Role: Category Group Manager x 8 REF 93719
Contract Length: Until 31/03/26
Location: Hybrid/Bristol or London - 2 days per week onsite
IR35: Inside
Pay Rate to Intermediary: Market Rate
Security Clearance: SC requested

Spinwell is recruiting for a Category Group Manager for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CATEGORY GROUP MANAGER

In the role of Category Group Manager you will be responsible for providing senior level thought leadership and experience across the Portfolio and associated categories, driving up the maturity and quality of category strategies and their adoption within the portfolio categories.

You will be responsible for building and directly leading a team of (c2-5) Category Management staff, building their confidence and commercial capability and deep category expertise to drive performance and manage setbacks. The role will also require you to use your commercial expertise to identify opportunities for improvement and implement these changes at a local level by working with affected parties to identify and overcome challenges.

You and your team will contribute to delivering commercial excellence for a category group aligned to a capability portfolio, through development and implementation of category strategies (for categories that include large complex platforms, equipment, support contracts, Infrastructure, FM, corporate services, digital services and commodities) across the commercial lifecycle.

You will engage with Senior Leaders across client and be a core member of the Portfolio and Category Management leadership teams, providing a customer-focused service, understanding the business needs and stakeholder drivers, with the aim of becoming a trusted commercial advisor. You will also develop relationships with the department’s key and strategic suppliers, driving ‘value for money’ and risk management excellence across the category.

For clarity, ownership of the implementation of agreed strategies will sit with the respective Delivery Organisations with the Category Management team supporting as required.

SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE CATEGORY GROUP MANAGER

• Credible and assured to command the confidence of a range of senior stakeholders.
• Proven leadership experience.
• Ability to think strategically, act decisively and respond quickly.
• Strong commercial awareness including an expert understanding of the commercial lifecycle.
• Track record of delivering benefits (full range of non-financial and financial benefits) through category management interventions within a complex project/programme delivery environment.
• Understanding of the Defence Industry, supply chains and/or deep knowledge in related categories e.g. autonomous systems, weapons systems, sense decide & communicating systems, power propulsion & auxiliary systems, would be an advantage.

If you are a Category Group Manager, apply now or send your CV to Spinwell!

We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

Applying to this or any other vacancy advertised by Spinwell Ltd constitutes an agreement for Spinwell Ltd to hold your details for 24 months for the purpose of assessing suitability for the advertised position and to make you aware of any other positions deemed suitable of which You will make you aware by means of either email, text or phone. In line with GDPR regulations you are able to request your details be removed from the company data at any time by emailing us

Disability Confident

As a member of the disability confident scheme, the client guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

Armed Forces Covenant

The client is proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant and as such, we guarantee to interview all veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

If you qualify for the above, please notify us and quote the role you are applying for.

We will be in touch to discuss your suitability and arrange your Guaranteed Interview.

Should you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process or if there is a more accessible way for us to communicate, please do let us know.