Associate Category Specialist

Grade 7 - £66,627 - £85,845 Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Equal Pay Programme Working 36.5 hours per week Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment. Lead strategic category management that delivers lasting value for Birmingham

Are you an experienced procurement leader with a passion for strategic category management, commercial innovation and delivering outstanding public value? Birmingham City Council is looking for an Associate Category Specialist to lead our Strategic Category Management function within our newly established Commercial and Procurement Services.

Are you an experienced procurement leader with a passion for strategic category management, commercial innovation and delivering outstanding public value? Birmingham City Council is looking for an Associate Category Specialist to lead our Strategic Category Management function within our newly established Commercial and Procurement Services.

This is a senior leadership opportunity to shape category strategies across one of the UK's largest local authorities. You'll lead a team of category professionals, influence senior stakeholders and develop evidence-based sourcing strategies that maximise value for money, strengthen supply chains and deliver long-term benefits for Birmingham's residents.

As the Associate Category Specialist, you'll provide strategic leadership by:

• Leading and developing a high-performing Strategic Category Management Team, building capability, resilience and commercial excellence.
• Acting as the Council's strategic expert for category management, developing evidence-based category and sourcing strategies that deliver measurable value and innovation.
• Building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the Council, ensuring commercial priorities align with organisational objectives and service needs.
• Leading detailed market analysis, spend cube analysis and opportunity assessments to identify efficiencies, improve competition and shape future sourcing strategies.
• Driving supplier engagement throughout the procurement lifecycle, improving supplier performance, managing commercial risks and ensuring benefits realisation.
• Leading complex procurement activity for mid-range contracts, working collaboratively with specialist procurement teams to deliver effective commercial solutions.
• Championing continuous improvement through the use of technology, systems and AI to modernise procurement practices and improve commercial outcomes.
• Ensuring all procurement activity is delivered in accordance with legislative requirements, governance frameworks and the highest standards of ethical procurement.

We're looking for an accomplished procurement leader who combines strategic commercial thinking with outstanding leadership and stakeholder management skills. You'll bring:

• Significant experience leading strategic category management across complex procurement environments, delivering measurable commercial and organisational benefits.
• Strong expertise in category strategy development, spend analysis, market intelligence and strategic sourcing within regulated procurement environments.
• Excellent knowledge of procurement legislation, governance and the Procurement Act 2023, with experience operating within complex public sector or similarly regulated organisations.
• Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build confidence across senior leaders, elected members, suppliers and strategic partners.
• Strong analytical capability, using commercial data, market intelligence and evidence-based insight to shape strategic decision-making.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing high-performing procurement teams while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Full MCIPS membership (or equivalent professional expertise), or a commitment to work towards full MCIPS…