Category Manager

Manchester Metropolitan University – Exchequer & Procurement

About the Directorate

Procurement Services sits within the University's Finance and Procurement Directorate and operates as a centralised function dedicated to ensuring that the University achieves value for money in all its procurement activities.

About the Department

The team acts as a centre of excellence, offering guidance and support to colleagues across the institution on how to procure goods, services, and works effectively and responsibly. Our role is not only to manage costs but also to ensure that procurement decisions align with the University's broader strategic goals.

From August 2024, the University was no longer classified as a public authority under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, however, it continues to uphold high standards of procurement practice, recognising its responsibilities as an exempt charity and a recipient of public funds. This means that while it is no longer legally bound by certain public procurement rules, it remains committed to transparency, fairness, and ethical sourcing.

The Man Met Procurement strategy supports the University's five strategic themes and encourages colleagues to consider sustainability, social value, and ethical considerations in their purchasing decisions. The strategy also promotes collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders to reduce risk and improve supply chain resilience.

Procurement at Manchester Met is about more than just buying - it's about making informed, responsible choices that support the institution's mission and values.

About the Team

There are 13 people in the Procurement Team; the Director of Procurement is the strategic lead of the department, and the Head of Procurement manages the operational aspects of the department. The Procurement Manager reports into the Head of Procurement and managers a team of four Category Managers. The team includes a Systems Manager, who manages a team of four Administrators. There is also a Procurement Data Analyst within the team.

About the Role

As a Category Manager, you will be responsible for managing the sourcing and procurement processes related to the Facilities procurement category. This includes managing the tender process, understanding and analysing category spend patterns and development of a category strategy.

The Facilities category is made up of spend, contracts and suppliers relating to goods and services procured on behalf of our Facilities Team, which sits under the Estates, Facilities and Capital Development Directorate. This includes key products and services, such as the cleaning of our campus buildings and facilities, campus food and beverage outlets and provisions, building maintenance, staff uniforms and many more.

Key Skills & Experiences

Experience of achieving value for money and service improvement is expected. You will have some experience of stakeholder engagement and have skills in influencing others to achieve a goal. It would be desirable if you had prior knowledge of routes to the supplier market and procurement processes. Analytical thinking and reporting experience is expected.

Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) membership would be an advantage.

Key Responsibilities

As a Category Manager you will play a key role in ensuring that the University achieves value for money on purchases and contracts, considering cost, quality and sustainability, whilst ensuring procurement best practise is followed.

To learn more about this exciting opportunity and benefits we offer, please read the JD and Candidate Pack provided below.

Assessment Process

To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter detailing your suitability, on the application portal (available on the university's website, accessed by the 'Apply' button). For informal enquiries, about this vacancy, please contact Stacey Anderton on s.anderton@mmu.ac.uk.

If you would like to join our people and share our ambition, we would love to hear from you!

Manchester Metropolitan University fosters an inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We value a diverse workforce for the innovation and diversity of thought it brings and welcome applications from local and international communities, particularly those from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and tailored schedules, which can be discussed with your line manager. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know so we can provide appropriate support.

Our commitment to inclusivity includes mentoring programmes, accessibility resources, and professional development opportunities to empower and support underrepresented groups.

Manchester Met is a Disability Confident Leader and, under this scheme, aims to offer an interview to disabled people who apply for the role and meet the essential criteria as listed in the attached Job Description for that vacancy.