Category Manager

Category Manager

Location: Fully Home Working
Contract: 6 months fixed term with potential extension
Pay Rate: £32.16ph PAYE / £42.30ph Umbrella (paid weekly via an umbrella company)
Start Date: 27th November

About the Role:

The South West Police Procurement Service (SWPPS) is seeking a skilled Category Manager to lead strategic procurement across the five South West Police forces and OPCCs. You will drive innovation, collaboration, and best-value procurement across complex, high-value categories while ensuring compliance with public procurement law.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end sourcing for high-value, multi-force procurements.
  
  
• Develop and implement category strategies to deliver savings, innovation, and improvement.
  
  
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the region.
  
  
• Manage, mentor, and develop a geographically dispersed team of Category Buyers.
  
  
• Influence national and regional collaborative procurement initiatives.
  
  
• Analyse data to inform strategic decisions and optimise supplier performance.

Essential skills and experience:

• Graduate-level CIPS (MCIPS), MBA, or equivalent senior commercial experience.
  
  
• Strong category management and procurement expertise with knowledge of public procurement law.
  
  
• Proven experience in strategic thinking, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement.
  
  
• Ability to lead complex projects under pressure, balancing risk, cost, and operational needs.
  
  
• Excellent IT and analytical skills; experienced in using data to drive decision-making.
  
  
• Leadership experience with the ability to coach, mentor, and develop teams.
  
  
• Prince 2, MSP, or Management of Risk qualifications.

Why Join

Offerings:

• Full remote working
  
  
• The opportunity to work across a large, collaborative regional procurement function.
  
  
• Professional development and ongoing procurement training.
  
  
• A role that makes a real difference to policing across the South West.

Apply Now Service Care Solutions is proud to assist in this recruitment campaign. If you meet the above criteria and would like to be considered, please apply now or reach out directly to discuss the role in more detail.
 
Harry Greenhalgh
Recruitment Lead – Police | Youth Justice | Domestic Abuse
Service Care Solutions
harry.greenhalgh@servicecare.org.uk
01772 208962