Strategic Procurement Manager: Social Care

Strategic Procurement Manager:
Social Care

Are you a skilled category manager with knowledge of Adult Social Care, Childrens Services or Public Health? Do you have expertise in public sector procurement? Are you a self‑starter with the motivation to drive best value from a category portfolio? If so, we would like to hear from you.

Brighton and Hove City Council are seeking a Strategic Procurement Manager for the Social Care category, which covers Adult Social Care, Childrens Services and Public Health. The Procurement Team supports council departments with procurement and tendering via a category management approach. The team ensures regulatory compliance whilst driving value, delivering savings and realising social value. We are committed to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into our processes, promoting fair and accessible opportunities.

The team works in a hybrid setting across Hove Town Hall and remotely.

The Procurement Team provides direct local support to its customers in the Council, delivering expertise on tendering activity and contributing to service objectives, savings and other benefits including Social Value and Community Wealth Building.

• Social Care
• Corporate Contracts, IT&D and Professional Services
• Housing and Property
• City Services and Infrastructure

As Strategic Procurement Manager you will:

• Coordinate and support all procurement and contracting activity and manage stakeholders including commissioners, contract managers, Heads of Service and Directors.
• Understand spend data and maintain strong knowledge of the Social Care sector.
• Lead major procurement projects and oversee projects within your service area.
• Provide line management.

• Strong communication, interpersonal, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Experience in public sector procurement, procurement regulations, category management and business partnering.
• Advanced problem‑solving and analytical skills, with the ability to develop and implement innovative solutions to support strategic change.
• Building and maintaining positive, inclusive relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Experience in leading, coaching, mentoring and developing staff to achieve high performance and continuous development.
• Leading effective and innovative procurements.
• Strong acumen in prioritising and resolving complex issues.
• Awareness and experience of working in a political environment.
• Delivering value for money and strong commercial outcomes.
• Awareness of social care, including sector pressures and regulatory requirements.

• Supportive, collaborative team where knowledge is shared and continuous improvement is encouraged.
• Learning‑focused organisation that values wellbeing, inclusion and innovation.
• Flexible working arrangements to support a healthy work‑life balance.
• Supportive and inclusive working environment with access to staff networks and forums.
• Local government pension scheme and family‑friendly policies.
• Employee benefits including discount schemes and a cycle‑to‑work programme.
• Support to study CIPS through an apprenticeship route.

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, particularly those from BME or White Other background and those who identify as disabled, female or trans.