Category Specialist

Category Specialist

Location: Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, Ellesmere Port

Employment Type: Site Based | Full Time Role 5 days per week Monday-Friday

• 10% Company Contribution Pension, rising to 15% with service
• 25 days of holiday, increasing with service
• Private Medical Insurance
• Additional Flex Benefits, including Holiday Purchase
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme with exclusive discounts
• Free secure on-site car parking

About the Company

Do you want to work for the company that’s playing a leading role in delivering the North West’s low carbon future?  EET Fuels (Trading name of Essar Oil (UK) Limited) produces over 16% of the UK’s road transport fuels, provides key feedstocks to Britain’s petrochemical industry and is investing in developing low carbon fuels.

We are a major supplier in the North West and beyond with customers including most of the major retail brands operated by international oil companies and supermarkets, Manchester Airport, leading commercial airlines and the region’s trains and buses.

And we’re central to the innovative HyNet project which is redefining energy to achieve our regional low carbon ambitions and national policy targets. 

 We employ over 800 expert and engaged colleagues, who are at the heart of everything we do.  The company has an embedded safety culture, technically challenging work across all the different parts of the business and some of the best training available in the energy industry.

For more information, please visit www.eetfuels.com

About the Role

In this role, you’ll take ownership of key spend categories by conducting market analysis, developing and implementing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, and overseeing contracts. You’ll also explore opportunities for value engineering to drive efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

A key part of the role involves building strong relationships with senior stakeholders, supply chain partners, and third-party organisations, including auditors and subsidiaries. You will also be responsible to lead and develop your team, ensuring the right skills and capacity are in place to meet business needs.

Primary Accountabilities

• Lead the development and delivery of category management activities, including supplier relationship management and contract oversight
• Take responsibility for high‑value and high‑risk areas that are critical to operational performance
• Manage end‑to‑end tender processes and market engagement for all spend within the category, ensuring decisions are informed by strong market insight and research
• Build, maintain and influence effective stakeholder relationships across the business.
• Produce and maintain relevant reports, analysis and performance insights, highlighting opportunities for value improvement
• Oversee the creation, implementation and ongoing administration of contracts, including variations and updates
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across managed contracts and monitor the value delivered to the business

About You

We’re looking for someone with experience in procurement or category management within industrial and manufacturing industries, ideally with a relevant degree or equivalent background. Working towards or holding a CIPS Level 6 qualification is preferred.

You should have strong skills in negotiation, supplier and stakeholder management, and category strategy. Experience with ERP systems is important, SAP knowledge is a bonus.

We value people who can build strong relationships, work well in teams, and take initiative. You’ll need to be confident using data to support decisions and present insights clearly. Commercial awareness and the ability to challenge and improve existing practices are key. Strong influencing and communication skills will help you succeed in this role.

Application Deadline: Tuesday 24th March 2026 - Please note, the application deadline is subject to change and may close earlier depending on application volumes.

Please note, we work with a carefully selected set of recruitment agencies, and we are not looking to add to the current preferred suppliers list. We are unable to accept representations from agencies that are not on that preferred supplier list.