Category Manager

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Please apply online by clicking the link below

Wirral Council is a place where your work truly makes a difference. Employees are empowered to “#BeTheDifference” and help improve life for residents across one of the happiest and most welcoming areas in the UK. With its stunning coastline, vibrant communities, and ambitious vision for the future, Wirral offers an exceptional setting to grow your career and feel valued every day. If you’re looking for a role where you can thrive, develop, and make real impact, Wirral Council is the perfect place to apply.

Category Manager

About the Role

As Category Manager you will ensure the service delivers the Council’s objectives in a compliant manner and to the highest possible professional standards, complying with all aspects of relevant legislation and public accountability requirements. You will be accountable for the delivery of specific strategic procurement projects and support the development and delivery of service strategies and objectives.

The successful candidates will align to support the corporate service within the Council and be responsible for the management of the commissioning cycle, through the provision of best practice procurement, including e-procurement solutions.

About the Candidate

We are interested in hearing from you if you are a full member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 5 (or hold an equivalent procurement qualification) or working towards.

We would like to hear from people who have experience of working in a procurement, finance, or commissioning environment, along with knowledge of the full procurement lifecycle.

You will have knowledge of the stages involved in developing and implementing contracting strategies, and an understanding of public sector procurement legislation. Proven experience of communication with internal and external contacts is essential for this role therefore you are required to possess excellent communication and negotiation skills. We also require candidates with a good standard of analytical and data management skills.

For more information or an informal discussion regarding this vacancy, please contact: Steve Boyd on [email removed] or Rachel Sanders on [email removed]

We believe in giving you the flexibility to work where you’re most productive. This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, combining the benefits of remote work with the collaboration and connection of in-office days, twice a week.

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.

Please be advised it is our understanding that this role does not meet the requirements of a skilled worker visa as set out by UK Visa and Immigration  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes

For details regarding the salary of a skilled worker visa please visit Home Office:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-immigration-salary-list/skilled-worker-visa-immigration-salary-list

This is not legal advice, and we advise you to seek your own independent legal advice tailored to your own personal circumstances

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on [email removed] or contact [phone removed] or [phone removed].

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing [email removed]

Working at Wirral

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.

Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive c