Category Manager

Job Title: Category Manager

Function: Commercial – Indirect Categories

Hybrid Worker – Expectation is two days per week on site at either our Alfreton, Sheffield, Wakefield or Daresbury office

Contract type: Permanent

Salary: Offered on a starting salary of £47,874 with the potential to increase to £56,322 over the course of three years.

Closing Date: Tuesday, 3rd November 2026

NHS Supply Chain currently has an opportunity for a to join our team during an exciting period of transformation, working to make it easier for the NHS to put patients first.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Category Manager to join our Indirect Team.

As a Category Manager for Data & Technology you will manage a diverse area covering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), cloud services, enterprise applications, digital platforms, infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions, and associated professional services, delivering effective procurement strategies, commercial governance, and supplier performance management.

This role is central to our strategic delivery, requiring agility, creativity, and the ability to work at pace in a dynamic environment.

Building strong cross-functional and supplier relationships will be essential to identify opportunities, improve ways of working, drive efficiencies, and maximise service performance and value across the category area.

Every day you will … 

• Work collaboratively with key business, commercial, technical, finance, legal, and operational teams to deliver a joined-up category approach that supports organisational priorities and technology delivery objectives.
• Provide commercial and procurement advice to stakeholders, resolving complex queries relating to procurement activities, supplier arrangements, contractual requirements, and commercial policies.
• Drive continuous improvement across category management and procurement activities, identifying opportunities to enhance processes, improve stakeholder experience, increase efficiency, and maximise commercial value.
• Develop and deliver robust contract management plans for Data and Technology suppliers, ensuring effective governance, risk management, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement.
• Take responsibility for your ongoing professional development, strengthening your commercial, procurement, and Data and Technology capabilities to drive innovation, improve performance, and deliver strategic value.

What can we offer you?

We want to reward you for your passion, enthusiasm, and hard work so we offer much more than a competitive salary:

• Hybrid working opportunities, giving you the flexibility to work collaboratively in the office and remotely.  
• We recognise our employees' hard work and contributions with annual bonus schemes, long service, and colleague recognition awards. 
• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays
• We are dedicated to your development, through in-house training, support, and access to external qualifications to maximise your potential.
• A focus on your well-being offering 1 day of paid well-being leave and free access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous pension scheme (with us contributing 12% when you contribute 6%)
• Access to our Flexible Benefits Scheme, where you can choose from a variety of benefits such as Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection, Health Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, and additional pension contributions that suit you.
• 2 days of paid volunteering leave allowing you to give back to your community. 
• Access to many discounts from the Blue Light Card to NHS Discounts.

NHS Supply Chain, who are we?

Our role is to support the NHS to save lives and improve health. We are a part of the NHS family, and our role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.

We serve every NHS Trust and operate a national network of distribution centres, managing relationships with more than a thousand suppliers and delivering more than 8,000,000 orders each year to more than 17,000 locations. Doing all of this on behalf of the NHS gives NHS staff more time to focus on their main priority of providing excellent patient care.

What skills will help you thrive in this role?

• Proven experience of delivering public sector procurement activity, with a strong understanding of relevant procurement regulations, governance requirements, and best practice.
• Data and Technology category management experience, with a strong understanding of applications, digital services, and the commercial strategies that support their delivery and optimisation.
• Proven ability to engage, manage, and influence stakeholders at all levels, ensuring alignment between business needs, category strategies and operational delivery through clear, concise, and impactful communication.
• Ability to develop and maintain strategic supplier relationships, ensuring performance, service quality, commercial value, and compliance with contractual obligations.
• Demonstrable experience of balancing competing demands, managing workload effectively, and delivering results within agreed timescales.

Our Inclusive Commitment

At NHS Supply Chain, we are committed to building an inclusive environment where difference is not only valued, but celebrated, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive in their career. Developing our people is key to our success, so if this role sounds like the right next step in your career but your experience doesn’t match perfectly with the job advert, we encourage you to still apply.

Struggling to complete our application form, and require additional support? Reach out to our Talent Acquisition team at careers@supplychain.nhs.uk who will be happy to help you with alternative ways to apply.