Category Buyer

Description:

Job Title: Category Buyer

Function: Commercial

Location: Leeds

Contract type: Permanent 

Salary: £32,045 with the potential to rise to £37,700 over 3 years

Closing Date: 30th May 2024

We have a great opportunity for a number of Category Buyers within the Commercial Category team, across various specialties, covering the following category areas.

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 maximize value both for customers and the organization. Contribute with insights into industry and consumer trends and support the development of recommendations to optimize new product launches.

Every day you will … 

Deliver specific category goals within a category plan/program in line with the organizations’ 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 optimizing relationships and interactions with external and internal stakeholders, including key decision makers, regulators, public organizations, 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 processing cases, dealing with complex queries, and investigating and resolving customer problems. 

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 VIP colleagues 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.

What skills will help you thrive in this role?

You will need to have proven experience within a Buyer role ideally from the Public Sector.

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. 

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  

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 who will be happy to help you with alternative ways to apply