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Head of Category & Strategic Supplier Management

Greater Manchester
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Job ID 1072184 Job Category Procurement and Supplier Management, Leadership Hours per Week 37.5 Closing Date 07-10-2026 Salary Up to £104,975 to £117,325

Head of Category & Strategic Supplier Management

Up to £104,975 to £117,325 dependent on experience, including benefits from your home role (Work Level 3) 

Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll split your time between home, the office, and travelling to suppliers (find out more about our hybrid working policy at jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-policy-working).

12-month secondment 

We’re looking for a Head of Category and Strategic Supplier Management to join our Procurement Leadership team. You’ll combine hands-on category delivery with leading and developing a team, delivering commercial value and providing an effective procurement service across our business.

Why this job matters

Our procurement team helps Co-op get the best value from the products and services we buy, while making sure colleagues across our business get the support they need. In this role, you’ll set the direction for your team and manage the service we provide, while staying close to delivery and leading your own procurement projects. It’s a great opportunity to make an impact through your own work while helping others develop and perform at their best.

What you’ll do

  • Lead and develop our HR, Professional Services and Business Process Outsourcing Category and Operational Procurement teams to deliver the procurement lifecycle (category planning, sourcing and supplier management), setting clear priorities, managing delivery and supporting colleagues to build their skills and perform at their best

  • Develop and deliver category strategies that protect and generate commercial and social value for our Co-op

  • Take a hands-on approach to sourcing, negotiation and contracting alongside your leadership responsibilities

  • Build positive relationships with suppliers and senior stakeholders, understanding their needs and delivering practical commercial solutions and positive outcomes

  • Identify opportunities to improve value, efficiency and the way our procurement service operates, making a positive commercial contribution to Co-op

  • Play a meaningful role in delivering our Procurement team’s functional plan, working as part of a high-performing leadership team

What you’ll bring

  • Strong indirect procurement and end-to-end category management experience, with a track record of delivering successful commercial projects

  • The ability to combine strategic thinking and leadership with hands-on procurement delivery

  • Strong commercial judgement, with the ability to manage competing priorities and make pragmatic decisions

  • Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across a complex business and supply chain

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

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