Category Buyer

Job Title:             Category Buyer     

Function:             Diagnostic, Equipment and Services

Location:             Hybrid working 2 days a week – Wakefield 

Contract type:     12 month FTC/ Secondment 

Salary:                  £36,446 with potential to rise to £40,495 over 3 years

Closing Date:      Monday 30th March 2026

We have a great opportunity for a Category Buyer role within our Diagnostics team.

The Category Buyer will contribute to specific category or product group strategy to improve the supply chain, reduce risk, create competitive advantage and deliver cost savings. Through a focus on product range, offers and how products are brought to market, and in close collaboration with key stakeholders, create product groups that maximise value both for customers and the organisation. Contribute with insights into industry and consumer trends and support the development of recommendations to optimise new product launches.

We are seeking a Category Buyer who will:

• Deliver specific category goals within a category plan/program in line with the organisations’ procurement strategy.
• Produce accurate reports for others by collecting data from a variety of standard sources and inputting that data into standard formats.
• Explore and develop a basic understanding of external developments or emerging issues.
• Carry out prescribed stakeholder management activities by following existing procedures; provide support to others in building and optimising relationships and interactions with external and internal stakeholders, including key decision makers, regulators, public organisations, governmental institutions, insurance companies, providers, professional communities, and customer/client/patient groups.
• Collate and analyse data using pre-set tools, methods and formats. Involves working independently.
• Collect and collate information on the key cost drivers, market dynamics and issues, areas of innovation, and alternative suppliers for more senior colleagues to provide solid market information for decision making.
• Provide a quality service to customers while identifying opportunities to secure new business or support retention. Responsibilities may include dealing with complex queries and investigating and resolving customer problems.

What skills will help you thrive in this role?

You will need to have proven experience within an Assistant Buyer / Junior Buyer / Procurement Assistant role, ideally from the Public and NHS Sectors.

In addition, we will expect you to be able to demonstrate:

• Works without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on analysing data trends for use in reports to help guide decision making.
• Works without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on analysing data from multiple sources to draw appropriate conclusions and make suitable recommendations.
• Uses clear and effective verbal communications skills without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on expressing ideas, requesting actions and formulating plans or policies.
• Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to negotiate independently while providing guidance and training to others on how to help the organisation by obtaining consensus between two or more internal or external parties who may have different interests.
• Works without supervision and provides technical guidance when required on developing appropriate plans or performing necessary actions based on recommendations and requirements.
• Communicates with other people without requiring supervision and provides technical guidance when required on speaking in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.
• A car user is preferable, as you may occasionally be required to travel to our Wakefield office or attend supplier visits.

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, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days.
• 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.

Want to develop your career with the NHS Supply Chain? Then apply below or reach out for an informal discussion about the role in confidence by emailing us at Careers@supplychain.nhs.uk  

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.

We reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

SCCL is a company Registered in England and Wales, with company number 10881715, to act as the management function of the NHS Supply Chain.

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