Category Manager – People Services – AR

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Department: Finance – Procurement
Grade: PO7
Contract: 12 months
Reports to: Category Lead

Role Overview

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is seeking an experienced Category Manager – People Services to provide senior strategic procurement and commercial advice across the Council.

The successful candidate will lead high-value, complex and/or high-risk end-to-end procurement projects, working closely with senior stakeholders across Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Public Health.

You will act as a strategic procurement adviser, ensuring procurement activity delivers value for money, social value and positive outcomes for residents, while remaining fully compliant with public-sector procurement legislation and Council requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex and high-value end-to-end procurement exercises from strategy through to contract award.
• Develop and implement category procurement strategies and forward procurement plans.
• Provide expert strategic procurement and commercial advice to senior managers and stakeholders.
• Act as a key procurement adviser to Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Public Health.
• Provide expert advice on all aspects of the procurement process, including tendering, evaluation, moderation and contract award.
• Apply strategic sourcing, market analysis and commercial techniques to achieve value for money, improved quality and financial savings.
• Ensure procurement activity complies with the Procurement Act 2023, Provider Selection Regime (PSR), Social Value Act and relevant Council policies.
• Manage procurement and commercial risks throughout the procurement lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with suppliers, contractors, consultants and other third-party partners.
• Provide advice on contract management, supplier performance and relationship management.
• Identify and mitigate supplier and contractual risks to protect the Council and ensure successful delivery.
• Drive the delivery of social value, sustainability and wider Council objectives through procurement and contract management.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and provide guidance to Procurement Officers supporting procurement projects.
• Deliver workshops and training to internal stakeholders and, where appropriate, external suppliers.
• Represent the Council at meetings with suppliers, contractors, consultants, partners and other local authorities.
• Maintain professional networks and bring relevant procurement best practice and benchmarking into the Council.
• Provide mentoring and supervision to junior procurement staff and manage staff as required.

Essential Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Significant experience working in public-sector procurement.
• Strong experience leading complex, high-value and/or high-risk procurement projects.
• Experience delivering end-to-end procurement processes.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of the Procurement Act 2023.
• Extensive knowledge of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) and its application.
• Experience providing strategic procurement and commercial advice to senior stakeholders.
• Experience within People Services, ideally covering one or more of:
  • Adult Social Care
  • Children’s Services
  • Public Health
  • Health and Social Care
  • Commissioned care and support services
• Strong contract and supplier management experience.
• Experience managing procurement risks and ensuring successful contract delivery.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of strategic sourcing and market analysis.
• Ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders while maintaining strong working relationships.

Desirable

• Local authority procurement experience.
• Experience delivering social value through procurement.
• Knowledge of sustainability and Fair Tax requirements.
• Experience managing or mentoring procurement professionals.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams and complex stakeholder environments.

Key Skills

• Strategic Procurement
• Category Management
• Public Sector Procurement
• People Services Procurement
• Procurement Act 2023
• Provider Selection Regime (PSR)
• Contract Management
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Commercial Strategy
• Strategic Sourcing
• Market Analysis
• Procurement Risk Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Social Value
• Tender Management

Management Responsibility

The role may involve management of up to 2 directly managed staff and up to 6 indirectly managed consultancy/contracting staff, as well as providing guidance, supervision and mentoring to junior procurement colleagues.

Contract

12-month position

The post does not require a DBS check.