Assistant Category Manager

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

Job overview

We are looking for a Assistant Category Manager.

They will directly supports the Senior Category Manager in establishing and managing effective, and “fit for purpose”, supply/service agreements, for a designated portfolio of products/services, which comply with EU/UK public procurement and the respective Trust regulatory requirements.

Base Location: Yeomans Way

• Directly supports the Senior Category Manager in establishing and managing effective and “fit for purpose” contractual agreements which comply with EU/UK public procurement and the respective Trust regulatory requirements
• Promotes and engenders effective stakeholder relationships, leading and influencing change affecting commitment based & collaborative approaches to strategic sourcing, supplier development & management to address Trust strategy, customer requirements and sustainable cost improvement strategies.
• Work with Category Managers and cross functional teams to deliver innovative solutions to support care pathways as part of strategic direction in support of Senior Category Manager.
• Act as mentor and undertake development and coaching of other team members as required; develop and manage ongoing business review programmes with key vendors/stakeholders to ensure compliant, effective and ongoing management of contracts allocated; engender continuous improvement ethos taking a lead role to establish robust product and market intelligence for portfolio of products and services allocated, and acts as an ambassador for the department, providing specialist advice to internal customers.

Working for our organisation

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert

Person specification

Qualifications

• Associate CIPS Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or equivalent professional experience: usually by completion of Advanced Diploma (Level 5)

• Full membership (MCIPS) of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or equivalent professional experience.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years procurement experience with exposure to leading edge procurement, sourcing and market management practices
• Exposure to project management implementing change.
• Experience of negotiation, contracting and supplier management with an understanding of the rules governing public sector Procurement.
• Exposure to and management of Procurement & Sourcing strategies.
• Experience in negotiating and closing complex contract deals delivering measurable savings.

• Experience of Public Sector Procurement.
• Experience in managing a team.
• Knowledge of inventory/ materials management.

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Computer literate, including the use of contract management information systems.
• Able to undertake detailed and complex commercial cost & risk analysis and to use such data to make decisions and to translate such analysis into a sound argument and recommendation.
• Good problem solving ability, business acumen and ability to manage commercial opportunities.
• Ability to plan & coordinate purchasing & contract workplans including operational time factors.

• Proven ability to implement and manage strategy and strategic change.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of EU & UK public Procurement legislation and knowledge of leading-edge procurement practices.
• Good negotiation techniques and the management of supplier contracts.
• Knowledge of professional procurement principles and techniques.
• Researches markets and suppliers to make informed commercial decisions

• Understanding of resource accounting and budgeting.
• Supply chain management strategy, Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) and Just in Time (JIT) systems/processes.

Other requirements specific to the role

• Well developed inter-personal and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively at all levels and across all disciplines including senior clinical and non-clinical managers.
• Good interpersonal and negotiation skills to discuss detailed contractual issues with NHS staff and suppliers, gaining customer support and cooperation to contentious or sensitive recommendations.
• Able to communicate with non-commercial staff conveying procurement concepts clearly providing advice & guidance on statutory financial and procurement regulations.
• Able to foster internal relationships and influence colleagues, interpreting their needs and embedding into professional procurement arrangements.

• Ability to raise difficult issues and influence key players.

Personal Attributes

• Credible and able to influence key stakeholders towards the wider Trust picture.
• Able to undertake complex procurement and contracting for high value and diverse product and service offerings on behalf of specialist technical stakeholders.
• Acts as role model for team members Responds positively to challenging performance targets, manages priorities and maintains focus on outcomes and deliverables.
• Able to generate recommendation reports for Board approval together with succinct briefings on complex purchasing issues.

• Able to provide leadership and mentoring to team members and effectively tackle barriers to communication internally and externally.
• Using appropriate resources to maximise output and to maintain delivery against targets and ability to recommend new methods of operation.

Language Requirement

• Able to speak English as necessary to undertake the role

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.