Category Manager - FM & Construction

Job title: Procurement Category Manager – Facilities Management and Construction (Grade 9\)

Location: Service Headquarters, Maidstone – mixture of office and home working – 3 days per week in office (with travel countywide, based on needs)

Hours: Full time – 37 Hours per week

Base salary: £56,572 \- £64,556 per annum depending on experience

Pension: Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme – career average pension scheme with 16\.5% employer contribution

Holidays: In addition to entitlement to bank/ public holidays you will receive 31 days holiday

Ref: R001023

Closing Date: 14th June 2026

Being a part of Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Everyone is unique. Everyone has value. Everyone helps to make Kent Fire and Rescue Service a great place to work. We are one team. Together with our customers we are creating a safer future for Kent and Medway.

Being a ‘Procurement Category Manager’

We are currently recruiting a Category Manager to join our Procurement Team. You will lead the FM \& Construction category, and report directly to the Head of Procurement while managing 1 Category Officer. You will have previous experience of JCT contracts and have experience of working within the facilities management industry. Experience of working within the construction industry is desirable.

The Team is formed of five Categories; Facilities Management and Construction (Property); ICT; Fleet; Professional Services; Operations \& PPE.

What you’ll do

You will lead in developing and promoting an innovative approach to procurement and market analysis. You will provide data and supplier analysis and support new methods of service delivery to achieve, not only best value in procurement, but continuous improvement through effective contract management.

You will also support and lead with the Head of Procurement in designing and delivering local and national strategies to maximise collaboration opportunities across the Blue Light sector.

What you’ll bring

• Procurement experience within the facilities management industry. Experience of procurement within the Construction industry is desirable, not essential.


• Procurement experience within the Public Sector with a proven track record of applying both the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023\.


• Knowledge and experience of JCT contracts. NEC contract experience is desirable, not essential.


• Knowledge and application of procurement processes, English Contract Law, costing techniques, EU Directives and tendering/re\-tendering procurements, including knowledge of category management processes and practices


• Experience of using the government’s Find a Tender Service (FTS)/Central Digital Platform (CDP).


• Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement or Supply, or qualified to at least CIPS level 4 and working towards (or committed to doing so) CIPS Advanced Diploma in Procurement and Supply


• Proven track record in a professional procurement function at a functional senior practitioner level (or capability to do so)

• Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme


• Blue Light Card discount scheme supported by a number of high street retailers


• A range of family friendly policies promoting work\-life balance


• Access to health and wellbeing services and advice


• Free parking


• Above all you’ll become part of a service that is committed to the safety of our community

Please complete an online application and CV by Sunday 14th June 2026\.

Interviews will take place week commencing 22nd of June following closure of advert.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy upon receiving a sufficient number of applications. If you are interested in this role we recommend that you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

*Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We know that great minds don’t think alike, so we rely on diverse thoughts, feelings, beliefs and backgrounds to create the best working environment that we can possibly offer.*

*Kent Fire and Rescue Service, its employees and volunteers, are committed to safeguarding, protecting and supporting children, young people and adults at risk. As part of our safer recruitment process, we will undertake pre\-employment checks to verify your suitability for the role. These checks will include your references and a standard or enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Enhanced DBS check with barred lists are carried out for roles with direct and unsupervised access to children, young people and adults at risk. Risk assessments will be undertaken on any disclosures identified as part of the pre\-employment checks.*

*As a Public Sector organisation with added responsibilities under the Equality Act, 2010 the candidate must demonstrate an understanding of what is meant by Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and how this fits in with their everyday work.*

Job Types: Full\-time, Permanent

Pay: £56,572\.00\-£64,556\.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave


• Company pension


• Employee discount


• Enhanced maternity leave


• Free parking


• Health \& wellbeing programme


• On\-site gym


• On\-site parking


• Paid volunteer time


• Sick pay


• Store discount


• Work from home

• Maidstone ME15 6XB: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

• Do you have experience using the government’s Find a Tender Service (FTS)/ Central Digital Platform (CDP).


• Do you have procurement experience within the FM and / or Construction industries?

• United Kingdom (required)

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