Category Assistant

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

Coventry is a progressive city with a number of exciting new projects which will present an incredible opportunity for the right candidate to be part of a team and a Council that makes a real difference to the people living in and visiting our City.

Procurement Services are at the heart of the on-going economic and social development of the city and are/have been involved with supporting plans for Very Light Rail (VLR), schools expansion, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and more. We are also integral to the improvement of services for Adults and Children's Social Care, Public Health and homelessness strategies.

We are currently recruiting a Category Assistant within Procurement Services on a full-time, permanent basis.

Working to the Deputy Head of Procurement, you will provide advice to service areas on compliance with legislative requirements, procurement governance process, Contract Procedure Rules, standard documentation and templates, helping with the completion of documentation where appropriate.

Further duties and responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Support the contract management process through the provision of performance and financial data of contractors and providers against existing contract requirements, supporting the category team to ensure services are delivered in line with the original contract requirements.
• Assist in the collation and analysis of key performance and financial data to create a comprehensive spend analysis and support the Category Panel by providing a suite of reports relating to spend, contract analysis and provide conclusions that will support the decision-making process.
• Work with service areas to keep the corporate contracts register up to date, whilst maintaining a library of existing contracts within the category, ensuring they are kept up to date and highlighting contracts due for renewal to the Deputy Head of Procurement for work planning purposes.
• Provide information and advice and guide service colleagues on procedures, policy and best practice as they relate to the procurement and category issues and respond to and deal with queries and enquiries from suppliers as necessary.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role

You should be motivated and enjoy working as part of a flexible and dedicated team. You will have knowledge and experience of the commissioning and tender process and be data driven.

Ideally, you would be MCIPS qualified but if not, you will be willing to work and study towards achieving this.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity in more detail then please contact Rob Amor on 02476 971 956 or [email protected].

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date(s): 11 / 12 September 2025

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.