About this role
Job summary
Working hours: 37.5 hours per week
A new and exciting opportunity has arisen to join our dynamic team as a Category Officer in the Procurement Department at The Countess of Chester Hospital.
The Category Officer will provide a professional procurement service to the Trust and undertake and assist in the formulation and implementation of Trust Contracts.
This role will suit a candidate who is looking for development opportunities and enjoys working in a fast paced environment within an Acute Trust setting. The role involves significant stakeholder engagement both internally and externally. You will be able to work independently and also as a team, ensuring compliance with the Trust SFIs and public sector legislation.
Main duties of the job
To identify and assist in the development, analysis and the process of contracts at national, regional and above threshold levels in accordance with Trust Standing Financial Instructions and Standing Orders. To lead on reviewing and maintaining the contract data base through effective contract management by actively monitoring and updating database in a timely manner. To assist in the research and evaluation of the marketplace and conduct benchmarkingexercises through the comparison of appropriate routes of supply chain and the effective use of collaborative purchasing. To provide Customers with advice and guidance surrounding the services and procedures provided by the Procurement Team. To engage with external stakeholders
About us The Trust's services are provided from three locations: o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 473 general and acute beds. o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 60 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility. o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population. The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employs 5,964 staff (headcount) to provide care and treatment to a population of over 400,000 people living in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System. Due to its location on the border with North Wales, the Trust also works closely with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust treats patients from England and some parts of Wales. During 2024/2025, there were approximately 643,000 patient attendances (inpatient, A&E, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery
Job description Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.
If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service.Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualification Essential
NVQ Level 3 in Supply Chain or Procurement or CIPS Level 4 or the equivalent buying experience. Understanding of knowledge of Contract Law through short courses and experience or equivalent. Understanding / experience of Supervisory and Delegation skills
Desirable
A minimum of two years' purchasing experience.
Knowledge and experience Essential
Experience in the use of Microsoft Office applications - Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Must be able to meet pre-set schedules and deadlines, and deal with queries efficiently whilst working in a methodical manner, paying particular attention to accuracy Ability to work unsupervised on own initiative and be an effective team member To respond to unexpected changes and adopt a flexible attitude.
Desirable
Evidence of ongoing development Experience of a large multifunctional organisation.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address Countess Of Chester Hospital
Liverpool Road
Chester
CH2 1UL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)