Category Manager - Place. Full or Part Time

This role will work within the Place Procurement Team and will primarily be focused on the Construction/Infrastructure Professional Services category. The successful candidate will be immediately responsible for working with various stakeholder groups to develop a new category strategy. Sourcing activity will be required later-on in the duration of the appointment and we are seeking procurement professionals that have procured contracts ideally within the Public Sector.

Full time and part time applications will be considered.

Please note that this position is offered on a Fixed Term Contract until end of January 2020.

Please note that interviews will then be held on 23rd April 2019.

Job Purpose
The role of Procurement is to work with stakeholders across ECC to understand requirements for goods and services, make an assessment of the market and determine the appropriate strategy for each spend area. The team also actively manage strategic suppliers and their contracts.

The Category and Contract Manager will manage the delivery of sourcing processes in a compliant and timely manner. They will be directly accountable for the effective management of contracts assigned to them, ensuring that service level agreements and key performance indicators are monitored and that any improvements required are well planned and executed. The role will negotiate all commercial or contractual terms to achieve positive outcomes as well as ensuring that contracts keep pace with ECC's changing requirements.

Effective leadership of multidisciplinary teams will be needed along with supporting the development of colleagues both within procurement and across the Authority.

Organisational Accountabilities

• Roles at this level will be focused on delivering results in a specific functional area. They will hold expertise on the application of policy and improvement of service delivery. These roles have clear team budgets and targets set within the overall service requirements
• Operational planning and performance review to maintain exceptional service delivery and ensures the political objectives and priorities of the council are met
• Working collaboratively within and across functions to and thinking commercially support the delivery of best possible outcomes for our customers on a financially sustainable basis.
• Maintain and nurture collaborative relationships with other teams in the function and external organisations that support the delivery of annual plans.
• For a full list of organisational accountabilities please visit the working for essex web site

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Lead the development, maintenance and implementation of category strategies, ensuring alignment to commissioning objectives.
• Develop and implement innovative approaches and solutions in the delivery of complex projects to enhance levels of service and minimise costs. This requires working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation and externally, to ensure best practice can be achieved when implementing new ways of working.
• Collaborate with and exert influence on Directors, Senior Managers and Members as to the commercial and financial viability of differing commercial options for specific projects within complex and often, contentious environments.
• For a full list of service/functional accountabilities please visit the working for essex web site

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Educated to degree level with a relevant professional qualification such as MCIPS and or equivalent demonstrable work experience with evidence of continuing professional development.
• A demonstrable track record of successfully managing Public sector sourcing requirements is essential, including OJEU compliant procedures and lower risk options such as RFQ and framework call offs.
• Knowledge of category management and experience of using this methodology in complex commercial environments to deliver significant cost or service improvements.
• A demonstrable track record of managing multi-million pound strategic contracts in business critical environments. This should include evidence of defining, measuring and improving key elements of supplier performance.
• Experience of delivering continuous improvements in large, strategic arrangements with evidence of generating significant cost and service benefits.
• Knowledge of contract law and legislation relevant to the specific category / categories within their control and its impact on market management, finance and contractual arrangements.
• Extensive knowledge of public sector procurement law with an ability to explain the law to non-procurement staff and find pragmatic solutions to potential legal difficulties.
• Comprehensive negotiating skills appropriate to multi-million pound contracts and experience of planning and delivering successful negotiations.
• Experience of working in a political environment and skilled in understanding and responding to different perspectives.

Working for Essex welcome applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of gender, race, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Working for Essex is a trading name of Capita Resourcing Ltd. Services offered are those of an Employment Agency and Employment Business. Applicants will be required to register with us.