Category Manager

Location: Hybrid working with occasional travel to our Bradford office
Contract: Permanent | full-time
Salary: £55,000 per annum

Help shape procurement that delivers real value.

We're looking for an experienced Procurement Category Manager to join our Procurement team at Anchor.

Reporting to the Senior Procurement Category Manager, you'll lead strategic sourcing activities, develop category plans and work closely with stakeholders and suppliers to deliver value for money, manage risk and support our wider organisational objectives.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact, helping to improve how we procure goods and services while supporting our commitment to sustainability and social value.

What you'll be doing

• Develop and deliver category strategies that align with business needs and organisational priorities.
• Lead procurement and sourcing projects from initial planning through to contract award.
• Identify opportunities to improve value for money, manage risk and drive supplier innovation.
• Build and manage supplier relationships, monitoring performance and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Work closely with stakeholders across the organisation to understand requirements and deliver effective procurement solutions.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with relevant legislation, internal policies and governance requirements.
• Use market insight, spend analysis and supplier performance data to inform decisions and drive improvements.
• Support and mentor colleagues within the Procurement team.

What we're looking for

• Proven experience in procurement and category management, including strategic sourcing and contract management.
• Experience managing complex procurement projects and delivering measurable commercial outcomes.
• Good knowledge of UK public procurement legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023.
• Strong commercial awareness, negotiation and analytical skills.
• Experience building effective relationships with suppliers and influencing stakeholders at different levels.
• The ability to analyse procurement data, identify risks and develop practical solutions.
• A relevant professional qualification, such as CIPS, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in soft FM and Utilities Procurement is ideal but not essential.

Why join us?

At Anchor, our work makes a difference to the lives of older people across England. Our Procurement team plays an important role in helping us deliver quality services, achieve value for money and make responsible purchasing decisions.

You'll have the opportunity to influence procurement activity across the organisation, work with a range of stakeholders and contribute to improvements in how we work.

Important information

Proof of the right to work in the UK will be required from the successful candidate in accordance with UK Home Office requirements before any offer of employment can be confirmed.

Where permission to work in the UK is required, applicants will need to hold and maintain the appropriate immigration status or visa for the duration of their employment.

Why Join Anchor?

At Anchor, we're united by a shared purpose: helping people create a home where they love living in later life. As England's largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people, every pound we make or save is reinvested into our residents, services, and colleagues.

Our values of being Accountable, Respectful, Courageous and Honest shape everything we do. They guide how we work together, support our residents and customers, and create an environment where everyone can thrive.

We're committed to helping our colleagues succeed both professionally and personally. Through our dedicated Being Well programme, you'll have access to a wide range of wellbeing, financial and lifestyle benefits designed to support you at every stage of your career and life.

What you can expect from us

• Health and wellbeing support, including free eye tests and flu jabs, access to a digital gym, virtual physiotherapy, a clinical advice line, and digital GP services, giving you practical support for your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
• Generous pension scheme, where you contribute between 4% and 8% and Anchor matches or exceeds your contribution, with employer contributions of up to 10%, plus a pension transfer service, retirement planning support and free life cover.
• The opportunity to buy or sell up to one week of annual leave each year, giving you greater flexibility to balance work and personal commitments.
• A free Blue Light Card giving you access to Shopping, travel, technology and lifestyle discounts.
• Electric car scheme, offering eligible colleagues access to a brand-new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle through salary sacrifice, with insurance, servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover included. Subject to eligibility criteria.
• Ongoing learning and development, Leadership Pathways resources and opportunities to progress your career.

Celebrating diversity, celebrating you

Anchor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We aim to celebrate diversity and inclusion in all that we do, as we know that the more diverse our colleagues are, the better care and support we can give to our residents and each other.  

We are proud to have an inclusion group for our residents, as well as colleague networks for disability, LGBTQ+, race and ethnicity, and unpaid carers. These work to celebrate diversity, address concerns, review policy and practice and empower their members.  We also have an Inclusive Ambassador network to allow all colleagues to be part of promoting diversity and to be an ally to others.

We are a Gold Standard Inclusive Employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, signatory to the Care Leaver Covenant, LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Pioneers and members of the Age Friendly Employer Pledge.