic internal reviews and regular audits with Trust Contract Owners to ensure that KPIs are being met for all contracts, and produce action plans and review progress where contracts are not meeting KPIs.

Build, develop and maintain effective collaborative working relationships with internal/external stakeholders at multiple levels within the Trust and other organisations.

Service Development

Contributes to the strategic development of the Trusts procurement and contract management activities.

Supports the Head of Procurement in developing high quality, effective and stakeholder-focused procurement services, and promotes the Procurement service in a professional and positive manner.

The post holder will contribute to any development or changes to the service as and when required.

Special Working Conditions

As the department is responsible for the procurement of goods and services across all sites of the Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, the post holder will be required to travel between all sites. Frequent travel is also required to other NHS organisations and to Suppliers premises.

Due to the nature of the role the individual will be required to sit at a workstation, input at keyboard and use telephone for the majority of the day.

Attend meetings as and when required which will involve some travel and driving.

Concentration required to analyse information from multiple sources, calculate financial information, enter data onto systems.

Unpredictable interruptions occur all day as customer/suppliers phone/e-mail for assistance, often claiming emergencies and expecting an immediate response.

Accuracy and attention to detail is essential to ensure that correct goods and services are always available to the Trust.

Some exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances.

Working Relationships (these lists are not exhaustive)

Within the Trust:

Finance and Procurement staff and managers

Executive and Associate Directors and staff

Clinical and Service Directors and staff

Service Directorate Managers and other Trust Senior Managers/Clinicians

Internal Auditors

Outside the Trust:

Procurement Staff and Business Managers at other Trusts

Procurement Hubs (e.g. North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative)

Other healthcare providers

Healthcare related government bodies, e.g. Department of Health, NHS Improvement

Other NHS organisations, e.g. NHS Supply Chain, NHS Business Services Authority

Suppliers

Trade bodies and associations

Professional bodies (e.g. Health Care Supply Association)

External Auditors

Maintains regular contact with customers, stakeholders, suppliers and operational staff, to develop market, supply chain and category group knowledge, maximising commercial opportunities

Influences stakeholders and suppliers to provide solutions including re-engineering of business process to meet customer needs, quality, cost and performance targets.

Influences stakeholders and customers to standardise usage and manage demand, dealing with conflict and non-compliance

Support the delivery of the milestones in the Procurement Transformation Plan (Procurement Strategy)

Identify and implement savings opportunities which will deliver efficiencies to the Trust via cost reduction, cost avoidance, demand management or improvements to quality

Responsible for managing a portfolio of categories of goods and services working with budget holders to ensure costs are in line with budgets

Support staff within the designated category team to ensure they understand relevant information and an understanding of strategic aims and tactical objectives

To correctly interpret, analyse, investigate and collate customer requirements via data received from a variety of sources, informing decision making to achieve best value for money.

To receive complex tenders and quotations, interpreting and consolidating the data into spreadsheets/reports, which will be used in the evaluation and contract award process with customers and suppliers.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of knowledge or professional qualification
• Either holds CIPS Professional Diploma or actively working towards achieving

Desirable

• Membership of appropriate professional body.
• Procurement or business management qualification.

Technical Skills

Essential

• Track record of successful stakeholder management working sensitively in a range of settings.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and influencing skills.
• Experience of working on complex tenders

Desirable

• Has necessary interpretation skills to perform procurement adviser role.
• Good knowledge of UK healthcare policy, practices, delivery models, information systems and service standards.
• Working knowledge of NHS policies and national agendas.

Experience

Essential

• Sufficient recent and relevant experience working in a procurement department environment
• Working knowledge of procurement practices, procedures and policies
• Working knowledge of current Public Procurement Directives
• Experience of identifying and delivering savings opportunities
• Contract Management experience
• Experience in basic contract drafting, clause interpretation and/or negotiation
• Experience in writing and/or implementing operational policies/service specifications
• Significant experience of interpreting and presenting complex data and contractual information, drawing conclusions from and acting on these conclusions to achieve change
• Experience of contract negotiations and conflict management at senior levels across boundaries, managing to time and budget.
• Experience of working in a reactive and pressurised environment
• Computer literate, in particular demonstrably good IT skills including Excel and Word
• Experience in procurement/contract management systems

Desirable

• Experience and awareness of the operating environment of the NHS
• Experience and awareness of the NHS provider setting and clinical services
• Experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of organisations and representatives from statutory, voluntary and community organisations
• Experience in: Risk Management, Strategic Management, Change Management
• Proven influencing and negotiation skills.
• Extensive experience of delivering presentations to large groups.
• Must be able to demonstrate leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills.

Other

Essential

• Evidence of current CPD

Technical Skills

Essential

• Ability to establish and maintain professional credibility at all levels of the organisation, particularly at senior manager and director level.
• Ability to meet deadlines through effective organisational and planning skills with capacity to prioritise workload, and ability to work independently with constantly changing demands and requirements
• Flexible and adaptable - able to manage competing and changing workloads.
• Well-developed skills in: Interpersonal relationships, Presentation, Negotiation and persuasion
• Ability to work under own initiative, using own judgement and adapting precedents where necessary. A 'self-starter'
• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wardsend

45 Wardsend Road North

Sheffield

S6 1LX

Employer's website

https://www.shsc.nhs.uk/working-us (Opens in a new tab)