Assistant Category Manager

The opportunity

An outstanding opportunity for a Procurement Professional to join an established team at one of the UK’s most prestigious and globally renowned Universities. Working closely with the Senior Category Manager for Digital & Technology, the Assistant Category Manager will support the wide range of procurement activity across the University. Collaborating with senior stakeholders, driving value for money, advising on routes to market and supporting a culture of best practice principles for purchasing.

Key duties include:

• Support the Senior Category Managers to deliver a sustainable procurement service for Digital & Technology, from sourcing strategy through to the development and drafting of specifications, competitive tendering, supplier evaluation and selection, contract management and monitoring.
• Support procurement strategies for Digital & Technology ensuring the best route to market, including the use of tenders, frameworks (GCloud, LUPC, GCA) and development of UAL frameworks for call off.
• Champion the use of the eMarketplace for high volume spend, engaging with suppliers and stakeholders to rationalise suppliers.
• Support a culture of procurement best practice, early engagement with Procurement, signposting and delivering value for money for sustainable purchasing.
• Develop a culture of robust supplier relationship management, providing training and guidance to stakeholders, ensuring adherence to contract obligations.
• Keep up to date with existing and proposed legislation and regulatory requirements to ensure your effectiveness as a procurement professional within the assigned category.
• Maintain the Contracts Register, Procurement tracker and procurement pipeline tracker so it can be utilised for workload planning, risk management and monitoring performance.
• Provide category management reporting, analysing markets and spend to support category procurement strategies.

 

Location:

• Offering a Hybrid work pattern and operating out of expansive offices within the historic Central Saint Martin’s college (less than 10 minutes-walk from Kings Cross Station), this is a vibrant and modern team environment with an expectation that staff work a minimum of 2 days onsite. 

  

 

 

Your profile

Your profile and background:

• Previous experience working on procurement projects with in a Digital & Technology category area
• Track record managing multiple procurement projects in a complex environment.
• Knowledge of procurement practices, procurement law, EU/UK procurement directives (Public Contract Regulations 2015/Procurement Act 2023 desirable but not essential).
• Personable and self-motivated with the ability to influence and engage with Key Stakeholders and liaise confidently with a broad range of IT Suppliers.
• You’ll ideally be CIPS qualified or working towards qualification.

 

We are UAL

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.

As a University, we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.

We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to hold a Bronze Award from the Race Equality Charter (REC), are members of the Business Disability Forum and Employers for Carers, and maintain our status as a Disability Confident Scheme and Living Wage employer.

Application process

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our application portal. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.

We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.

Please read through our FAQs before applying and Recruitment Process before applying.

View full job description and apply

Candidates are advised to submit applications early.