Category Manager | Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The Category Manager will work as a member of the Procurement Team to ensure that the purchase of all goods and services are undertaken in the most efficient and effective manner across MWL, whilst adhering to the Trust(s) standing financial instructions and corporate governance procedures. The main responsibility will be to manage contracts and projects to ensure the Trust(s) meet service requirements and annual Cost Improvement Programmes, whilst abiding by relevant Procurement legislation.

• To ensure the best possible goods and services are provided to our patients and colleagues, ensuring we deliver 5 Star Patient Care
• The Category Manager will be responsible for supporting the Senior Procurement Manager and ADP in the delivery of the MWL Procurement Strategy and national procurement agendas.
• The post holder will be required to support the Strategic Procurement Team in the identification and delivery of Procurement schemes as well as individually leading and delivering a number of projects, which will demonstrate and deliver value for money and innovation whilst meeting the needs of all organisation(s).
• The post holder will be required to provide sound Procurement advice in-line with Trust(s) standing financial instructions and Public Contract Regulations to both internal Procurement team members and staff across the MWL organisations whilst engaging, building and maintaining strategic working relationships with both internal/external colleagues and suppliers.
• The post holder will work closely with business and clinical colleagues across all MWL organisations to undertake procurement activity which will deliver innovation, meets local, national and regional green agendas whilst delivering value and quality to patient care.
• The post holder will also be expected to work alongside and in tandem with the operational procurement teams (P2P and Supply Chain) to ensure the delivery of a professional, joined up and efficient procurement service., TeamManagement
· ManageandsupporttheCategorySupportOfficer(seeorganisationalchart)inthedeliveryof procurement schemes across all MWL organisations. Undertake objective setting and day to day supervision of the Category Support Officer(s). · MaintainkeyrelationshipswithFinanceTeam(s)toensureanup-to-dateunderstandingofeach Trust's overall financial strategy. · TodeputisefortheSeniorProcurementManagerasandwhenrequired. ProfessionalPurchasingAdvice
• ToprovideprofessionalprocurementadviceinlinewithTrust(s)standingfinancialinstructions and Public Contract Regulations to all colleagues across MWL.
• Tohaveday-to-dayresponsibilityforadvisinguponaportfolioofprojects/contractswithregard to the need for tender procedures, quotations and other purchasing activities, whilst ensuring the Trust complies with local SFI's and EU Legislation for the purchase of all goods andservices.
• ToensureallequipmentfordisposalfollowslocalTrustpoliciesandproceduresandmeets legal requirements.
• Toprovideprofessionalpurchasingadvicetofocusgroupsset uptoconsiderthe Trust's purchasing activities.
• Tosupportcliniciansandbusinessmanagersinorganisingproducttrials,analysing tendersand undertaking evaluations which lead to best value purchasing practice.
• Toensurethatrecommendationsforpurchasesarefullyexplainedusing appropriaterelevant evaluation criteria are delivered in accordance with set timescales and remain within budget.
• ChampiontheProcurementfunctiontoinfluenceinternalcustomerstousethe servicesofthe procurement team.
• Toprovideadviceonsourcingalternativeproductsfromappropriatesuppliersasnecessary.
• Toproduceregularmanagementreports/optionsappraisalreportstoaidbusiness decisionmaking.
• ToadviseontheuseofappropriatestandardtermsandconditionsforpurchasingContracts
• Toorganise,planandholdregularmeetingswiththedivisionalmanagementteam/senior clinicians to progress projects.
• Toorganiseandsupportcontractmanagement/supplierperformancemeetingsforTrustkey contracts in conjunction with business managers and clinical teams.
• Supportwiththeeffectiveperformancemanagementofsuppliers,monitoringimprovements where required and ensuring key performance indicators are developed and met.
• ToattendTrustmeetingsandrepresentprocurement(bothinternallywithinMWLorganisations and externally at procurement events), providing sound procurement advice and support.
StrategicPurchasing
• Toproducecontract strategydocumentsforallmajorpurchases/tendersinordertocontribute to the overall purchasing plan.
• Toundertakeallactivitiesinamannerthatrespectstheappropriatelevelofcommercial confidentiality e.g. FOI's
• Toundertakerobust dataanalysisfromTrust'spurchaseorderandaccountspayabledatato create category work plans/identify areas of opportunity.
• To work in conjunction with Collaborative procurement organisations e.g. NHS Supply Chain, HTE, andCCSetc.toensurethattheTrustismaximisingbenefitsthroughnationallyawarded Framework agreements where possible.
• Toensurethat allcontractsandpricingdocumentsarecommunicatedwiththee-procurement team to ensure Trust catalogues are maintained and updated.
• TomanagethecommercialinterfacebetweentheTrustandthemarketplacethroughregular contact with end users and supplier representatives.
• Tokeepabreast of changeswithintheTrustandexternalmarketsandensurethatkeyusers are updated as required.
• To develop opportunities to work in partnership with other Trusts/other public sector organisationsinordertoimprovevalueformoneyandassist inbenchmarking exercises/ innovation opportunities.
• Toensureordersareprocessedinatimelymannerandthatpricingiscorrect/orderscontain the relevant information.
• ToensureProcurementprocessesandproceduresarefollowedandthattenderingactivityis carried out correctly and line with Trust(s) SFI's and EU Procurement regulations.
• Undertakequotations,localtenderingand abovethresholdexercisesensuringadherenceto Trust standing financial instructions and Public Contract Regulations.
• Tomanagealargeportfolioofprocurementprojectssimultaneously.
• Tocommunicateeffectivelywithinternalandexternalstakeholders ensuringpurchasingactivity delivers best value for money.
• Workeffectivelywithothermembersoftheprocurementteamtoensureefficienttransactional procurement in accordance with the MWL Procurement Strategy and corporate governanceprocedures.
• ToensuretheTrust(s)contractsdatabase/register andworkplanismaintainedandkept uptodate.
• Responsibleforaccuratelyrecordinginformationinrelationtosavingsandscheme deliveryand reporting on this information for the categories managed.
• Leadoncapitalpurchasesandrenewalofmaintenancecontractswithincategoriesmanaged.
• ToensurecontractopportunitiesareadvertisedontheTruste-tenderingsystem/required government portals.
• Topresent opportunitiestotherelevantgroupsofproductopportunitieswherethereisa potential for product savings and standardisation.
• Toensurequalityimpactassessmentsarecarriedoutinconjunctionwithanyprocurementproject.
PatientEnvironment
• Ensurethatfinancialandbudgetaryresponsibilitiesarecarriedout inaccordancewiththe Trust'sPoliciesandProcedures(withparticularemphasisuponworkingknowledgeofthe application of Standing Financial Instructions (SFI's) and Scheme of Reservation andDelegation).
• ToensureallprocurementactivitysupportsthevaluesofMWLandthatoftheMWLstrategy.
FinancialRegularity
• Be familiar with the Trust(s) Corporate Governance Manual and Financial Procedures, particularlythoserelatingtopurchasingactivities.Toensurethatstaff complywiththeTrust's Standing Financial Instructions (SFI's) and Public Contract Regulations.
• ContributetothedevelopmentofProcurementprocedurenotestoreflectcurrent/updatedpractices.
General
• Toplanandorganiseownworkload.
• TorepresenttheProcurementdepartmentatinternal(MWL)andexternalbusinessmeetings.
• Thepostholderisrequiredtoworkwithautonomy, whilstupholdingDepartmentalrequirements and professional standards. The post holder will comply with the values of MWL
• Any other duties as required. This job description is not intended to be exhaustive but to indicatethemainresponsibilitiesof thepostandmaybeamendedfromtimetotimeafter consultation with the post holder.
Additionalinformation
• To ensure compliance to all Trust Risk Management, Research Governance and Infection ControlPoliciesandProceduresandabidebytheStandardsforBetterHealthandessential standards of safety and quality.
• "Complywiththeexplicitandimpliedtermsoftheircontractofemployment,orotheragreement signed to handle Trust information".
• 'Takeresponsibilityformanagingownhealthandwell-being.'
• 'ExpectedtocomplywiththeCharteredInstituteof PurchasingandSupply(CIPS)Codeofconduct'.
  
  Disability Confident
About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care. Our services: Acute Care Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites. Primary Care Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital. Community Services Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre. Specialist Regional Services We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales. Achievements:
• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme