Category Manager – Construction & Social Housing

Job description

Category Manager – Construction & Social Housing

Salary: c.£65,000 + £5,000 car allowance + bonus + package

Location: Hybrid, with travel to regional offices and operational sites as required

A major UK construction and infrastructure services organisation is looking to appoint an experienced Category Manager to support on construction and social housing projects.

This is a hands-on procurement leadership role supporting a portfolio of building, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance contracts. The successful candidate must have procurement experience gained specifically within the construction, building or social-housing sector, rather than a general facilities-management environment.

You will manage and develop a small buying team while working closely with operational, commercial and contract teams to improve supplier performance, strengthen procurement governance and deliver measurable savings across regional projects.

The Role:

• Lead an operational buying team of 5 supporting multiple construction, refurbishment and social-housing contracts.
• Provide practical procurement support across materials, subcontractors, suppliers and project-specific requirements.
• Build trusted relationships with regional operations, commercial teams and contract leadership.
• Improve procurement visibility, compliance and consistency across a nationally dispersed business.
• Deliver cost certainty, savings and wider commercial value across live contracts and mobilisations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the buying team, including workload allocation, performance, coaching and development.
• Lead sourcing, tendering, negotiation and contract-award activity for project and operational requirements.
• Establish and promote preferred supplier and subcontractor arrangements across the business.
• Monitor spend, supplier performance, commercial risk and compliance across multiple contracts.
• Support supplier and subcontractor disputes, contract reviews, mobilisations and continuous-improvement initiatives.

Key Skills and Experience:

• Procurement experience gained within construction, housebuilding, property services, refurbishment or social housing.
• Strong understanding of operational buying across building materials, subcontractors and regional supply chains.
• Experience supporting repairs and maintenance, planned works, decarbonisation, refurbishment or housing-improvement programmes would be particularly relevant.
• Previous responsibility for leading, supervising or developing Buyers within a fast-paced operational environment.
• Proven ability to deliver savings, negotiate effectively and influence commercial and operational stakeholders.

What’s in It for You?

• Join a large and established procurement function with significant influence across major UK contracts.
• Take ownership of a visible operational procurement team and regional stakeholder base.
• Gain exposure to substantial construction, building-material and subcontractor spend.
• Help shape stronger procurement processes, supplier frameworks and commercial outcomes.
• Access clear progression opportunities into broader category or procurement leadership roles.

The role requires someone who understands the realities of procurement within live construction and social-housing contracts, including changing site requirements, local supply chains, subcontractor performance, cost pressures and the need to maintain continuity of service for residents and clients. The underlying brief places particular emphasis on team leadership, operational procurement support, supplier and subcontractor governance, savings and close partnership with contract teams.

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

England

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

01-08-2026

Profession type

Technical

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English