Category manager (digital and technology)

Band 8a · Category manager · 553 job evaluation points

Manages a category of digital and technology spend, such as software, cloud, devices, or technology services, with a category strategy agreed with digital leaders.

Responsibilities

Write and deliver the category strategy for digital and technology spend, with budget holders and technical leads.
Analyse spend, contracts, licences, and renewals across the category, and plan the pipeline of procurements.
Lead the most complex procurements in the category, such as cloud platforms and clinical systems.
Analyse supply markets and lead early market engagement.
Negotiate commercial models, such as enterprise licences and consumption-based pricing, and track savings and value.
Make sure contracts include interoperability, data ownership, exit, and data return terms that avoid lock-in.
Report category performance, risks, and savings to the head of procurement and digital leaders.
Coach and supervise procurement officers and buyers working in the category.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Category managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: write and deliver a category strategy with budget holders and technical leads plan the pipeline of procurements and contract renewals for the category track savings, value, and risks for the category
Technology and cloud procurementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: buy cloud, software as a service, and clinical systems, choosing the right commercial model build requirements with technical, clinical safety, and information governance leads include interoperability, open standards, data ownership, and exit terms in contracts avoid lock-in by planning for portability and competition at renewal
Market analysis and engagementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: analyse a supply market, its competition, risks, and trends lead early market engagement, such as supplier days, without distorting competition use market evidence to shape requirements and commercial models
Commercial negotiationThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: plan and lead negotiations, setting objectives, limits, and fallback positions negotiate contract variations, renewals, and settlement of disputes keep negotiations lawful and well recorded
Procurement processThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: plan and lead complex tenders, choosing the right route to market and procedure help users write outcome-based specifications for digital and clinical systems manage timetables, risks, and stakeholders through to contract award
Public procurement rules and policyThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: advise on the lawful route for complex procurements and contract changes manage the risk of challenge and handle standstill and debrief correctly write procurement policy and guidance for the organisation
Commercial managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: take responsibility for complex relationships with contracted suppliers identify appropriate contractual frameworks and identify appropriate suppliers negotiate with contracted suppliers get good value out of contracts and suppliers
Creating value for moneyUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: advocate for user needs, ensuring user value is balanced against cost and value for the organisation determine the benefit of a product and persuade others it's the right product to use write or contribute to business cases communicate business-value propositions help others make value-based decisions, influencing the direction of development
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with the team to develop and maintain an understanding of stakeholders work with the team to develop and implement stakeholder communications strategies identify and resolve issues, influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Working (2)	You can: apply data protection principles to your work contribute to data protection impact assessments handle information requests and records correctly
People managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: supervise day-to-day work and give feedback take part in recruitment and induction hold regular one-to-one conversations

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised procurement professional qualification at advanced level, or a master's degree in a related subject, or equivalent experience.
Substantial experience of buying digital and technology services.

Band 8a outline

Knowledge: Expert knowledge of a discipline and its management.
Autonomy: Interprets organisational policy for a service; sets the team's direction.
Scope: A service area or a discipline across the organisation.
Leadership: Manages a team, or leads a discipline without line management.
Accountability: A service area, its staff, and its budget.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	7	Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (master's level or equivalent).	196
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	4	Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.	32
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	4	Holds or sets the budget for a department or service, or buys or maintains its assets.	32
Responsibility for people	3	Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice.	21
Responsibility for information resources	3	Takes formal minutes, regularly writes reports or queries, or maintains information systems as a significant duty.	16
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8a: 540 to 584)			553

Health-sector adverts place this role at Band 8a. Knowledge, analysis, and freedom to act are scored at the Band 8a profile because the job leads the most complex technology procurements in the category. Financial resources is level 4 because the job sets how a major category of the organisation's spending is bought; research is level 2 for regular market analysis.