Category Manager x2

DBS Level: Basic

This role offers hybrid working, with the office based in Ealing

About A2Dominion We are a UK housing association committed to a new vision – providing homes people love to live in. With over 38,000 homes in management across London and southern England, we provide a wide range of homes for social, affordable, and private rent, specialist services, as well as homes for sale and shared ownership.

Role Overview As a Category Manager, you will play a key role in strengthening A2Dominion's procurement function, supporting the delivery of strategic objectives and transformation programmes across the organisation.

Working closely with stakeholders across the business, you will lead end-to-end sourcing and procurement activities, manage supplier relationships, support contract performance and value delivery, and contribute to the implementation of procurement best practice and regulatory change.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting the Procurement Business Partner/ Head of Category in delivering the relevant category strategies, as well as taking ownership of various sub-categories, including leading end to end tender projects, management of framework agreements and other projects where appropriate

• Work closely with Head of Procurement Operations to enable a smooth transition to the new procurement regulations and contract management system.

• Carry out category and sub-category support activities (via category strategies) as directed by line management

• Liaise with wider organisation and colleagues to ensure consistent and compliant approach to procurement and contract management.

• Overseeing successful contract implementations, attending scheduled contract review meetings with the internal stakeholders to support them in ensuring that supplier performance is being met against the agreed SLA’s and KPI’s. Providing solutions to contract related problems

• Following up with the internal stakeholders and supply chain on actions resulting from performance review meetings7. To develop/maintain appropriate supplier and customer relationships in line with agreed strategy for a specific category or sub-category under best practice contract management mode

• Effective coordination of Category Management activity to ensure delivery of overall team objectives, including monitoring activities within ECM (Enterprise Contract Management portal in D365 and P2P)

• Support the management of and report on supplier performance, taking corrective actions where necessary

• Identification of Continuous Improvement opportunities within the Category and Contract Management

• Support the on-going performance; commercial and risk management of the portfolio suppliers

• Be an active team player, supporting colleagues within procurement and taking on ad-hoc duties when needs arise.

More about you:

• MCIPS accredited or educated to degree level, with a willingness to undertake Professional Stage CIPS qualifications.

• Experience of performance monitoring and reporting against policy/project/contractual or SLA requirements

• Proven experience of leading end-to-end public procurement procedures in accordance with UK public procurement legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023.

• Experienced in working on procurement transformation

• Experienced in developing and successful delivery of Corporate and Professional Services procurements, contract management, realizing cashable and non cashable benefits, influencing and making recommendations.

• Strong understanding of contract law principles, commercial terms and conditions, and contract management best practice.

• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) to enable the development relationships both internally and externally

• Experience of pre and post commercial administration of contracts and managing supplier performance

• IT Skills – Good working knowledge of current category platforms as well as standard MS Office platforms and Tendering Portals

Why A2Dominion? As an employee of A2Dominion, we want you to feel rewarded and have a choice of flexible benefits, salary exchange benefits, and rewards and discounts that work for you, wherever you are in your life.

We offer a wide range of staff benefits. For this role, these include:

• 25 days’ holiday (Plus Bank Holidays)
• Up to 8% contributory pension
• In addition, all permanent and fixed-term employees receive a generous annual allowance of up to £300 to use towards health and lifestyle benefits for both you and your family.

Diversity & Inclusion We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible, and we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the process - just contact our Resourcing Team

We know some people hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. If that’s you, we encourage you to apply if your skills and experience align – please get in touch with us to talk it through. At A2Dominion, we value diversity, embrace flexibility, and are a family-friendly employer. Everyone belongs here. Join us and help make a lasting difference in the lives of our customers