Commercial Category Manager

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a non-ministerial department of over 1600 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.

We are looking for a Commercial Category Manager to play a key role in securing value for money and supporting the delivery of services that help ensure food is safe and trusted. This is an opportunity to join a high performing, supportive commercial team that works closely with colleagues across the organisation to deliver essential outcomes. The role offers the chance to build commercial expertise, influence strategic decisions, and contribute directly to the success of a vital public‑sector organisation.

You will help shape and deliver commercial activity across a range of categories, working with both internal teams and external suppliers. The role is suited to someone who enjoys managing a varied workload, working collaboratively, and building strong relationships with stakeholders and suppliers. It also offers scope to develop your skills, contribute to continuous improvement, and become a trusted commercial adviser.

In this role you will develop and maintain category strategies, ensuring the delivery of procurement activity that supports organisational priorities and reflects market insight. You will lead sourcing projects from planning through to contract award, guiding colleagues on the best routes to market and ensuring compliance with procurement regulations. Your work will involve shaping specifications, managing evaluations, and supporting the smooth transition into contract management so that suppliers understand expectations and deliver effectively.

You will engage with key stakeholders to understand requirements, manage risks, and provide clear commercial advice. Alongside this, you will monitor category performance, analyse spend, and identify opportunities to secure improved value for money. You will play an important part in supplier relationship management, supporting regular reviews and helping resolve issues to maintain high quality service delivery. The role also involves contributing to wider commercial improvement initiatives, supporting team development, and applying strong organisational skills to manage deadlines and priorities.

If you’re eager to work in an organisation that makes a real difference and develop your commercial career, we’d love to receive your application.