Category Manager (3044)

Do you want to help create a better world for animals? At the RSPCA, we believe animal welfare is everyone's welfare. Join us in creating a better world for every animal. We can do it if we work together, everyone for every animal.

Choose a career with us and make a difference.

We are looking for a new team member as Category Manager.

• Working hours: 35 hours / Mon - Friday. 
• Hybrid role: Your base will be at Horsham West Sussex.
• This position requires some occasional travel and overnight stays therefore, a driver's license will be essential.

It's important to us that you feel part of our team from the start. We like to keep in touch with regular check-ins and team meetings. There's always a teammate around for support or a quick chat.

Are you ready to join our movement?

Our recruitment journey - key dates for you to note: 

We think this role's going to be popular and are expecting to attract high interest so we strongly encourage early applications to avoid missing out - closing date is  16th April 2026.

Here at RSPCA we know it's a cliche but no two days are the same, we've added a short summary of what a typical day might look like - you will also find a full insight into this role on the attached job description.

In this role, you'll be at the centre of procurement activity across a wide range of indirect spend areas such as professional services, HR, facilities, legal, and finance. Your day will typically involve working closely with stakeholders across the organisation to understand their needs, helping them shape clear and effective requirements, and driving the procurement process from start to finish.

You might begin by meeting with a senior stakeholder to refine a scope of work, ensuring the business requirement is clearly defined and aligned to realise value for money. From there, you could be analysing market options, developing a sourcing strategy, or preparing for a supplier negotiation—considering cost, risk, and long-term value.

A key part of your role will be influencing and educating colleagues, helping to embed a consistent approach to procurement activity across the organisation. You'll act as a trusted advisor, balancing commercial insight with strong relationship-building to ensure the best outcomes.

Alongside sourcing activity, you'll continuously look for opportunities to improve processes, reduce costs, and manage risk. You'll also stay aware of market conditions and supply chain challenges, working proactively to ensure continuity of supply and strong supplier performance.

You'll bring a strong foundation in category management, with the confidence to operate in a fast-paced, matrix environment and engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels. You are commercially astute, creative in developing options, analytically strong, and motivated to deliver value while continuously improving how things are done. In addition, you will demonstrate:

• Proven experience in category management, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities
• Strong commercial and analytical skills, including cost modelling and interpreting supplier financial information
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders
• Effective negotiation skills, with the ability to manage complex commercial discussions and deliver value
• A proactive, self-driven mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Commutable distance to our Horsham or London hub.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles will need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK - We are unable to sponsor visas at RSPCA

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed  to our mission.  For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. Your transferable skills & lived experiences could make you a valuable addition to our RSPCA Family! 

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.