Senior Category Manager

Finance, Planning & Analytics

Location:  Highfield Campus
Salary:   £43,155 to £54,421 per annum
Full Time Permanent
Closing Date:  Tuesday 02 May 2023
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  2238723RR

This role has an additional market supplement of up to £3,000 dependent on qualifications / experience

This is an exceptional time to be joining the University of Southampton and the Procurement Services Team. The University has an ambitious Strategy Inspiring the remarkable, our ICT strategy aims to ensure sector leading capabilities are in place to enable the university to achieve its goals. Providing easy to use and sustainable platforms, creating the optimum environment for students to learn, world-class research to take place, and to enable collaboration and innovation. We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced category manager, ideally with ICT procurement experience, to join our team in a role that will be central to the delivery of this strategy.

About the role

• You will be the lead for ICT and Library Services procurement activity, ensuring compliant procurement which meets business needs and delivers value for money.
• You will develop and implement overarching category plans and detailed procurement strategies covering the full range of IT and Library requirements. There may be opportunities to also lead on other categories of expenditure
• You will lead a small team of Procurement Managers and Procurement Officers to support delivery of procurement requirements
• You will work closely with contract managers to ensure contract performance expectations are met  
• You will work closely with our iSolutions department to ensure business needs are met by your strategic category plan

What you’ll bring

• Experience of delivering end-to-end procurements for complex and routine ICT requirements in a regulated and complex environment, ideally with public sector procurement experience
• A high level of commercial acumen 
• The ability to build strong, productive relationships across our academic and research staff, professional services and key external suppliers and partners

What we can offer

You will be offered some excellent benefits including:

• 44 days leave per year (including 6 University Closure days and 8 days public holidays)
• A 35 hour working week
• Excellent pension scheme (Employer contributions for USS are currently 21.4% of pensionable pay)
• Hybrid working (based 1-2 days at our lively Highfield campus)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discounts
• Discounted access to our sports complex
• Supported departmental development opportunities
• Assistance with relocation if applicable

We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse culture at the University and creating an environment where people can balance successful careers with their commitments and interests outside of work. Our flexible working practices, including a hybrid working model, where employees can split their working time between the office and home, support our belief that this balance brings long-lasting benefits for our institution as well as our people.

We believe equality and diversity are fundamental to making the University of Southampton a vibrant, proud and successful organisation. A diverse workforce, with people from different racial, educational and social backgrounds and a range of ages, opens up a wealth of possibilities for Southampton.