Category Manager

Job Title:
 Category Manager (Operational Equipment and Fleet)

Contract:
 Permanent

Working Hours:
 37*

Salary:
 £50, £55,501.00

Location:
 Kelvedon Park and Lexden*

Closing Date:
 7th December 2025

*We are open to discuss working arrangements including flexibility over hours and location, however the expectation is that, as a hybrid role your work will be balanced between home and Services facilities, and you will be expected to attend the Service premises for at least 3 days of a 5-day working week.

The Role

An opportunity has arisen for a Category Manager in our Procurement team for operational equipment and fleet.

You should have MCIPS, or be working towards, and have experience in Category Management and running tenders across a varied category both above and below the procurement regulations threshold.

You will deliver the full sourcing life cycle, from strategy creation and execution (supplier qualification, assessment, selection, and contract award) through to implementation (supplier mobilisation and transition) and contract and supplier management.

You will have a proven experience developing and maintaining effective relationships internally, with other organisation areas and externally with suppliers.

Experience of working within, and knowledge of the public procurement regulations is a prerequisite of the role.

What You Will Be Working On

• Creating category strategies
• Delivering procurement advice and guidance
• Ensuring compliance with our internal financial regulations and the public procurement regulations
• Running tender processes, at various values, from identification of requirement through to contract execution
• Achieving value for money for the Service

What Are We Looking For?

We are looking for someone with knowledge and experience of working in Category Management. Public sector procurement experience is essential with knowledge of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023.

We require an individual who can build effective relationships across all levels of the Service and provide advice and guidance on procurement.

If you are an internal candidate, you 
must
 have discussed your application with your line manager and confirmed with them there are no outstanding issues of conduct or performance. This will be verified prior to shortlisting.

How to apply

You will be required to submit a CV detailing a minimum of five years employment and / or education history. Your CV should include any experience that meets the Person Specification for the role.

You may attach separate documents (such as qualifications) should you wish. Your additional documents will be referred to in shortlisting to confirm eligibility (e.g., your current role and any existing qualifications).

Assessment and selection:

The assessment and selection approach will be:

Stage 1

Application & shortlisting (assessment of your CV will be made against the essential criteria of the Person Specification)

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial virtual interview.

Stage 2

Formal in person interview at Service Headquarters and in tray exercise.

Should you wish to have an informal discussion with regards to the role, please contact Sarah Smith, Head of Procurement on 

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Our Culture and Benefits

Here at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service we are committed to prioritising and promoting the wellbeing of our employees.

You can find out more about our benefits at 

Important Information for Firefighter Pension Scheme Pensioners

If you are currently in receipt of a pension from the Firefighter Pension Scheme, please note that taking up this role may affect your pension. Under pension abatement rules, if your earnings in this role, when combined with your pension, exceed your pre-retirement salary (adjusted for inflation), your pension may be reduced.

For further guidance, please contact our Pensions team on or email 
mailbox.-
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Safeguarding

Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

It is our policy to require all applicants for employment to disclose if you are currently being investigated by any regulatory body or have any decisions or sanctions pending or in progress in respect of your suitability to work for the Service.

You agree to inform the Service within 24 hours if you are subsequently investigated by any agency or organisation in relation to concerns about your behaviour towards children, young people or vulnerable adults.

The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying.

This role will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Disability Confident

We are an equal opportunities, Disability Confident, employer who welcomes applications from everyone and values diversity in our workplace. A commitment to promoting diversity and developing a work environment where all staff are treated with dignity and respect is central to our recruitment process and all applications will be considered solely on merit.

As part of our offer to support all our candidates to perform to the best of their abilities during our recruitment and selection processes and we would like to let you know about a couple of support options you can access, should you wish to, including our employee forums, who are keen and willing to support all of our potential colleagues.

Our employee forums and partners include:

Asian Fire Services Association (AFSA), BEING (our LGBTQ+ employee support network), Christian Fellowship, Ethnic Minority Forum, Men's Forum, and our Women's Forum. In addition, we also have a female firefighters operational group.

Further to the above, the Service has a Digital Accessibility Inclusion Group (DAIG) that supports all colleagues to improve their digital skills and provides additional support and guidance to colleagues with neurodivergent strengths and struggles as a result of dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, dyspraxia etc. We want everyone to thrive at work, and so we encourage and enable people to access digital tools to help them perform at your best. The DAIG is a group of colleagues from across the Service that unite to support others as a result of their lived experience and desire to make a difference. They support people with a range of visible and invisible disabilities to identify and access digital workplace adjustments and solutions and may be able to assist with your application too.

Should you wish to discuss support, or access further information, from one of these groups, please contact 
Equality.-

You are also able to raise any queries or requests for support, including any adjustments you may require, at any stage of the process by email to 
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